Universität Wien
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030682 SE Climate Change and Private Law (2023W)

with a Comparative Law Perspective

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 3 - Rechtswissenschaften
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 15 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Wednesday 11.10. 15:00 - 16:00 Seminarraum SEM62 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum 6.OG (Kickoff Class)
  • Wednesday 17.01. 09:00 - 18:00 Seminarraum SEM31 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum, 3.OG
  • Thursday 18.01. 09:00 - 18:00 Seminarraum SEM31 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum, 3.OG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This seminar allows students to deepen their knowledge of legal problems related to climate change from a comparative law perspective. Students will conduct research on questions of liability for climate change, supply chain liability, liability for climate activism and protests and legal remedies in cases of incorrect sustainability information (‘greenwashing’).

The seminar will be held together with the seminar “Climate Change and International Private Law” (030583; Prof. Lehmann) and the seminar “International Law” (030570; Prof. Waibel).

At the beginning of the course, students will be able to choose a topic from a list of suggestions or alternatively propose a topic themselves. Students will then write a seminar paper (min. 50,000 characters incl. spaces and footnotes) on the chosen topic. The main findings are to be presented during the oral discussion, either in English or in German. After that, students hand in a paper written in German or English, independently of the language in which the oral presentation was given.

Assessment and permitted materials

Students will be assessed on the basis of their written seminar paper, as well as their oral presentation and the discussion of their findings.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The assessment criteria include notably: the comprehensive treatment of the relevant issues; the conciseness of the presentation; the persuasiveness, originality, and level of argumentation; the independence of the line of thought; the extent of the research that was conducted; and the compliance with formalities and guidelines. In addition to the written paper, 1/3 of the grading will be based on the presentation and 1/3 on the participation in the discussions of other participants' papers. Students are expected to attend all classes.

The seminar is open to diploma students and IREWI students.

Examination topics

Comparative Private Law

Reading list

I. Literature on scientific papers (selection)
• Büdenbender/Bachert/Humbert, Hinweise für das Verfassen von Seminararbeiten, JuS 2002, 24.
• Möllers, Juristische Arbeitstechnik und wissenschaftliches Arbeiten9 (2018).
• Dax/Hopf, Abkürzungs- und Zitierregeln AZR8 (2019).
• Nolan/Meredith (eds), OSCOLA, The Oxford University Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities4 (2012).

II. Literature to introduce the topic (selection)
• Bach/Kieninger, Ökologische Analyse des Zivilrechts, JZ 2021, 1088.

• Burtscher/Spitzer, Haftung für Klimaschäden, ÖJZ 2017/134.
• Nitsch, Liability for Climate Change Damages under the German Environmental Liability Act in Kahl/Weller (Hrsg.), Climate Change Litigation – Liability and Damages from a Comparative Perspective (2021) 429.
• Wagner, Klimaschutz durch Gerichte, NJW 2021, 2256.
• Weller/Tran, Klimaklagen im Rechtsvergleich – private enforcement als weltweiter Trend? ZEuP 2021, 573.

• Kieninger, Miniatur: Lieferkettengesetz: Dem Papiertiger fehlen die Zähne, ZfPW 2021, 252.
• Murko, Die Haftung österreichischer Unternehmen für Menschenrechtsverletzungen in ihren Lieferketten, ÖJZ 2022/104.
• Nasse, Loi de vigilance: Das französische Lieferkettengesetz (2022).
• Wagner, Das Lieferkettengesetz: Viele Pflichten, keine Haftung, in FS Singer (2021) 693.

• Nitsch, Die Rolle der Zivilgerichte in Zeiten von Klimaprotesten, in Fritz/Tomaschek (Hrsg.), University – Society – Industry: Partizipation: Das Zusammenwirken der Vielen für Umwelt, Wirtschaft und Demokratie (in Druck, erscheint im Oktober 2023).
• Weller/Schwemmer/Seemann/Zimmermann, Zivilrechtliche Fragen und Antworten zu Klimaprotesten, Legal Tribune Online, 23. 1. 2023.

• Anderl/Ciarnau, Green Deal - Neue Regeln für Nachhaltigkeitswerbung? ÖBl 2022/60.
• Faber, Neues Gewährleistungsrecht und Nachhaltigkeit, VbR 2020/3 (Teil I) und VbR 2020/34 (Teil II).
• Luksan, Zur Intransparenz von Gütesiegeln – Wo Nachhaltigkeit endet und Greenwashing beginnt, NR 2021, 428.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: We 11.10.2023 11:26