Course Catalogue

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The proposed Law and Just Energy Transition offers an interdisciplinary and innovative exploration of the role law plays, and could play, in achieving a just energy transition in a particular context. Just energy transition is gaining academic attention and political momentum, as is exemplified by the European Green Deal and the "leave no one behind" ideal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals. However, it is also a highly contested notion that opens space for confrontations and disagreements. Motivated by the recognition of the complex interdependence between social and environmental issues, this course examines policies, measures, initiatives, actions, and discourses at different levels that pivot around just energy transition. Instead of providing a universal definition of just transition, we explore heterogeneity and discrepancies of transitional initiatives, as well as discovering theoretical aspects and proposals of legal transformations from social dynamics.

This research-led seminar is designed to foster practical, critical, and solution- and policy-oriented knowledge by active learning experiences. It relies heavily on comparative methods. Although the knowledge of international and EU law plays an important role in the course content, we move beyond the conventional dichotomy of international/domestic and emphasize the interactions between international and domestic legal and policy framework. It puts a particular focus on the experiences and knowledges of the Global South and applies political economy perspectives to not only understand the mechanisms that produce social justice issues in energy transition but also to design policy innovations to address these issues. In other words, this course offers an opportunity to consider how to achieve the mutual translation between theory and praxis.

This course is intended to be delivered as a face-to-face seminar. 10 x 2 hour seminars in semester 1.

The course is open to all LLM students subject to the requirements of the LLM programme to which a student is enrolled. It will be a compulsory course for a new LLM programme Climate Law and Justice starting in academic year 2026/2027.

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The summative assessment consists of an end-of-semester research essay of 5,000 words (100% of overall grade)

The aim of this course is to introduce students to core legal and policy frameworks shaping a just energy transition, examining their role in addressing social and environmental justice concerns. The course explores the interaction between international, regional, and domestic legal systems, with a particular focus on comparative analysis and perspectives from the Global South. Students will develop practical skills in legal analysis, policy evaluation, and critical engagement with energy justice debates, preparing them to assess and propose legal innovations that support equitable and sustainable energy transitions.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate sufficient knowledge of how legal systems deals with existing social inequalities and power dynamics in energy transitions.

2. Identify key legal frameworks, policy instruments, and governance challenges at international, regional, and national levels in pursuing just energy transitions.

3. Develop evidence-informed and actionable legal and policy strategies that enhance justice, inclusivity, and sustainability in energy transitions.

4. Evaluate the impact of legal and regulatory mechanisms in case studies of energy transition across different jurisdictions, compare legal approaches and critically assess their effectiveness in promoting equitable and sustainable outcomes.

Engage with primary legal sources, policy documents, empirical data, and interdisciplinary knowledge to construct well-reasoned arguments regarding just energy transitions.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.