JUS5911 – International Climate Change and Energy Law
Course description
Schedule, syllabus and examination date
Choose semester
Course content
This course reviews the sources, principles and rules of international climate and the emerging international architecture for the governance of renewable energy resources. The course analyses the interactions of the commitments under both regimes and the new opportunities they create for the promotion of sustainable energy, energy efficiency, and corporate responsibility. In particular, the course is based on a detailed examination of the following topics: the international climate change regime (UNFCCC/Kyoto Protocol) and its related legal mechanisms; the regulatory approaches for the involvement of companies in achieving sustainable development and combating climate change; the legal obligations deriving from the climate regime and affecting the energy sector (a major source of emissions); the international regulation of renewable energy sources and their support and an assessment of the existing trade barriers raised for the defense of climate change.
For students enrolled in Rettsvitenskap (jus) (master - 5 år): Have you considered a specialization as part of your degree? The course is part of the profile Naturressurser og miljø
Learning outcome
The course will give students a basic understanding of the rules and principles of the international climate regime. It will enable students to understand the complex challenges climate change and energy security pose to international law, but also how international legal responses can be forged to mitigate climate change and adapt to it. This will be analysed in the intersection of the norms of international climate and energy law, international trade law and human rights law. Students will further gain understanding of the economic, political and philosophical context of these norms.
Admission
You may register for this course if you have admission to a Master’s programme at UiO or the faculty's exchange programme. You can also register for this course if you do not have admission to any programme at UiO, but meet the formal prerequistites.
All students are required meet the formal prerequistites.
Have you met the formal prerequisites at another institution than the University of Oslo, and the results are not formally registered at UiO, you must apply for admission to courses at Master’s level . Students with admission to Master’s degree programmes at other faculties than The Faculty of Law must also apply for admission.
When your admission is in order you must register for courses in StudentWeb
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Students must fill one of these requirements:
- Passed 1st - 3rd year of the 5-years degree Master of Laws (Master i rettsvitenskap at UiO) (or exams that qualify for exemption for these) or
- Hold a 5-years Master’s degree in Laws (Master i rettsvitenskap at UiO) or equivalent.
Exemptions from the formal prerequisites will be given to students with admission to the faculty's own exchange or master’s degree programmes. This rule does not apply to students with admission to other master’s degree programmes at the University of Oslo, unless otherwise agreed.
Recommended previous knowledge
Students are expected to have prior knowledge of public international law.
Overlapping courses
10 credits overlap with JUR5911 – International Climate Change and Energy Law (discontinued)
Teaching
Language of teaching for this course is English. This means that all
communication during lectures/seminars will be in English, and all
literature and auxiliary materials are in English.
Teaching is structured in 24 lectures and two seminars, where student participation is strongly recommended. Students obtain knowledge and competences as outlined above by individual studies of course literature and other course material, and by taking active part at the lectures and seminars.
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
4 hour written examination.
Examination support material
This is an open book digital school examination. You are permitted to use any materials written on paper during the examination. This includes books, lecture materials and your own notes, whether handwritten or printed. There are no restrictions on marking up or highlighting these written materials. No electronic support materials are allowed.
Use of sources and rules for citing.
The standard rules on cheating and plagiarism which apply to assignments apply also to the written open book examination. This means that you must provide a reference whenever you draw upon another person’s ideas, words or research in your answer to the exam question(s). You cannot copy text directly from textbooks, journal articles, court judgments etc. without highlighting that the text is copied.
Thus, pieces of text quoted verbatim from these and other sources must be italicised or otherwise highlighted so that it is obvious that the pieces of text are quotes.
Example of highlighting in a text:
"Laurent Bailay and Bernard Van der Lande propose to define a mobile payment as a “payment for products or services between two parties for which a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, plays a key role in the realization of the payment”. (European Commission, GREEN PAPER Towards an integrated European market for card, internet and mobile payments, page 5)"
Failure to cite sources or highlight quotes in your exam answer may be considered as evidence of cheating.
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Guidelines for the evaluation of grades at The Faculty of Law.
Explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Resitting an examination.
- There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.
Withdrawal from an examination
It is possible to take this exam up to 3 times. If you withdraw from the exam after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.
There are special rules for resitting a passed examination in the master's programme in Law.
Special examination arrangements
Application form, deadline and requirements for special examination arrangements.
Evaluation
The course is subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students to participate in a more comprehensive evaluation.
Other
The language for this course is English. Students enrolled in the
Masterprogrammet i rettsvitenskap must pass one
English subject as part of their degree, this course will meet these
obligations.