Admission requirements
Required course(s):
None.
Recommended course(s):
- Principles of Public International Law
Description
International environmental law (IEL) is an innovative, dynamic, and rapidly developing field that seeks to address global environmental issues such as the impacts of, amongst others, climate change and illegal trade in endangered species and waste. As the causes, effects, and potential solutions of such global phenomena transcend national boundaries, international cooperation is of the utmost importance as reflected in a vast number of international environmental agreements.
This course aims to provide students with an overview of the evolution of IEL, as well as an introduction to the major concepts, cases, and principles that shape effective (and at times less effective) global environmental governance.
Throughout the course, attention will be focused on international responses to environmental issues with a transboundary or global scope. Following the introductory lectures, which will set the scene by introducing the rules and principles of IEL, students will have an opportunity to explore the role of international law in regulating environmental problems such as, inter alia, climate change, biodiversity loss, prevention of deforestation, wildlife trading, balancing free trade and protection of the environment. Students will also consider the role of IEL in strengthening the rights of nature movement, and the manner in which IEL norms are invoked in litigation at international (notably ICJ, ITLOS, ECtHR) and some national courts (for instance the Urgenda case in The Netherlands).
Course Objectives
During the course students will read a selection of texts to explore key concepts, principles, rules and doctrines of IEL. Having successfully completed the course, students will have a fundamental knowledge of IEL and the challenges facing Earth’s global environmental system. More specifically, students will gain an understanding of the foundations and evolution of IEL; IEL soft and hard law; state compliance with IEL; invoking IEL and human rights norms at international and national courts; the governance of climate change; the governance of international waste export; conservation, biodiversity and the fight against deforestation; international trade law / trade agreements and sustainable development; ‘frontier’ issues such as attributing legal rights to nature and the efforts to add ‘ecocide’ to the Rome Statute of the ICC.
Through oral and written exercises, students will apply their knowledge and understanding of IEL to specific global environmental problems.
Upon completing this course students should be able to:
Skills:
Learn how to source, analyse and present research related to an environmental issue.
Learn how to use this research as a tool to explore the effectiveness of specific treaties and/or principles of IEL.
Learn to communicate effectively through oral and written assignments, and how to work together effectively in a group setting.
Knowledge:
Think holistically about global environmental issues and discuss the complexity of regulating through IEL aspects of human interaction with the earth’s biosphere.
Describe the foundations and evolution of IEL.
Discuss and identify key concepts, principles and doctrines of IEL.
Critically reflect on the successes and failures in current (and past) efforts to govern the global environment and on some of the litigation in which IEL and human rights norms were invoked.
Apply the knowledge gained in class to evaluate various environmental governance regimes relating to climate change, biodiversity loss, waste export, prevention of deforestation, wildlife trafficking, international trade law / trade agreements and environment etc.
Timetable
Timetables for courses offered at Leiden University College in 2024-2025 will be published on this page of the e-Prospectus.
Mode of instruction
This course will meet for two 2-hour sessions per week from week 1-7 (week 8 is reading week). The structure of the 2-hour session will vary between seminar- style and focused discussion of assigned readings and student presentations. It is expected that students will engage actively in class discussions and debates.
Assessment Method
In-class participation (15% of final grade)
Reflective essays (30% of the final grade)
Group presentation (15% of the final grade)
Academic essay (40% of the final grade)
Reading list
Parts of the book by Philippe Sands and Jacqueline Peel (with Adriana Fabra and Ruth MacKenzie), Principles of International Environmental Law, fourth edition, Cambridge University Press, 2018 will be used as a basis.
A detailed reading list will be made available before the course starts.
Registration
Courses offered at Leiden University College (LUC) are usually only open to LUC students and LUC exchange students. Leiden University students who participate in one of the university’s Honours tracks or programmes may register for one LUC course, if availability permits. Registration is coordinated by the Education Coordinator, course.administration@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Contact
Dr. Wybe Th. Douma
Remarks
-