Course: Law and climate change 1

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Course title Law and climate change 1
Course code VPK/UPKZ1
Organizational form of instruction Lecture + Seminar
Level of course Bachelor
Year of study not specified
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 5
Language of instruction Czech
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction eLearning
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Lecturer(s)
  • Tomoszková Veronika, JUDr. Ph.D.
  • Melotíková Petra, Mgr. Ph.D.
  • Müllerová Hana, JUDr. Ph.D.
  • Snopková Tereza, JUDr. Ph.D.
  • Balounová Eva, JUDr. LL.M., Ph.D.
Course content
1-2. Law and climate change introduction to the subject 3. Climate crisis and human rights 4. Climate migration and international law 5-6. The UN international climate regime 7-8. European Union: Climate Policy and Law 9-10. Czech Republic: Political and Legal Reflections on Climate Change 11-12. Corporations and Climate Change

Learning activities and teaching methods
Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training), Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Work with Text (with Book, Textbook), Group work
Learning outcomes
In the Law and Climate Change course, students will acquire the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to address current environmental challenges in a modern legal environment. The two-semester course focuses on acquiring cross-cutting legal knowledge in the field of addressing the impacts of climate change in a broader context. It also aims to develop and deepen students' interest in understanding the role of law in the context of environmental issues. It will prepare students for the legal profession with an emphasis on aspects of sustainability and the fulfillment of specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), enabling them to actively contribute to positive changes in the area of climate transition. Students will build on the knowledge gained in previous courses, in which they understood the nature and context of the current global polycrisis, which stems from climate change but also affects a number of other areas (human rights, migration, etc.), and where they have understood the basic facts about climate behavior, the nature of global warming, its impact on the planet and society, and the necessary solutions at various levels. Based on this, students will be guided to learn about and understand the basic legal instruments for addressing the impacts of climate change at the level of international, European Union, and Czech law.
1. Identify relevant legal requirements relating to sustainability and climate transition, ensuring in particular the fulfillment of SDG 13: Climate Action, and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of these requirements. 2. Develop competencies for solving complex situations related to sustainability, particularly from a legal perspective. 3. Connect legal knowledge about sustainability across different sectors and be able to apply it at a certain level of administration, for example at the level of city and municipal administration (SDG 11), or at higher levels of public administration (regions, ministries), in companies, etc. 4. Analyze and solve legal problems in legal practice focused on sustainability.
Prerequisites
The completion of this course is not conditioned upon completion of any other courses

Assessment methods and criteria
Student performance, Seminar Work, Written exam

Active participation in discussions and webinars (20%), independent work microproject on a selected topic within the course (40%), final test of knowledge and skills (40%)
Recommended literature
  • Balounová, E. (2023). Mezinárodní klimatické právo: současné výzvy (nejen) pro Mezinárodní soudní dvůr.. Mezinárodní politika.
  • Balounová, E., Snopková, T. (2023). Český klimatický zákon ? nutnost nebo..?. České právo životního prostředí. Roč. 23, č. 1, s. 13-39.
  • Müllerová, H. a. kol. (2022). Klimatické právo. Praha.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Law Study plan (Version): Law and sustainability (2025) Category: Law, legal and public administration proceeding 2 Recommended year of study:2, Recommended semester: Summer