Navigation items and banners
FUBiS Term II: Sustainability Governance and Law
(Course # 1.23)
|
Type: |
D Track |
|
Instructor(s): |
|
|
Language: |
English |
|
Contact hours: |
48 (6 contact hours per day) |
|
Credit Points: |
4 Credit Points |
|
Capacity: |
15 |
Course description
The course examines the impacts of globalization on economy, society, and the environment and explores ways towards global governance. Special emphasis is given to the perspective of sustainability (ensuring long-term environmental and social security). Based on a critique of the current system of international law, sustainability governance comprises all structures and policy levels that are constitutive for global governance. Among the areas covered are the various theories and impacts of globalization, the system of environmental law and governance (international and national), the meaning and importance of sustainability (history, legal status), and the normative aspects (general principles, justice, human rights) institutional aspects (civil society, states, international regimes) of sustainability governance and law.
Course assessment
Attendance is compulsory and class participation will account for 20% of the final mark. There are two options for acquiring the remaining 80% of the final mark. Option one is a written 2-hours examination (11 July). Option two is writing a research paper of 2,000 words (+/- 20%) and presenting it in class at the end of the course (11 July). Topics for the research paper will be distributed at the beginning of the course.
Required and recommended reading
Materials – reports, articles, book chapters – that are required reading will be provided online and as course handouts.
The following titles are recommended as general reading:
- Patricia Birnie and Alan Boyle, International Law and the Environment (2nd ed. 2002)
- Klaus Bosselmann, When Two Worlds Collide: Society and Ecology (1995)
- Klaus Bosselmann and David Grinlinton (eds.), Environmental Law for a Sustainable Society (2002)
- Klaus Bosselmann, The Principle of Sustainability: transforming law and governance (2008)
- Commission on Global Governance, Our Global Neighbourhood (1995)
- Duncan French, International Law and Policy of Sustainable Development (2005)
- Brendan Gleeson and Nicholas Low (eds.), Governance for the Environment (2001)
- Benjamin Richardson and Stepan Wood (eds.), Environmental Law for Sustainability (2006)
- Sands, Philippe, Principles of International Environmental Law (2nd ed. 2004)
- Prudence Taylor, An Ecological Approach to International Law (1998)
- Orang Young (ed.), Global Governance (1997)
- Gerd Winter (ed.), Multilevel Governance of Global Environmental Change (2005)
- Laura Westra, Klaus Bosselmann and Richard Westra (eds.), Reconciling Human Existence and Ecological Integrity: Science, Ethics, Economics and Law (2008)
Useful internet addresses
- Introduction to globalization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization- Introduction to global governance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_governance- Introduction to sustainable development
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development- Introduction to sustainability
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability- Introduction to the Earth Charter
www.earthcharter.org- EU strategy for sustainable development
http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l28100.htm- Governance of sustainable development in Germany
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/27/32/1828117.pdf- German Council for Sustainable Development
http://www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.de/en/home/
Student profile
Eligible are students at undergraduate and graduate level with an interest in sustainability, sustainable development, environmental law and governance. A general background in either law or another discipline relating to the environment is desirable, but no specific expertise in environmental law or governance theory is required.
Note: Course participants will be given the opportunity to attend the international conference "Reconciling Human Existence with Ecological Integrity", to be held at Humboldt University, Berlin, 16-20 July 2008. For further information see http://www.globalecointegrity.net/conferences.html
