How can lawyers combat climate change?

This is a Law Subject Spotlight with Dr Pia Rebelo from City St George’s, University of London. An interactive, cinematic course taster experience to allow students to gain insights into what it's like to study Law.

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This Subject Spotlight addresses the urgent issue of climate change, focusing on human activities, the shortcomings of current governmental and corporate actions, and the rise of climate litigation. It underscores the need for improved regulations, corporate accountability, and grassroots activism to tackle environmental challenges effectively. It also explores international and regional climate initiatives, such as the Paris Agreement and the EU’s Fit for 55 package, and the difficulties in enforcing these treaties. The discussion covers concepts like "soft law" and various legal approaches to hold governments accountable for climate inaction. The conversation highlights the pressure on corporations to cut carbon emissions, comparing regulatory measures like the EU’s carbon allowances with voluntary ESG policies. It reviews tactics companies use to bypass regulations, greenwashing, and evolving litigation strategies to hold major polluters accountable for environmental damage.

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About City St George’s, University of London

Established by royal charter in 1836, City St George’s, University of London is the third-oldest university in England. It has around 48,000 distance learning and campus-based students, making it the largest university by number of students in the UK. City St George’s, University of London is a federation of 17 independent member institutions of outstanding global reputation, ranging from larger universities such as UCL or King’s College London to smaller specialised institutions such as the Royal Academy of Music or the Courtauld Institute of Art. Charles Dickens even termed it the 'People's University'!

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Dr Pia Rebelo

Dr Pia Rebelo is a lecturer in private law and an admitted attorney from South Africa. She obtained her LLB and LLM at the University of Cape Town and completed her PhD at The City Law School. Her research interests are focused on the contractual mechanisms employed to facilitate and incentivise a green shipping transition. She has published work on green finance frameworks, climate clauses, sustainable supply chain finance, climate litigation, arctic shipping, and other private actor initiatives for addressing climate change. She was appointed an Academic Research Fellow of the Middle Temple in 2023 and teaches commercial law subjects at The City Law School, City St George’s, University of London.

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Remarkable & relatable academics

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Interactive quizzes and activities

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Content to enhance students university applications

Hear direct from the academics what's expected of you in your university application, and the things you can do to improve your chances of getting on the course you most desire!

Certificate of completion

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What is a Subject Spotlight?

Subject Spotlights fuse education and entertainment to bring you the new way of researching your university options.

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Who is this Spotlight for?

This subject spotlight is made for students aged 16 and above, that are considering applying to University, particularly to study the subject in the title, or similar areas.

How should I talk about completing a Subject Spotlight on my UCAS application?

Completing a Subject Spotlight shows the university you're applying to that you've taken time outside of school to engage with relevant content.

The easiest way to include it would be to briefly mention one or two things you learned from it and how/why those learnings have furthered your desire to study the subject. We don't want to prescribe an answer because it's your personal statement but this is a good starting point!