Courses

This course is intended to orient students towards the state of U.S. (and, to some degree, international) law with respect to global climate change. The course will examine international, federal, regional, and state and local legal and regulatory regimes addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation. Students will develop a basic understanding of the science behind climate change and the current state of the field. They will also be introduced to international frameworks for climate change mitigation and adaptation, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as well as recent efforts to achieve mitigation through international climate litigation. The course will then turn its focus to United States law, examining the federal statutes (e.g., the Clean Air Act, the Federal Power Act, the Natural Gas Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act); regional initiatives (e.g., the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and carbon adders in regional electricity markets); and state and local statutory and common laws (e.g., state climate laws, renewable portfolio standards and other electricity grid initiatives, and public nuisance law) being brought to bear to address climate change. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role that various institutions—including legislative bodies, agencies, courts, private and non-governmental organizations—play in efforts to address climate change.