Program Overview

Course Overview

The course LAWS 383, Climate Change and the Law, focuses on legal and policy approaches to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate change. It examines the principle findings of climate science, global climate negotiations, and the current international legal agreements, concluding with a comparative survey of national climate laws and policies, especially those in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Course Details

• Dates: 23 February 2026 to 21 June 2026
• Starts: Trimester 1
• Fees:
  • NZ$1,020.00 for domestic students
  • NZ$5,165.40 for international students
• Lecture Start Times:
  • Tuesday 1:40 pm
  • Thursday 9:30 am
• Campus: Pipitea
• Estimated Workload: Approximately 150 hours or 8.8 hours per week for 17 weeks
• Points: 15
• Availability: Limited entry

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: 60 LAWS 200-level points
• Corequisites: 60 further 200-level points, LAWS 301
• Restrictions: LAWS 391

Taught By

The course is taught by the School of Law — Faculty of Law.

Key Dates

Important dates, including mid-trimester teaching breaks, can be found on the University's key dates calendar. Assessment dates will be communicated once the course has begun.

About This Course

This course examines the evolving legal and policy frameworks for addressing climate change through both mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation strategies. It begins with the foundational science underpinning climate law, analyzes the development of global climate governance, and critically evaluates the effectiveness of international climate law. The course then turns to a comparative analysis of national climate legislation and policy implementation, with a particular emphasis on New Zealand.

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

1. Explain the major findings of climate science
2. Describe the range of legal and policy options available to mitigate and adapt to climate change
3. Summarize the major principles, legal commitments, and mechanisms of existing international agreements
4. Compare and evaluate approaches to climate change law and policy in different countries, particularly New Zealand
5. Critically assess the current international and domestic legal regimes on climate change and proposals for their future development

How This Course Is Taught

The course is taught through in-person lectures, class discussions, role-play, and relies on student participation. Lecture recordings will be uploaded to the learning environment.

Assessment

• Final Exam (In-person; BYOD typed): 50% during the assessment period
• Test 1 (Online): 50% on 21 April

Mandatory Requirements

To pass this course, students must:

1. Complete all items of assessment on the due date
2. Participate in the negotiation exercise
3. Obtain a minimum of 40% in each piece of assessment

Lecture Times and Rooms

Lecture times are from 23 February 2026 to 21 June 2026, with specific times allocated on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

What You'll Need to Get

No specific texts or equipment are required for this course.

Disclaimer

This course outline may be subject to change.