With the European Green Deal and the adoption of the European Climate Law the European Union (EU) has set itself a binding target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This has required revisions to the EU climate, energy and transport-related legislation under the so-called “Fit for 55 Package”. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has further prompted the adoption of the “REPowerEU Plan” which aims at ending the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels while spurring the fight against climate change.
This course will focus both on the rationale for the development of international and European climate law, its origins, objectives, principles, legal basis, instruments, and actors. To start with, the course will introduce the science of climate change and describe the geopolitical context in which the international climate change negotiations take place. It will cover, inter alia, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. A particular focus will be placed on issues relating to climate finance, international carbon markets, including REDD+, as well as recent developments in climate negotiations and emerging issues such as loss and damage. Second, the course will explain how international climate negotiations have influenced the EU’s climate and energy policy. It will provide an overview of the evolution of EU climate and energy policy since the 90s and cover the main decarbonization instruments used in the EU, such as the EU ETS, the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), renewable energy, energy efficiency and carbon capture and storage (CCS). It will furthermore focus on the European electricity market design, sustainable transport and highlight the core elements of the circular economy and the EU Sustainable Finance Action Plan, its main objectives and building blocks. Finally, it will address the main challenges raised by adaptation to climate change.
Professor Joëlle de Sépibus