Award in International Climate Change Law

This module will introduce the problem of climate change starting from the study of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change Assessment Reports. A particular focus will be given to the latest IPCC Reports (2015, 2019, 2021).

In this module, students will be introduced to some basic elements of climate science.

From there the discussion will move to the adverse effects caused by climate change, on three levels, including social one, the biodiversity one and the economic one. Sea level rise is just one of the dangerous changes due to warming of the climate system together with, inter alia, more intense precipitation, ocean acidification, extreme weather events, heat waves, droughts, loss in biodiversity, ecosystems’ destruction, human displacement and threats to human health and sanitary system.

The class will then touch upon the issue of emission reduction burdens and adaptation strategies, both aimed to tackle the rise of climate temperature from a global and local perspective. The issue of intergenerational dimensions will be also part of this module by discussing the long-lasting effects of climate change on future generations.

The following is the list of the topics covered:

• Introduction: climate change & science: historical perspective
• The IPCC and its development
• Assessment Report 2021
• Climate science findings
• Climate models
• Green Development Framework, Carbon Budget
• Sinks and removals
• Carbon Storage, Carbon Capture, Geoengineering
• Mitigation
• Adaptation

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the module and the unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

1. Be familiar with an interdisciplinary approach by intersecting science and law.
2. Work following a Global Warming Timeline.
3. Assess greenhouse gas emission regulations, renewable energy and energy conservation projects, carbon sequestration, sea level rise adaptation;
4. Assess greenhouse effect risks and causes.
5. Advice about effects/impacts.
6. Advice about how to regulate risk/uncertainty associated with climate extreme events.

Hours of Total Learning: 25 hours
– Total Contact Hours: 7 hours
– Practice Hours: 3 hours
– Self-Study Hours: 14 hours
– Assessments Hours: 1 hour

Total Number of ECTS: 1

Teaching procedures:
The module is taught through a combination of online delivery methods, namely synchronous lessons, specifically live online lessons held on the MACTT VLE, and self-study. Lessons will be held online, with live session, of the duration of 45 minutes each. Students will be provided with Power Point presentations as well as detailed hand-outs and other materials useful to support their learning experience, especially considering the legal aspect of the course.

During the training, the lecturer will provide students will additional material for helping those who miss basics knowledge. Reading materials must be diverse. The choice for a variety of materials is in line with the main goal of developing a critical thinking. Students should be exposed to a plurality of sources, gathering even controversial opinions.

This module will give a historical background to the international climate regime by providing a narrative to the key moments of the international climate change negotiations. It will start by introducing the 1987 Brundtland report, also known as “Our Common Future” Report which kicked off the history of the international climate negotiations. From there it will present the three main phases of the international climate change negotiations.

–              Phase I: The  1972 Stockholm  Conference and the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988;
–              Phase II: Adoption of the United Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 and the its Kyoto Protocol (KP) which are the only two legally binding instruments in international climate change law until the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015.
–              Phase III: The 17th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC where Partes decided to “launch a process to develop a new-protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all Parties which has to be completed no later than 2015 to enter into force from 2020 onwards”.

The lecture will touch upon the main important decisions, which brought to the adoption of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, including the Copenhagen debacle, Doha Amendments, the Bali Action Plan for adaptation.

The following is the list of the topics covered:
– The Stockholm Conference on Human Environment 1972
– The Brundtland Report 1987
– The Rio Declaration 1992
– The UNFCCC 1992 and the Berlin Mandate 1995
– The Kyoto Protocol 2005
– The post-Kyoto challenges
-The Copenhagen Failure 2009
– The Durban Platform 2011
– The Paris Agreement 2015
-The Glasgow Climate Pact 2021

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

1. Explain the objectives, principles and development of international climate law.
2. Discuss the climate regulation in terms of legal and economic barriers to its development.
3. Explain how international cooperation has evolved for contributing to mitigating global climate change.
4. Ability to explain severity, causes, and responses to the climate change crisis.

Be able to use the law as a tool to effect climate change policy and actions in the context of international organization works and meetings.

Hours of Total Learning: 25 hours

– Total Contact Hours: 7 hours
– Practice Hours: 3 hours
– Self-Study Hours: 14 hours
– Assessments Hours: 1 hour

Total Number of ECTS: 1

Teaching procedures: 

The module is taught through a combination of online delivery methods, namely synchronous lessons, specifically live online lessons held on the MACTT VLE, and self-study. Lessons will be held online, with live session, of the duration of 45 minutes each. Students will be provided with Power Point presentations as well as detailed hand-outs and other materials useful to support their learning experience, especially considering the legal aspect of the course.

During the training, the lecturer will provide students will additional material for helping those who miss basics knowledge. Reading materials must be diverse. The choice for a variety of materials is in line with the main goal of developing a critical thinking. Students should be exposed to a plurality of sources, gathering even controversial opinions.

In this module, students will learn about the functioning of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997).

The UNFCCC was the first convention globally adopted with the specific goal of stabilizing the concentration of GHGS in the atmosphere to prevent dangerous anthropogenic human-induced interference with the climate system. This module will explain how the UNFCCC distributes burdens and obligations upon developed and developing countries considering the goals of fostering a more sustainable economy.

The Protocol to the UNFCCC, so called Kyoto Protocol, was adopted in Kyoto in 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. The protocol aimed to reduce the overall annual emissions of GHG gases from developed countries by, at least, 5% below 1990 levels over a commitment period from 2008 to 2012. Parties to UNFCCC agreed for a second commitment period from 2013-2020 in the COP held in Doha, Qatar.

This class will go through the analysis of the Kyoto Protocol discussing both its merits and its backlashes in terms of its capacity of fighting against global warming. This module will include as well the study of the three Kyoto market- based mechanisms in use for offsetting Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHGs), including the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the Joint Implementation JI) and the Emissions Trading (ET).

The following is the list of the topics covered:
– UNFCCC: structure
– Preamble and Objectives
– Principles: equity, sustainable development, cooperation
– Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR/RC) Principle
– Obligations
– 1997 Kyoto Protocol: General: History and Status Quo
– Kyoto Protocol: top- down structure
– Kyoto Protocol: first commitment period
– Kyoto Protocol: second commitment period
– Clean Development Mechanism, – Joint Implementation
– Emission Trading System
– Flexibility Mechanisms: Eligibility Requirements, Environmental Integrity
– Joint Fulfilment of Commitments (Art. 4 KP)
– Emissions Trading (Art. 17 KP):  Aim, Requirements, Tradable units, National allocation plans
– Joint Implementation (Art. 6 KP)
– Clean Development Mechanism (Art. 12 KP):  Aims, Rules,  Scope
– Special Issues Cost-effectiveness Sustainability Relation to trade, development and investment issues Technology transfer Developing countries.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

1. Examine international laws and policies, to address climate change’s impacts, with a focus on cap-and-trade, carbon offsetting, and other private sector responses to the climate change crisis.
2. Examine what private market actors are required to do, and what they should be required to do, to help mitigate the damaging effects of global climate change.
3. Conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis of Climate Change and the Social Cost of Carbon.
4. Elaborate policy submissions or decisions on regulations of carbon market.
5. Evaluate legislative policies with an eye toward climate, economic, and energy efficiency.

Hours of Total Learning: 50 hours

– Total Contact Hours: 14 hours
– Practice Hours: 7 hours
– Self-Study Hours: 28 hours
– Assessments Hours: 1 hour

Total Number of ECTS: 2

Teaching procedures: 

The module is taught through a combination of online delivery methods, namely synchronous lessons, specifically live online lessons held on the MACTT VLE, and self-study. Lessons will be held online, with live session, of the duration of 45 minutes each. Students will be provided with Power Point presentations as well as detailed hand-outs and other materials useful to support their learning experience, especially considering the legal aspect of the course.

During the training, the lecturer will provide students will additional material for helping those who miss basics knowledge. Reading materials must be diverse. The choice for a variety of materials is in line with the main goal of developing a critical thinking. Students should be exposed to a plurality of sources, gathering even controversial opinions.

This module will focus on the functioning of the new climate change post-2020 regime. It will start with explaining the most essential elements of the Paris Agreement, including the newly established standards of “highest possible ambition”, “progression”, “best practice” “due diligence” and “fairness”.

The module will touch upon a set of mechanisms established under the Paris Agreement: Warsaw Mechanism for climate Loss and Damages as established by Art. 9 of the Paris Agreement; the 5 Years Cycle’s Submission National Determined Contributions (NDCs) under Art. 4 of the Paris Agreement; the Global Stocktaking of NDCs as set forth by Art. 10 of Paris Agreement together with the new International Mitigation Transfer Mechanisms  (ITMO) under Art. 6 and the Enhanced Transparency Framework under. Art. 8.

The Module will illustrate the further rules of the implementation of the Agreement contained in the Katowice Climate Package.

The final part of the module will touch upon the most relevant climate litigation before International Courts and Tribunals and their implications for further developments of the international climate regime.

The following is the list of the topics covered:

1. The Paris Agreement: The Hybrid Structure
2. Objectives
3. Principles of the Agreement
4. National Determined Contributions: content and submissions
5. 6 and ITMO
6. Loss and Damage
7. Global stocktaking and the transparency framework
8. Compliance Mechanism
9. Katowice Package
10. Climate litigation: How do domestic courts deal with climate change claims?

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

1. Analyse proposed climate legislation, regulation, policies and practices.
2. Recommend new policies.
3. Evaluate legislative policies.
4. Elaborate way forward in the context of climate policy for the next decade.
5. Write paper on a climate law/policy topic.
6. Write Brief student summary of term papers.

Hours of Total Learning: 50 hours

– Total Contact Hours: 14 hours
– Practice Hours: 7 hours
– Self-Study Hours: 28 hours
– Assessments Hours: 1 hour

Total Number of ECTS: 2

Teaching procedures: 

The module is taught through a combination of online delivery methods, namely synchronous lessons, specifically live online lessons held on the MACTT VLE, and self-study. Lessons will be held online, with live session, of the duration of 45 minutes each. Students will be provided with Power Point presentations as well as detailed hand-outs and other materials useful to support their learning experience, especially considering the legal aspect of the course.

During the training, the lecturer will provide students will additional material for helping those who miss basics knowledge. Reading materials must be diverse. The choice for a variety of materials is in line with the main goal of developing a critical thinking. Students should be exposed to a plurality of sources, gathering even controversial opinions.

Ensuring equity and justice is widely regarded as essential for gathering broad support for any international climate change agreement. During this module, the students will learn how the issues of justice and equity are interconnected when dealing with the issue of climate change.

Justice can be viewed from multiple angles:  in terms of distributions of emission reduction burdens, in terms of recuperating from adverse climate impacts and in terms of ensuring an effective participation of all States to shape a global climate regime and transparent data.

The long-lasting effects of climate change contribute to framing it as a justice challenge towards future generations as well.

The lecturer will discuss the issue of climate justice from each of the angles. In addition to that, this class will explain how justice has so far contributed at shaping the international climate change regime and it will discuss the necessary paths to be taken for strengthening the justice requirement in climate change policy.

The Module will touch up the understating of justice as has emerged in the Assessments Reports issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. From there it will go through the analysis of justice issue when dealing with global commons. The notion of global commons will be discussed in details in order to provide a detailed explanation of the nature of the climate change problem as global problem. A part of the class will be devoted to understanding the ethical foundation of climate change and which challenges state-actors are facing when setting up climate change policy.

The following is the list of the topics covered:

1. Environmental Justice and Climate Justice
2. Climate change as global public good and the free-ride problem
3. Climate Justice in the context of mitigation
4. Climate Justice and in context of adaptation for loss and damage
5. The Human Rights’ violations in the context of climate change: cases and examples
6. The issue of justice in the inter-state’s climate governance
7. Climate Justice and future generations
8. Operationalization of climate justice within the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement
9. Right to land and cultural heritage: climate justice and local communities.

Learning Outcomes:

1. At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:
   1. Advice about the main climate legislations both at international and European levels;
   2. Set up a basic climate justice program.
   3. Assess and advise about nationals and local policies in light of the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs).
   4. Guide the incorporation of justice and equity principles into climate change related fields, such as climate infrastructure, shipping decarbonization, port coastal community resilience and similar.
   5. Support communities on the frontlines of climate change improving their resilience to climate change while addressing the inequality of means which influence their lives.
   6. Participate in a cross-program legal team identifying opportunities to establish legal precedents within existing environmental and civil rights laws to advance climate justice.

Hours of Total Learning: 25 hours

– Total Contact Hours: 7 hours
– Practice Hours: 3 hours
– Self-Study Hours: 14 hours
– Assessments Hours: 1 hour

Total Number of ECTS: 1

Teaching procedures: 

The module is taught through a combination of online delivery methods, namely synchronous lessons, specifically live online lessons held on the MACTT VLE, and self-study. Lessons will be held online, with live session, of the duration of 45 minutes each. Students will be provided with Power Point presentations as well as detailed hand-outs and other materials useful to support their learning experience, especially considering the legal aspect of the course.

During the training, the lecturer will provide students will additional material for helping those who miss basics knowledge. Reading materials must be diverse. The choice for a variety of materials is in line with the main goal of developing a critical thinking. Students should be exposed to a plurality of sources, gathering even controversial opinions.

Emissions from aviation accounts to 2% of the global carbon dioxide emissions, in particular emissions from international civil aviation counts for 2/3 of the total emissions from aviation, according the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) .

In 2016, Governments adopted CORSIA, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation with a view of stabilizing CO2 emissions from international aviation from 2021.

CORSIA has applied to international aviation since 1 January 2019 when all airlines were required to report their CO₂ emissions on an annual basis. From 1 January 2021, international flights are asked to comply with offsetting obligations.

This module focuses on the functioning of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme, on the use of carbon-neutral fuels as alternative fuels for reducing the GHG emissions, and the future development of the aviation industry to realize a more sustainable transport infrastructure.

The following is the list of the topics covered:

1. The International Civil Aviation Organization: history and new challenges
2. CORSIA: objectives and structure of the Agreement
3. CORSIA: functioning and effectiveness
4. Alternative Fossil Fuels and EU regulation
5. The Corsia Trading System in the context of the Paris Agreement
6. Space Exploration and Climate Change
7. The Moon Treaty and the protection of space as province of humankind
8. Artemisia Accords.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the module/unit the learner will have acquired the responsibility and autonomy to:

1. Deal with transportation industry data sources and issues;
2. Advice about inter-relations between multiple institutional actors including, ICAO and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airport Council International (ACI) experts.
3. Assess the compliance with Environmental Social Governance Model in the aviation industry in accordance with the ICAO recommendations;
4. Work in the intersection between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the aviation-related regulatory framework.
5. Analyse the impacts of direct and indirect land use exchange on sustainable fuels productions and climate change risks;

Hours of Total Learning: 25 hours

– Total Contact Hours: 7 hours
– Practice Hours: 3 hours
– Self-Study Hours: 10 hours
– Assessments Hours: 5 hour

Total Number of ECTS: 1

Teaching procedures: 

The module is taught through a combination of online delivery methods, namely synchronous lessons, specifically live online lessons held on the MACTT VLE, and self-study. Lessons will be held online, with live session, of the duration of 45 minutes each. Students will be provided with Power Point presentations as well as detailed hand-outs and other materials useful to support their learning experience, especially considering the legal aspect of the course.

During the training, the lecturer will provide students will additional material for helping those who miss basics knowledge. Reading materials must be diverse. The choice for a variety of materials is in line with the main goal of developing a critical thinking. Students should be exposed to a plurality of sources, gathering even controversial opinions.