The law of climate change

Climate change is among the most daunting problems the world faces in the 21st century. This unit deals with the legal dimension of climate change, paying due regard to its social, political and economic context. The unit will examine the development of national, supranational and international regulation, and explore how public and private actors mobilise instruments from different fields of law to facilitate or to undermine climate change mitigation and adaptation. This subject examines Australia's response to climate change at national and state levels, and compares to examples in foreign jurisdictions in key regions such as European Union, America, or Asia. Select topical or emerging issues are discussed in detail from areas such as market mechanisms, protection of carbon sinks, clean development, environmental refugees, food security, sustainable development goals etc.