Researchers propose mandatory teaching of climate change in core law curriculum

DURHAM . UNIVERSITY

Scholars from Durham University are calling for climate change education to be made compulsory in the core law curriculum in Higher Education.

The researchers assessed student engagement and their broader perspectives on climate change education by integrating climate change and environmental law into the core curriculum at the University of Exeter University of the Russell Group.

The results showed that law students wanted to study climate law and the climate context of law as part of their core curriculum.

The students also suggested that climate change education should be compulsory and taught throughout the program.

In the study, the researchers argued that climate change was still considered a niche topic and that students left law school without a proper understanding of the legal framework or the social context in which they would practice. onion.

They emphasize the importance of understanding constitutional law on climate and net zero, climate risks, and interpreting legal rules in the context of climate change.

Their findings are published in the leading general law journal, Legal research.

Law school graduates will spend their working lives understanding and applying legal rules in the context of societies dealing with the effects of climate change, while transitioning to a more competitive economy. ‘net zero’ carbon economy.

Law educators now face the responsibility of ensuring that law graduates are fully equipped with the knowledge of climate law and the social contexts in which they will operate.

Lead researcher Dr Kim Bouwer, of Durham Law School, University of Durham, said: “We are investigating a cross-curriculum approach to climate education at Durham Law School for this academic year. and found that integrating climate change related materials in different modules was not only very natural, but also supported the students’ study of law.

“We are looking at how to approach this in the long term as part of a broader curriculum review process.”

This method has been developed based on previous research by Dr. Kim Bouwer conducted at the University of Exeter.

As part of the trial, Dr. Bouwer designed and delivered climate change education in Land Law and conducted research to assess student engagement and their broader perspectives on education. climate change education.

Work was carried out by three Exeter graduates, who were law students at the time of their study, who surveyed and organized focus groups with other students.

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