LAW4903 · Labour law through the lens of climate change

Overview

This unit explores the intersections between labour law/employment law, environmental regulation, and the global response to climate change. It examines how labour law frameworks, both domestic and international, address the evolving challenges of climate change in the context of work, employment relations, and the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers. Drawing upon the history and development of labour law, you will analyse how environmental imperatives are reshaping employment rights, health and safety standards, workplace transitions to low-carbon economies, and social justice considerations. Key themes include the role of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the operation and adequacy of International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, and the implications of terms such as “matters pertaining” for collective bargaining and regulatory reform.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Demonstrate the historical development of labour law and its intersections with environmental law and policy.
2. Reframe existing labour/employment laws and frameworks to adapt to climate change considerations and adaptations.
3. Apply interdisciplinary approaches to real-world scenarios involving climate change, labour rights, and regulatory compliance.
4. Communicate legal analysis as an individual and in a group persuasively.
5. Reflect with honesty and purpose on one's own comprehension and contribution to knowledge building, with a clear sense of how these observations may be adapted to future learning.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit typically comprises of a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study applicable to a 6 credit point unit. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning, and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.