The Value of Climate Change Litigation as a Tool for Addressing Climate Change

Legal Action as a Tool for Urgency in Climate Change Mitigation

This is an individual assessment.

1.Climate change litigation provides a valuable complement to treaty, legislative, and executive action in relation to climate change because it fosters interaction across levels of government. Do you agree? Critically discuss this statement with reference to case laws.

OR

2.The existence of environment related disputes in the WTO means that there is no need to develop further dispute settlement mechanisms in international environmental law.

Critically discuss this statement with reference to the case laws of WTO.

The Oral Assessment requires that you submit three pieces of work:

Self-recorded oral presentation; and

Powerpoint slides used in that presentation; and

A bibliography must also be submitted.

All university regulations relating to plagiarism and other assessment offences apply to the oral presentations.

All written work submitted should be word processed in 12 point font Times New Roman or Arial and double spaced. This does not apply to the presentation slides. However, it is your responsibility to ensure fonts used are clear and legible.

The maximum amount of time allowed for the recorded presentation is 15 minutes.

You must use Panopto to record your presentation (see the Guidance below).

You must record yourself (using a webcam) and your slides.

You may use notes to help you throughout your presentation. However, you should not read from a pre-prepared script, nor should you simply read from your slides doing so will affect your mark.

Your first slide must contain your full name, student number and module name in Arial 48 point.

Your bibliography must be submitted in the form of a Word document and must provide details of all sources used in preparing for the oral assessment.

The Bibliography must be in Oscola format. If you are an MSc student, you have the option of using Harvard. If you do so, please make this clear at the top of the Bibliography.

Note that adding a recording to Panopto and making a submission to the assignment are two separate processes.

Creating a recording in your My Folder area does not constitute a submission and instructors will not be able to access the recording. You need to complete the assignment submission process as outlined below.

When recording PowerPoint slides, it is recommended these are saved to and opened from your desktop. Not saving and opening from your desktop may result in the recording failing to upload.

Attach your recording from your Panopto My Folder to the assignment submission using the Write Submission text editor which is available on the assignment submission screen.

Submissions MUST be made using the Panopto Video Student Video submission option from the Add Content (+) button within the text editor. You can find the Add Content button by clicking on the More button which opens a second ribbon.

Edits to your recording will need to have been made prior to submission for online assessment (if you have already submitted, any edits will not be seen by the marker). If you wish to edit after submission, you will need to resubmit to the assignment after the edits have been made.

Both files are attached using the Browse function under Attach Files. Remember to attach BOTH the PowerPoint file AND the Bibliography (Word document) to one submission, along with the link to your presentation (as outlined above). If you submit your files in separate submissions, only the latest submission will be marked.

There is a 25MB limit on each file you attach to your assignment submission. Large files may take a while to upload so allow plenty of time before the deadline and wait for your submission to finish - it may appear like nothing is happening but please wait for it to complete. If you are unsure if your file has uploaded, check your receipt on the Coursework tab and make sure you can open the attached file. Please contact the IT Service Desk on 0117 3283612 as soon as possible if you are having trouble submitting.

Remember that you must submit your assignment before the stated deadline by electronic submission through Blackboard. Notification that the electronic submission portal is open for your assignment is displayed (usually two weeks before the submission date) in the Coursework tab in myUWE, the Coursework tab in Blackboard and via an announcement in the Blackboard course.

Please allow sufficient time to upload your assignment, as the system becomes busier and slower as the deadline approaches. Only your final upload will be counted. Ensure all your information is submitted at one attempt to avoid overwriting your intended submission. Always check and retain your receipts.

Climate change litigation has become an increasingly popular tool in the fight against climate change, and it can provide a valuable complement to other forms of action, such as treaties, legislation, and executive action. Climate change litigation involves using legal action to hold governments and corporations accountable for their contribution to climate change and its harmful effects. Here are some reasons why climate change litigation is a valuable complement to other forms of action:

1. Legal action can create a sense of urgency: Climate change litigation can be a powerful tool for creating a sense of urgency around the need to address climate change. Court cases often receive significant media attention, which can raise public awareness about the issue and put pressure on governments and corporations to take action.

2. Litigation can be used to fill gaps in existing laws: Climate change litigation can be used to fill gaps in existing laws and regulations that may not be sufficient to address the full scope of the problem. For example, lawsuits can be brought to enforce existing environmental laws, or to establish new legal precedents that help to clarify the legal responsibilities of governments and corporations in relation to climate change.

3. Litigation can be used to hold governments and corporations accountable: Climate change litigation can be used to hold governments and corporations accountable for their contribution to climate change and its harmful effects. This can help to ensure that they take responsibility for their actions and work to mitigate the harm caused by climate change.

4. Legal action can help to advance the development of new technologies and policies: Climate change litigation can be used to push for the development of new technologies and policies that can help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. For example, lawsuits can be brought to push for the development of renewable energy sources or to establish regulations on emissions from certain industries.