ACADEMIC YEAR 2020-2021

When and why did the international community decide to tackle the problem of climate change? How did the international rules for climate change develop, and what is their significance? What stakeholders participate in global climate governance, and what is their role in tackling the problem? How does the climate change system affect international and European law? What role play international and European law and their mechanisms in tackling climate change?

These are some of the key questions that will be addressed in this course. The course's subject is understanding the international system for dealing with climate change and its evolution through the structures of international and European diplomacy. The first part analyzes and explains how this system was developed and attempts to map it into the broader field of international governance, examining the impact of climate change on international law. The second part focuses on European climate diplomacy and the role the European Union plays in international negotiations on tackling climate change.

The course also includes a seminar hour, during which methodological issues to climate diplomacy are discussed, and students are expected to prepare policy papers presented during the lectures.

Climate change: How the problem emerged in the international agenda?

What is climate change?

Evolution and establishment of international climate change agreements

Paris Agreement

International law and climate change

International organizations and climate change

Emmissions Trading System (ETS): An overview

The political economy of the EU climate policy: EU ETS

European climate policy & The European Green Deal

European climate diplomacy: the legal basis

European climate diplomacy: political aspects

EU just transition

Adaptation to climate change & just transtion: the example of Greece

Presentation of the policy papers

The course is taught every Thursday, 12.00 to 15.00, during the Winter Semester.