International Environmental Law

Overview

The leadership of tomorrow is facing many challenges. However, few of these have the scope and impact of global climate change and environmental degradation. Recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have given alarming information about global climate change due to human activities. The adoption of the Paris Agreement confirms that the international community is ready to take action. Ambitious targets now need to be set and maintained by the law to reduce our carbon footprint and increase the use of renewable energy. However, it remains to be seen whether international efforts can stave off the dangerous effects of climate change and preserve valuable ecosystems and biodiversity.

Strong legal frameworks are needed to combat environmental deterioration. Changing the way governments regulate business and the economy, and establishing international legal approaches which enforce environmental protection and regulation are paramount. Navigating human rights and varying national agendas requires visionary and optimistic people capable of working at the epicentre of a complex and ever-evolving set of issues. The International Environmental Law programme is designed for students whose goal is to work within the development of supranational environmental law, as policy and decision-makers in governments and businesses, for NGOs in the field of environmental law and sustainable development, as consultants, researchers and academics, or as corporate lawyers and barristers.

At the heart of the climate change issue

The International Environmental Law programme at the Maastricht University - Center for European Studies takes a fundamental approach in discussing the role of international law to protect the environment and tackling the worldwide problem of climate change from the perspective of principles, environmental rights, and the choice and design of regulatory instruments. Although particular emphasis will be placed on the European Union (EU) and how it addresses environmental problems, students will also examine specific legal cases and questions dealing with international environmental protection and law. These include topics such as the Paris Agreement, whaling in Antarctica, Multilateral Environmental Agreements, the legal aspects and ethics of market-based regulatory tools such as the international carbon market and the role of the International Court of Justice.