Bok Course: Energy Justice and Sustainable Development (Olawuyi)
Additional Information
Satisfies Senior Writing RequirementNo
Class meets in person.
Meeting Times/Location
MWR 10:30AM - 11:50AM
Tanenbaum Hall 253
Category
Upper-Level
Credits
1.0
How does the law regulate justice and human rights risks in energy investments, policies and projects? With the adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the last years have seen a significant rise in policies and projects aimed at addressing the problem of climate change, promoting energy efficiency, and advancing energy access to the over 1 billion people that do not have access to reliable energy. Despite the importance of these efforts, large energy projects have also been linked with land grabs, forced displacements, gender injustice and other complex human rights violations across the world, especially in developing countries. Understanding justice and human rights risks in energy access projects, and the legal frameworks and tools to address them, is essential for effective risk management especially as states and business enterprises design and implement net-zero and sustainability initiatives.
This seminar explores some of the most hot-button issues in the field, including the drivers and dimensions of energy injustice and their implications for sustainable development. The course provides a comparative assessment of the practical application of the normative guidelines offered by international instruments, such as the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in the energy sector. It also emphasizes practical skills and tools through which stakeholders in the energy sector, especially business enterprises, governments, lawyers and law firms can anticipate, prevent, and mitigate justice risks in their operations, especially through human rights due diligence, corporate social responsibility, sustainability reporting, green supply chains and procurements, and strategic risk management. Note: Because this class meets for only three weeks (11/14, 11/16, 11/17, 11/18, 11/21, 11/23, 12/5, 12/7, 12/8) in November, students must add/drop the class by the second meeting.
Bok Visiting Professor Damilola Olawuyi, SAN is a prolific and respected expert in petroleum, energy and environmental law. He is one of the youngest full professors of law in Nigerian history, and the youngest academic to ever conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. Olawuyi is currently serving as Vice Chair for the International Law Association. He was also recently appointed as an Independent Expert on the African Union’s Working Group on extractive industries. Olawuyi holds an LLM from Harvard Law and a PhD in Law from Oxford University.
International and Comparative Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of international and comparative law, both substantively and procedurally; Perform legal analysis in the context of international and comparative law; Communicate effectively on topics related to international and comparative law; Demonstrate an understanding of the role of international and comparative law, and their interconnection with domestic law.
International Corporate and Trade Law
Health Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of health law and policy; Perform legal analysis in the context of health law and policy; Communicate effectively on topics related to health law and policy; Demonstrate an understanding of the interconnection among health law and policy and issues of access to services, public and private financing of health industries, and the political and economic issues surrounding issues of health law and health services.
Perspectives on the Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate an understanding of how the law affects, and is affected by, the individual course topic; Perform legal analysis in the context of the individual course topic; Communicate effectively on the legal and other aspects of the individual course topic; Demonstrate the ability to use other disciplines to analyze legal issues relevant to the individual course topic, including economics, philosophy, and sociology, as appropriate.
Administrative and Regulatory Law Learning outcomes: Demonstrate a core understanding of administrative and regulatory law and the administrative process, including the role of statutory authorization and work of administrative agencies; Perform legal analysis in the context of administrative and regulatory law; Communicate effectively on topics related to administrative and regulatory law; Demonstrate an understanding of the role administrative and regulatory law play in our legal system and in society as a whole.