ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE JUSTICE
Estudios Globales / Global Studies
Curso 2026/2027
1. Subject Information
(Date last modified: 29-05-26 10:34)- Code
- 140553
- Plan
- 405
- ECTS
- 3.00
- Type
- Opcional
- Year
- 4
- Duration
- Second semester
- Language
- ENGLISH
- Area
- DERECHO PENAL
- Departament
- Derecho Público General
- Virtual platform
Professor Information
- Profesor/Profesora
- Miguel Álvarez Hernández
- Group/s
- sin nombre
- Centre
- Fac. Derecho
- Office
- 291
- Office hours
- Under request by mail
- Web address
- -
- miwiah@usal.es
- Phone
- -
2. Association of the subject matter within the study plan
3. Prerequisites
The course has no prerequisites
4. Learning objectives
- Understanding of the meaning and function of environmental and climate justice, particularly in relation to criminal law.
- Understanding of the historical evolution of environmental protection and climate governance, and their corresponding legal and criminal policy frameworks.
- Understanding and assimilation of the criminal law foundations underpinning environmental protection and climate-related offences within the justice system.
- Knowledge of the main environmental and climate justice conflicts arising in modern societies, as well as the theoretical and practical responses developed by public authorities.
- Critical analysis of environmental and climate-related problems, formulating solutions that respect human rights, sustainability principles, and intergenerational equity.
- Ability to integrate legal, sociological, and scientific knowledge in order to provide systemic solutions addressing environmental harm and climate change from a global perspective.
Ability to systematize and argue proposals aimed at preventing environmental crime, ecological harm, and climate-related victimization
5. Contents
Theory.
Unit 1. Climate Emergency, Human Rights and Global Impacts of Climate Change.
Unit 2. Political Economy of Climate Change: Neoliberalism, Environmental Markets and Climate Inequality.
Unit 3. Global and European Climate Governance: Legal Frameworks and Regulatory Responses.
Unit 4. Limits of Environmental and Climate Protection: Soft Law, Greenwashing and the Effectiveness Gap.
Unit 5. International Criminal Justice and Environmental Protection: Ecocide, Corporate Responsibility and Global Enforcement.
Unit 6. Criminal Policy and Environmental Protection: Green Criminology and Environmental Criminal Law.
6. Competences acquired
Basic / General.
C11, C12
Specific.
H1, H10, H11, H13, H16, H19
Transversal.
K1, K2, K4, K10
7. Teaching methods
1. Theorical lectures
2. Practical sessions and assignments
3. Participation in seminars, readings, etc
4. Office hours
8. Anticipated distribution of the use of the different teaching methods
9. Resources
Reference books.
GILLETT, Matthew (2022). Prosecuting Environmental Harm before the International Criminal Court. 1st ed. Cambridge University Press.
SPAPENS, Toine; WHITE, Rob; KLUIN, Marieke (eds.) (2016). Environmental Crime and its Victims: Perspectives within Green Criminology. 1st ed. Routledge.
FAURE, Michael (2024). “The EU Environmental Crime Directive 2024”. Eucrim. Max Planck Institute.
WHITE, Rob; HECKENBERG, Diane (2014). Green Criminology: An Introduction to the Study of Environmental Harm. 1st ed. Routledge.
SANZ MULAS, Nieves (2025). Política criminal, 6ª edic. Tirant lo Blanch.
Further references will be provided throughout the course
10. Assessment
Assessment criteria.
General Considerations
Throughout the course, continuous monitoring and assessment of both in-person and non-in-person activities will be carried out. The course combines different assignment tools.
Assessment Criteria
The final grade will be determined as follows:
50%: Final theoretical exam. In order to pass the course, at least 50% of this exam must be achieved.
40%: Completion of practical assignments by the student. This component will take into account the grades obtained in coursework, as well as other criteria such as class participation, quality of presentations, and resolution of practical cases, among others.
10%: Participation in class.
Evaluation systems.
- Participation in class
- Due completion and grading of the different practical assignments
Final exam
Assessment recommendations.
Participation in class is highly recommended.
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Recomendaciones para la recuperación. |
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Evaluation tools will be the same. Additional advice, tailored to each case, will be offered if requested. Only the grade for the final examen may be retaken. Therefore, in this assessment period, the grades obtained in practical assignments and participation during the course will be maintained. |