After studying the course, the students should be able to:
* Understand the concept of the nation state and its steering instruments for achieving sustainable development;
* Understand how regulation and liability can be used by various actors to steer economic activities towards sustainability;
* Understand the role and limitations of international and global environmental law towards achieving sustainable development;
* Critically analyse the role of, and power dynamics between, the nation state, civil society and business in the UNFCCC negotiations.

Politics, national governments, and legal approaches play a key role in the contemporary sustainability debate. This course provides a combined perspective on the role of environmental law, the state and politics and their interaction in shaping sustainable development. The course provides an understanding of the steering role of the state in a historical context, the functioning of national governments in liberal democracies and other political regimes, and how these contexts affect sustainability policies and laws differently. Thereby, different regulatory and liability approaches are introduced in focusing on the steering of economic activities in a more sustainable direction. The course also examines the various roles of state and non-state actors in international politics and rulemaking, and discusses the inherent prospects and limitations of different legal approaches to steer sustainable development. Unpacking the power imbalances between these actors and the very political nature of sustainable development efforts, the course offers a critical perspective on the tensions between nation states, civil society and business in (inter)national negotiations.

Exchange students should refer to the International Relations Office via email in case they would like to register for this course: iro-incoming-sbe@maastrichtuniversity.nl. Only limited spots available, first-come first-serve principle.