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Overview

An introduction to Climate Law to include the international treaty regime, core domestic legislation and case law, and examples of other jurisdictions legal responses.

About this paper

Paper title Climate Law and Policy
Subject Law
EFTS 0.1000
Points 15 points
Teaching period Not offered in 2026 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $820.40
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Prerequisite
96 LAWS points
Pre or Corequisite
Any 200-level LAWS paper not already passed
Restriction
LAWS 351
Limited to
LLB, LLB(Hons)

Overview

An introduction to Climate Law to include the international treaty regime, core domestic legislation and case law, and examples of other jurisdictions legal responses.

About this paper

Paper title Climate Law and Policy
Subject Law
EFTS 0.1125
Points 15 points
Teaching period Semester 1 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Prerequisite
96 LAWS points
Pre or Corequisite
Any 200-level LAWS paper not already passed
Restriction
LAWS 351
Limited to
LLB, LLB(Hons)
Contact

law@otago.ac.nz

Teaching staff

Associate Professor Ben France-Hudson

Dr Benjamin Tombs

Textbooks

All course readings for this paper are provided by the Faculty on Aoroa.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Environmental literacy, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  • Explain the overarching political and legal approaches that shape climate change law and policy, including adaptation and mitigation.
  • Describe some of the diverse impacts stemming from a changing climate, including those relevant to New Zealand as described in the national climate change risk assessments (the first released in 2020, the second due in 2026).
  • Analyse some of the existing and proposed climate laws and policies at the international, national and comparative national levels, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement/COP21, emissions trading schemes, complementary evolving governance regimes and responses to adaptation.
  • Apply climate law and policy to a variety of scenarios, representing parties in both the public and private realms.
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