ENVS 2257 Introduction to Climate Change Law and Policy

The course examines the landscape of how climate change law is governed across international, national, and local levels, and whether these legal mechanisms translate climate commitments into meaningful action. It begins with global frameworks, including the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, alongside emerging climate litigation. It then examines the U.S. federal approach through the Clean Air Act, the Endangerment Finding, and the Inflation Reduction Act. The course concludes by reviewing Massachusetts climate laws, permitting processes, and clean energy development, examining how climate goals are implemented in practice. Students will evaluate how effective these legal frameworks are at achieving emission reductions.