Course 2024-2025 a.y.

• The redefinition of the role of government and business to address social and environmental challenges: 'positive obligations' of corporations towards the protection of the environment
• The redefinition of the corporate purpose and the future of capitalism. From this perspective, the following main topics will be addressed:

- The characteristics of environmental law

- Traditional techniques for environmental management: command and control, market tools, information tools, voluntary tools

- Newest techniques for environmental managment: self-regulation and internalization of international obligations.

- Principles of European Environmental Law (i.e. sustainable development, the precautionary principle, the prevention principle; the source principle; the polluter pays principle)

- Climate change regulation

- The new European regulatory landscape: the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Taxonomy Regulation and the EU Commission proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence, the EU Commission proposal for a directive on green claims, the EU regulation on deforestation and other relevant pieces of EU regulation.

• Green antitrust law
• Green IP Law
• Climate litigation

• Understand the complex nature of ESG issues and the multiple ways in which law applies to and engages with them.
• Understand the impact of "corporate purpose" on corporate governance and corporate liability
• Gain a deeper legal understanding of EU environmental principles and the concept of sustainable development
• Analyse the various regulatory strategies involved in dealing with environmental problems and the role of the key actors involved in implementing such strategies within the EU
• Gain a solid understanding of the new European ESG legal framework.
• Foster team work, critical and analytical analysis and problem solving (especially through case studies and class projects)

• Critically assess the broader articulation of the role of companies and their capability to address harms to society or the environment
• Be aware of relevant stakeholders, their preferences, and the path by which they can influence EU environmental law.
• Locate, read, and analyze EU and domestic environmental law and case law
• Foster team work, critical and analytical analysis as well as problem solving (through case studies and class projects).

• Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
• Collaborative Works / Assignments

Teaching method is based on active learning and includes lectures and several case studies (as an aid to understanding). Students are expected to ensure regular class attendance (at least 75%) and to actively participate in class discussions and teamwork. Slides and other materials are made available to students beforehand in order to facilitate note taking.

Teaching materials

ATTENDING AND NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS