Constitutional Law and Climate Change

The Climate Crisis is the product of human activity and economic systems, pumping vast quantities of greenhouses gases into the atmosphere. It is also the product of political systems that have been unable to restrain or alter these practices. As much as the Climate Crisis is an environmental failure, it is also a governance failure. Indeed, the Climate Crisis raises serious questions about whether dominant constitutional structures are fit for purpose. Constitutions have been a barrier to effective climate action by all branches of government. In this course, we examine these issues through the lens of constitutional law and theory.