Sustainability is a prominent concept at both the national and the international level. Its importance has been restated with the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. But is sustainability more than a fashionable buzzword? How are legal means used to enhance sustainability? When is law (not) effective and efficient?

This course offers an interdisciplinary perspective by discussing how several aspects of social, economic, and ecological sustainability are linked to national and international law. More specifically, this course shows to what extent law can, on the one hand, promulgate sustainability and, on the other hand, retard the implementation of sustainability goals.

After an overview of the history of sustainability, the first part of the course provides an insight to how the concept of sustainability is addressed at the UN and the European level. In the second part of this course, up-to-date topics of social, economic, and ecological sustainability such as corporate social responsibility and the Paris climate Agreement are discussed.

After completing this course, students are able to describe different aspects of sustainability and how these aspects are linked to corresponding legal provisions - both at the national and the international level. Further, students will be aware of current (legal) pitfalls and catalysts when it comes to implementing the concept of sustainability. Brief assignments and lively class discussions will foster reflective, critical thinking.

Engaging in this interdisciplinary discourse on law and sustainability, students learn to assess legal provisions from different perspectives. Throughout the course, students acquire the toolkit to employ their legal education with respect to a long-term sustainable development. They learn to suggest legal constructs such that sustainability can be reached.

Examination-immanent courses (PI) have compulsory attendance. Please mind that regular attendance (> 80 %) is necessary to complete the course.

In case of absence the lecturer is to be informed in advance if possible.

More detailed regulations on absenteeism will be explained in the first unit.

Each session in this course is 2 hours long. In each session, we will split our time between a brief introductory lecture (about 1/3 of the time) and interactive discussions (2/3).

These interactive discussions include individual and group work, and discussions of readings or recent developments in this field. For the discussions, students are expected to have read all of the assigned readings for each session and should be prepared to discuss each reading in class.

Course performance will be evaluated multi-dimensionally. The final grade consists of the following 3 components: 

- Active participation during the course (20 points),

- 2 take-home reflection essays (2 x 20 points each = 40 points), and

- 1 assessment essay (40 points).

Overall grading key:

1 (very good)    - 90 points and more

2 (good)            - between 80 and 89 points

3 (satisfactory)  - between 70 and 79 points

4 (sufficient)     - between 60 and 69 points

5 (insufficient)   - less than 60 points

Knowledge of international or European law is helpful but not required.

katharina.pfaff@wu.ac.at