Seven sessions, one simulation
Six 90-minute seminars pairing doctrine with live regulatory developments, followed by a 120-minute multi-stakeholder negotiation simulation. Sessions marked "content in development" are still being finalised with their guest lecturers — names go up once confirmed, not before.
From Kyoto to Paris: The Architecture of International Climate Law
What is the legal nature of an international climate obligation? How did the UNFCCC frame the climate regime, and why did the Kyoto Protocol's binding-commitment model fail? What is an NDC, and how does the Paris Agreement's pledge-and-review model differ from Kyoto's top-down approach? What is common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR)? What is "loss and damage," and why is it contested?
The Role of Courts in Climate Governance
Guest lecturer: Bettina Schmiedler (Practice & Skills Instructor, European and Private Law, THUAS). Subjects and required reading are being finalised together with the guest lecturer, and will be published here once confirmed.
The EU Green Deal and Multilevel Climate Governance
What does the European Climate Law bind the EU to achieve by 2050? What is the Fit for 55 package? How does the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) interact with the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)? What is "multilevel governance," and how do 27 member states pursue one shared neutrality target without surrendering sovereignty?
Towards a Just Transition: The Law and Politics of Energy
Guest lecturer: Aurélien Lorange (Energy Law). Subjects and required reading are being finalised together with the guest lecturer, and will be published here once confirmed.
Annual Report: The Legal Requirements of Corporate Disclosure
What must an Annual Report legally contain? What does the "true and fair view" standard require? Since CSRD, why does the Sustainability Statement sit inside the management report rather than as a separate filing? What distinguishes an assured, legally-grounded disclosure from a voluntary marketing claim?
Material Claims: The Legal Standard of Sustainability Disclosure
What does ESRS 1 mean by "materiality"? What is double materiality — financial versus impact — and why does it matter which one a company applies? What is third-party assurance, and where does greenwashing occur within this framework?
Simulation: The Climate Governance Table
A 120-minute multi-stakeholder negotiation. Students hold roles across EU institutional actors, a member state government, an industry lobby, an NGO coalition, and a regional authority — and defend the individual position they already filed for the EU public consultation in December, now under live negotiating pressure.
- Briefing and role distribution — 20 min
- Three negotiation rounds of 20 min each — 60 min
- Structured debrief reviewing each team's D1.3 position against the pressures surfaced — 40 min
Beyond the seven sessions
Who Shapes the Green Transition? Inside EU Policymaking and Influence
A special lecture by Dr. Mendeltje van Keulen, head of the research group “Changing Role of Europe”. Her career runs through the Clingendael Institute, the Dutch House of Representatives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Dutch Advisory Council for International Affairs. She will show who actually shapes the rules behind the green transition, and how influence moves through EU institutions.
Date and venue to be announced.
EU Public Consultation Submission
Each student prepares an individual written response to an active EU public consultation on a climate governance topic, developed with a relevant external stakeholder. Guidance on topic selection is published on Brightspace ahead of the drafting period.
Deadline: December 2026 (Month 12 of the grant) — filed before the Christmas break and before the Session 7 simulation, which reviews each team's already-submitted position under live pressure.
Guest session with this cohort's stakeholder
A dedicated guest session on climate litigation strategy is planned with this iteration's external stakeholder, held via video call as an addition to the seven core sessions. This fulfils the module's stakeholder-collaboration requirement (Grant Agreement Task T1.5) for the current cohort.
Events worth your time
Students are encouraged to attend relevant external conferences and events on EU climate governance, including inter-university debate tournaments where announced.
Ready to take part?
Around 30 places are available per cohort, open to students from any THUAS programme.
Enrol now