Máster en Derecho Ambiental draft

Program Overview

---

The online Master's Degree in Environmental Law from Universidad Europea de Madrid offers students a specialized education in the legal framework protecting the environment and natural resources. The program emphasizes innovative content, addressing topics such as climate change, sustainable solutions, and environmental compliance. With a focus on experiential and collaborative learning, the program prepares students for careers in environmental law, legal-environmental advising, and other related fields.

Program Outline

---

Degree Overview:

The Master's Degree in Environmental Law is a 100% online program offered by the Universidad Europea de Madrid. It is designed to specialize students in the legislation that regulates and protects the environment, biodiversity, and natural resources. The program aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to address and resolve current environmental challenges, such as climate change, deforestation, and pollution.

• Legal framework: Understanding the national and international legal framework governing environmental protection.
• Environmental challenges: Analyzing and addressing contemporary environmental issues like greenwashing, environmental marketing, and ecological labeling.
• Sustainable solutions: Designing and implementing legal solutions to mitigate the environmental impact of business activities.
• Project leadership: Leading environmental projects and fostering environmental awareness.
• Policy development: Contributing to the development of public policies that promote environmental consciousness.
• Environmental compliance: Ensuring compliance with environmental regulations in both public and private sectors.
• Corporate social responsibility: Designing and implementing environmental corporate social responsibility programs.

---

Outline:

The Master's Degree in Environmental Law is structured into two semesters, covering a total of 60 ECTS credits. The program is delivered in Spanish and includes the following modules:

---

First Semester:

• Module 1: National and European Union Environmental Legal Framework (6 ECTS):
• Background and history of Environmental Law.
• Foundations of domestic and international Environmental Law.
• Constitutive elements of environmental defense and source determination.
• Soft and Hard Law of Environmental Defense.
• General regime of liability for environmental damage.
• Citizen participation and procedural foundations of legal-environmental defense.
• Module 2: Environmental Management Systems, Eco-labeling, and Biodiversity Protection (6 ECTS):
• Biodiversity.
• Technical and legal foundations of biology and biotechnology.
• Environmental Policy and Integrated Territorial Management.
• Consumption, deforestation, scarcity, pollution, and common risks in the maintenance of the Environment.
• Labeling and contractual and extra-contractual liability for breaches of the responsible labeling regime.
• Legal-procedural aspects of biodiversity protection.
• Technical and legal foundations of Energy, development, and the environment.
• The legal regime of renewable and non-renewable resources.
Technology and cleanliness.
• Water quality, pollution, and legal protection and defense: Water Law.
• Technical foundations of discharges and waste and their treatment engineering.
• Legal regime of waste and discharges.
• Legal and technical scope of recycling.
• Module 4: Regulatory Regime of Climate Change and Environmental Human Rights (6 ECTS):
• Environmental human rights.
• Substantive and procedural criteria for the constitutional protection of the Environment.
• International climate governance.
• Risk and regulation of climate change.
• Substantive and procedural aspects of the fight against climate change by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
• Theory and practice of international litigation in environmental matters.
• Module 5: Interdisciplinary Concepts on Environmental Sustainability and Urban Planning (6 ECTS):
• Environmental impact assessment systems and remedies.
• Control instruments.
• Conservation and sustainable development.
• Environment and economic system.
• Subsidies, aid, and incentives in environmental matters.
• Environmental taxation.
• Module 6: Inspection and Administrative and Criminal Repression of Environmental Offenses (6 ECTS):
• The precautionary principle in environmental matters.
• European Union sanctioning law in environmental matters.
• Comparative sanctioning law in environmental matters.
• Individual and collective liability for environmental damage.
• Criminal law foundations applied to environmental law.
• Comparative framework in criminal matters for breaches of the Environment.
• Module 7: Impact Assessment, Environmental Due Diligence, and Environmental Project Planning (6 ECTS):
• Deontological and ethical foundations of the legal advisor in environmental matters.
• CSR in environmental matters.
• ISO quality, safety, and health management systems.
• ISO Environmental Management Systems.
• Environmental compliance.
• Planning and legal execution of decontamination projects.
• Module 8: Current Dilemmas in Environmental Matters: Greenwashing and Environmental Marketing (6 ECTS):
• Greenwashing.
• Environmental marketing.
• Planned obsolescence.
• Consumer protection in environmental matters.
• Market, competition, and the Environment: collusion, abuse, and concentrations.
• Legal management of reputational impact due to breaches of the environment.
• Module 9: Research Methodology (6 ECTS):
• Methodological component.
• Organization of sources and databases.
• Quantitative foundations of legal research.
• Qualitative research.
• Ethical criteria of research.
• Structure, writing, and impact of research in environmental matters.
• Module 10: Master's Thesis (6 ECTS):
• Completion of an individual master's thesis/project that integrates all the knowledge acquired in the master's degree and subsequent presentation before an academic tribunal.

---

Second Semester:

• Module 11: Environmental Law and Sustainable Development (6 ECTS):
• International environmental law and its relationship with sustainable development.
• The role of international organizations in environmental protection.
• The legal framework for sustainable development in the European Union.
• The legal framework for sustainable development in Spain.
• Module 12: Environmental Law and Business (6 ECTS):
• Environmental liability of companies.
• Environmental due diligence.
• Environmental management systems in companies.
• Environmental compliance in companies.
• Corporate social responsibility and the environment.
• Module 13: Environmental Law and Climate Change (6 ECTS):
• The legal framework for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• The role of international law in addressing climate change.
• The legal framework for climate change in the European Union.
• The legal framework for climate change in Spain.
• Module 14: Environmental Law and Human Rights (6 ECTS):
• The relationship between environmental law and human rights.
• The right to a healthy environment.
• The right to water.
• The right to food.
• The right to a clean and safe environment.
• Module 15: Environmental Law and Justice (6 ECTS):
• Environmental justice and equity.
• Access to justice in environmental matters.
• Environmental litigation.
• Environmental mediation and arbitration.
• Environmental law and the role of the judiciary.
• Module 16: Environmental Law and Technology (6 ECTS):
• The impact of technology on the environment.
• Environmental law and the use of new technologies.
• Environmental law and artificial intelligence.
• Environmental law and big data.
• Environmental law and the Internet of Things.
• Module 17: Environmental Law and Policy (6 ECTS):
• Environmental policy analysis.
• Environmental policy design and implementation.
• Environmental policy evaluation.
• Environmental law and public administration.
• Environmental law and the role of civil society.
• Module 18: Environmental Law and International Cooperation (6 ECTS):
• International environmental agreements.
• The role of international organizations in environmental cooperation.
• The legal framework for international environmental cooperation.
• The challenges of international environmental cooperation.

---

Teaching:

The program is delivered online with live virtual classes. Students can access these classes from any location and device. The program emphasizes a personalized learning experience with the support of expert professors and a dedicated tutor. The virtual campus serves as the primary learning platform, providing access to course materials, the library, a community forum for student interaction, and 24-hour assistance. The teaching methodology is based on the following principles:

• Experiential learning: Students learn by doing, applying their knowledge through practical exercises and online tools.
• Meaningful learning: The program connects knowledge, skills, and prior experiences with students' interests, expectations, and cognitive characteristics.
• Collaborative learning: Students engage in collaborative learning activities, fostering a sense of shared learning and achievement.
• Professional learning: The program focuses on the practical application of knowledge in professional settings.
• Constructive and discovery learning: Students explore concepts through active learning, building cognitive structures through comparison, relation, and reorganization of new concepts.
• Autonomous learning: The program encourages self-directed learning, empowering students to take ownership of their learning journey.
• Individualized learning: The program caters to diverse learning styles and needs, adapting learning activities to individual student requirements.
• Creative learning: The program fosters creativity and initiative, encouraging students to approach knowledge from different perspectives.

---

Careers:

The Master's Degree in Environmental Law prepares students for a variety of career paths in the growing field of environmental law. Potential career opportunities include:

• Environmental lawyer: Working in law firms, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and public administration.
• Legal-environmental advisor: Providing legal and environmental advice to companies and organizations.
• Environmental technician: Working in public administration.
• Environmental consultant and auditor: Conducting environmental assessments and audits.
• Academic and research roles: Pursuing careers in teaching and research.

---

Other:

The program includes three Masterclasses led by Georgina Guerrero, a practicing lawyer in Spain and Mexico and former member of the Governing Board of WWF Spain. These Masterclasses showcase real-world cases where Georgina provided legal representation:

• The Iberian Lynx Case: The construction of the Ciudad Real-Toledo highway posed a significant threat to two protected species: the Iberian lynx and the imperial eagle.
The ruling of the High Court of Justice of Castilla-La Mancha, confirmed by the Supreme Court, declared the project null and void.
• The Las Aletas Case: The Government and the Junta de Andalucía approved two plans for the construction of an industrial estate in the Las Aletas marshland (Cádiz).
Both plans were declared null and void by the Supreme Court, preserving a coastal strip of high ecological value.
• The Guadalquivir Case: The approval of two hydrological plans led to the dredging of the Guadalquivir River, endangering the estuary and the Doñana National Park.
The Supreme Court declared both attempts null and void, considering the environmental importance of the area. The program also offers the opportunity to obtain a double degree by combining the Master's Degree in Environmental Law with a Course or Expert University Degree. Students can choose from:
• Master's Degree in Environmental Law + Course in Compliance: Specializing in corporate ethics and the prevention of criminal risks in companies.
• Master's Degree in Environmental Law + Expert in Legaltech: Becoming an expert in legaltech and learning to address challenges in an increasingly technological legal world.