International Climate Change and Energy Law

To meet the sustainable development goals and respond to climate change challenges, the world is facing a major energy transition, from fossil fuels to greener sources of energy. The Course analyses the origin, achievements, and challenges of Public International Law responses to Climate Change. Furthermore, it examines selected international matters relating to the exploitation of energy sources, trade and investment in the energy sector, and their implications with regard to the respect of human rights and the protection of the environment. The course examines also the legal implications arising from the participation of the private sector in climate finance and in achieving the transformational shift to a low-carbon economy. Through the Course, students will acquire an advanced knowledge of the UN Climate Change Regime, of its main institutional features and of its implementation challenges. The Course should provide an understanding of the interlinkages between the international regulation of climate change and energy with other areas of International Law (notably, the protection of human rights, trade, and Investments).

At the end of the course, students will be able to: - have an understanding of climate change and energy policies and their international legal regulation; - have an advanced knowledge of the Climate Change Regime (1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 1997 Kyoto Protocol to UNFCCC; 2015 Paris Agreement to UNFCCC), its regulatory techniques and its implementation challenges; - obtain a good knowledge of the main features of the legal instruments regulating carbon markets, climate finance, and sustainable investments; - understand and evaluate critically legal issues regarding international energy governance, regulation of incentives to renewable energies, trade and investment in energy sources, access to energy, responsibility and liability of States and private actors with regard to energy matters (exploitation, transport, ); - understand the interlinkages among the Climate Change regime, the international energy legal instruments, and the notions of general international law and other sectoral regimes; - acquire and use written and oral communication skills as regards the issues dealt with in the course and use them to build solid legal arguments using appropriate legal concepts and language.