This course introduces students to the nature of transboundary environmental challenges and the development of international norms and institutions to address them.

Fundamental issues addressed by the course include:

• the ethical framework for international environmental policies and laws,
• the origin and development of international environmental law,
• sources of international environmental law, and
• actors in global environmental governance and the nature of international environmental norms.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Investigate the history and principles of international environmental law as a distinct field of public international law.
2. Examine the social and ethical debates surrounding environmental policy and law-making, and the norms relating to the global environment.
3. Reflect on the interaction and tension between various international actors and institutions to develop insight into the development and implementation of international environmental norms.
4. Propose solutions to international environmental law problems.
5. Plan and execute a research project specific to international environmental law.

Research-Led Teaching

The course will draw upon past and current research of the convenor.

Required Resources

Prescribed text: Sands, Philippe & Jacqueline Peel. Principles of International Environmental Law, 4th Ed. (Cambridge University Press 2018). ISBN: 9781108431125 (paperback).

Recommended text: Bodansky, Dan & Harro van Esselt. The Art & Craft of International Environmental Law, 2nd Ed. (Oxford University Press 2024). ISBN: 9780197672372 (paperback).

A full list of readings will also be made available on Canvas two weeks prior to the course commencement date.

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments through Turnitin

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Other Information

Task submission times refer to Canberra time (AEST/AEDT).

Extensions, late submission and penalties: https://law.anu.edu.au/extensions-late-submission-and-penalties

Extenuating circumstances: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/extenuating-circumstances-application

Deferred examination: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/assessments-exams/deferred-examinations

Penalties for excess word length: https://law.anu.edu.au/word-length-and-excess-word-penalties

Distribution of grades policy: https://law.anu.edu.au/grading

Assessment Reviews and Appeals: https://law.anu.edu.au/assessment-review-and-appeals

Further information about the course is available from the course Canvas page. Students are required to access the Canvas site regularly throughout the course for any announcements relating to the course.

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The ANU Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as providing clear guidance on the responsible and ethical use of AI technologies.

The following resources may also be useful:

• The ANU Library's Libguide is a valuable resource for gaining a comprehensive understanding of AI's role in academia.

• The ANU Academic Skills site provides useful information to ensure that you leverage AI responsibly and effectively.

• The ANU Law School Academic Integrity and Misconduct site provides content related to legal implications, ethical guidelines, and considerations when dealing with AI in the context of law.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Fundamentals, Origins & Recent History	In line with the University’s recording policy, lectures, seminars and lectorials will be recorded and made available for students on Echo360. However, lecture recordings are only an additional resource and they should not be taken as a substitute for regular online attendance. If a recording does fail, there is no guarantee a replacement recording will be provided.
2	Science & Law; Meaning of Nature; Indigenous Knowledge Systems
3	Malthusian v Cornucopian; Actors; Instruments
4	Basic Principles
5	Implementation, Compliance, & Enforcement
6	Environmental Security; Environmental Justice; Environmental Ethics & Value of Nature
7	Climate Change
8	Biodiversity & Habitat Destruction; Environmental Crimes & Ecocide
9	World Heritage & Protected Areas; Nature-Culture; Indigenous Rights & Environment; Conservation Colonialism
10	Human Rights & Environment; Environmental Rule of Law; Rights of Nature
11	Kuznets & Sustainability; Sustainable Development; Economic Trade; Corporate Environmental Social Responsibility; Hazardous Waste; Energy
12	Atmosphere & Outer Space; Polar Regions; Oceans & Freshwater; Biosafety; Intellectual Property

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. MyTimetable (MyTT) tutorial allocations are done on a first-come, first-served basis. If you hold a current EAP stating that you require priority selection, you will need to contact the College Student and Education Support team before MyTT opens.

If you are unable to secure a spot in your preferred timeslot, we recommend enrolling in another tutorial and joining the waitlist (indicated by a heart). If spots become available, they are automatically chronologically allocated to those on the waitlist.

Should an activity in MyTT clash with another, please contact the College Student and Education Support team with the course and activity details.

Please note that work commitments will not be considered as a reason for requesting a change to your allocation/s. It is expected that students make themselves available on weekdays for tutorials and seminars. 

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
AT1: Group Project AI Exercise (0%)	0 %	21/08/2025	29/08/2025	1,2
AT2: Weighted Assessment - Individual AI Analysis (25%)	25 %	16/09/2025	07/10/2025	1,2
AT3: Weighted Assessment - Legal Policy Brief (75%)	75 %	23/10/2025	*	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Canvas’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

For all courses taught in any mode (whether face to face or online), the ANU College of Law considers participation in the classes offered to be an important part of the educational experience of the program. Students are expected to attend all classes.

If circumstances arise which are beyond a student’s control and they are unable to attend a class, the student should contact the Course Convenor in advance (where possible), so that the convenor can adjust their expectations in relation to numbers for that class. If it is not possible to give advance notice, students should send the convenor an email as soon as possible with evidence to support the reason for failure to attend.

Examination(s)

There is no final examination for this course.

Assessment Task 1

AT1: Group Project AI Exercise (0%)

Details of Task: Please see AI Semester Exercise Instruction Sheet available in Canvas. Students will form groups (3-4 people each). Each group must choose a current event that is related to a topic covered in this course (example topics are given in the topic list below). Each group must choose a range of AI tools, so that each group member is responsible for one AI tool. Each group must then do the following:

• Plan for AI use—The group should craft a group list of prompts/questions they plan to give to AI tools. The prompt/questions should relate to 1) asking an AI tool to identify the legal issues under international environmental law regarding their chosen current event, and 2) asking AI tool to identify potential legal answers to those issues under international environmental law.
• Comparative use of AI—Each member of the group should use a different AI tool and give each AI tool the above prompts/questions. Each AI tool must provide a response with relevant citations and should be set to a limit of 800 words (excluding citations).

This task forms the basis of the requirements for Assessment Task 2.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable.

Weighting: 0%

Word Limit: N/A

Submission Requirement: Your submission MUST be made as a PDF file using Arial 12 point.

Due Date: 5pm, Thursday 21 August 2025. Late submissions (without an extension) are permitted, but late penalties will apply. 

Estimated Return Date: 29 August 2025

Assessment Task 2

AT2: Weighted Assessment - Individual AI Analysis (25%)

Details of Task: Please see AI Semester Exercise Instruction Sheet available in Canvas. Using the results from Assessment 1 posted to the Discussion section on the course Canvas site, each student will write a personal critical reflection, with relevant citations, about their individual experience in using AI to fulfill their group project. The individual critical reflection will answer the following:

• Student name, group name, group’s slate of AI tools, & student’s AI tool
• Group project current event & related topic
• Group’s prompts/questions
• The student’s critique of the AI used for Assessment Task 1 (i.e., problems found in the use of AI by the student/group to perform Assessment Task 1)
• The student’s reflection about the implications of using AI in future legal work.

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to submit this assessment will result in a mark of zero for this assessment task.

Weighting: 25%

Word Limit: Maximum of 1,000 words for LLB students (excluding citations, names, current event/topic, prompts/questions). Citations must be in footnotes with format consistent with the Australian Guide to Legal Citations (AGLC). No bibliography is needed. 

Submission Requirement: Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted. Arial 12 point.

Due Date: 5pm, Tuesday 16 September 2025. Late submissions (without an extension) are permitted, but late penalties will apply. 

Estimated Return Date: 7 October 2025.

Assessment Task 3

AT3: Weighted Assessment - Legal Policy Brief (75%)

Details of Task: The legal policy brief is designed to allow for a detailed and critical analysis of international environmental legal issues. Topics are to be self-selected. A legal policy brief is a strategic document, typically aimed at a ministerial or executive level, with the purpose of making a call for action by the entity concerned. The legal policy brief will follow the structural elements below (these MUST be the headings):

1. Executive Summary—short statement (2 paragraphs maximum), identifying the problem, the findings of the analysis, and the recommendations.
2. Problem & Purpose—introduces the problem and explains why it is important (i.e., why it needs action now)
3. Existing Policies—summarizes the existing policy (or policy regime) regarding law
4. Critical Analysis—explains the issues of the existing legal policy and considers appropriate alternatives that rectify or mitigate the issues
5. Recommendations—identifies what must be done to implement the proposed solution

Nature of Task: Compulsory and non-redeemable. Failure to submit this assessment will result in a mark of zero for this assessment task.

Weighting: 75%

Word Limit: Maximum of 3,000 words for LLB students, excluding citations & bibliography (reference list). Citations must be in footnotes, and the bibliography must be at the end of the document. Both citation and bibliography must comply with the Australian Guide to Legal Citations (AGLC). 

Submission Requirement: Your submission must be made in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). PDF files will not be accepted. Arial 12 point.

Due Date: 5pm, Thursday 23 October 2025. Late submissions (without an extension) are permitted, but late penalties will apply. 

Estimated Return Date: Official end-of-semester results release date. 

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. You must ensure that you upload the correct document on the specified submission due date and time. Any document modified after the due date and time will either incur a late penalty or will NOT be accepted. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education), submission must be through Turnitin in a word processing file format (.doc, .docx). Electronic copies in .pdf file format are not acceptable.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item.
• Late submission is not accepted for tests or examinations.
• Late submission with an extension. To ensure equity for all students, the 5% penalty per working day for late submission of work does not apply if you have been granted an extension. Where an extension is granted, the revised due date and submission time will be provided in writing. Importantly, any revised due date is inclusive of weekends and public holidays. Regardless of which day of the week the revised due date falls on, students who submit after that date will be penalised by 5% of the possible marks available for the task per 24-hour period.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material. Any use of artificial intelligence must be properly referenced. Failure to properly cite use of Generative AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity.

Returning Assignments

All marks and feedback will be provided by the return date listed in the class summary.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

A resubmission refers to the act of re-uploading a submission for an assessment task after an initial submission has already been made. This typically occurs when a student realises they have submitted an incorrect or incomplete document and wishes to upload the correct version.

Resubmissions are permitted up to the due date and time without penalty. After this point, any resubmissions will incur the relevant late penalty with no exceptions.

If you need to request that your original submission be deleted in order to resubmit, please email mailto:enquiries.clgp@anu.edu.au. Do not contact your course convenor directly regarding this matter.

Please note: If a task states that no late submissions are permitted, then resubmissions will not be accepted under any circumstances after the due date and time.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Accessibility for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students