International Environmental Law (LAW225H1S)

Note: This course satisfies either the Perspective or the International/Comparative/Transnational course requirement.

This course will provide an introduction to international environmental law. It is structured so as to examine the field from a variety of perspectives and to leave students with an understanding of both limitations and possibilities. Thus, while the course explores different topical areas (e.g. transboundary air pollution, ozone layer depletion, marine environmental protection, climate change, South-North issues, trade & environment issues; compliance and enforcement), the goal is not merely to know how international environmental law responds to the challenges at hand, but also to arrive at some overarching insights into its workings. Key questions, pursued throughout, include: What “tools” are available to international environmental law as a branch of public international law? What are the particular challenges to be met by international environmental law in modern international society? In addition to an understanding of these questions, students will acquire knowledge of: the most relevant customary rules and emerging principles of international environmental law; the basic structure and process of international environmental agreements; the role of international courts and tribunals.