Introduction to Environmental Law

2022/2023

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

6

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

School of Public Law

Course type:

Elective course

When:

2 year, 4 module

Instructor

Soldatova, Larisa

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Environmental law is one of the most rapidly developing branches of law. Global trends in climate change, the disappearance of certain species of animals and plants, as well as entire ecosystems, make us look for universal solutions to emerging problems. At the same time, of course, each state is faced with the need to individualize legal regulation and law enforcement. As part of this course, we will get acquainted with both basic international treaties and conventions on environmental protection, and we will carry out a comparative analysis of the regulation of environmental protection in different countries.

Learning Objectives

• To form an idea of the place of nature in the life of human society from the point of view of the legal framework of regulation, tools for the protection and preservation of the environment and its components, modern trends and methods of legal use of natural resources

Expected Learning Outcomes

• have the skills to work with legal acts aimed at preserving biodiversity, water resources, forests, atmospheric air and unique natural objects
• have the skills to work with legal acts aimed at preventing the negative impact of economic activities on the animal world, water resources, forests, atmospheric air, soils and unique natural objects
• have the skills to work with legal acts aimed at preventing the negative impact of economic activities on the animal world, water resources, forests, atmospheric air, soils and unique natural objects, using methods of protecting violated rights
• know about the basic concepts of interaction between property and natural objects and resources, familiarize yourself with the main regulations in this area
• know about the main trends in the development of environmental law, familiarize yourself with the main regulations in this area
• know the basic principles of environmental law, have an understanding of their implementation in legal acts and the practice of law enforcement
• know the main approaches to the preservation of the natural environment, its individual components and complexes,

Course Contents

• 1. General legal approaches to environmental problems
• 2. Property and the Environment
• 3. Environmental Impact Analysis
• 4. Endangered-Species Protection
• 5. Risk Analysis and Toxic Substances: Pesticides, Trade Disputes over Synthetic Hormones, and the Cleanup of Contaminated Sites
• 6. Environmental Justice, Water Pollution, Claims to a Human Right to Drinking Water, Fracking, and Insights from an Economic Model of Regulatory Cost-Effectiveness
• 7. Pollution, Climate Change and Course Conclusion

Assessment Elements

• Attendance and creative activity at the seminars
• Round table
• Exam

Interim Assessment

• 2022/2023 4th module
  0.3 * Attendance and creative activity at the seminars + 0.5 * Exam + 0.2 * Round table

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• A global environmental right, Turner, S. J., 2014
• Documents in European community environmental law, , 2006
• Environmental law, the economy, and sustainable development : the United States, the European Union and the international community, , 2000

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Agri-Environmental Law and Policy, Hawke, N., 1998
• Environmental law : text, cases, and materials, Fisher, E., 2013