Climate Change Issues in Law, Business, and Society in Africa

Climate Change Issues in Law, Business, and Society in Africa

Course Dates 

1 week - April 22-26

2 weeks - April 22- May 3

Cost

1 Week = $2,245

2 Weeks = $4,200

Location 

Online/in-person

Course Advisor:

Lawrence Watters
Lawrence Watters, Visiting Faculty, has previously taught at the University of Auckland, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Hanover and the University of Lausanne. He was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Oslo for a year, returning a number of times to present seminars. He taught at the University of Washington in the Program on the Environment, Law, Society and Justice; and the Jackson School of International Studies. His courses include the Law of Climate Change, International Environmental Law, Trade and the Environment and Energy Law.
 
His publications are in the environmental law journals of Berkeley, Columbia, Georgetown, UCLA, Oslo (Pro Natura) and Oxford among others. His text, Indigenous Peoples, The Environment and Law, has been used at Harvard Law School, UCLA Law School and other universities.

Climate Change Issues in Law, Business, and Society in Africa

Climate change is one of the most pressing social, environmental, and economic challenges confronting the global community. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, while Africa has contributed negligibly to the changing climate, with just about two to three percent of global emissions, it stands out disproportionately as the most vulnerable region in the world. And while climate change is global, the poor are disproportionately vulnerable to its effects. This course explores the legal, political, and scientific challenges involved in adjusting to climate change and its impact on commerce, economies, political stability and the day-day-lives of individuals. It will also address legal, political and social issues in transitioning to the use of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels that generate the climate changing greenhouse gasses that trap heat in our atmosphere.

The course will exam international strategies and laws, including the Kyoto Protocol, emissions trading schemes, and efforts to involve the developing world in climate change mitigation. The course will also analyze climate change laws and policies from a comparative perspective, climate change litigation, and how companies may defend against litigation involving allegations of climate damage. As noted, issues related to the transition to renewable energy, including drafting relevant legislation and challenges in related contract drafting and negotiation, will be addressed.