Law, Environment and Development Centre

The Law, Environment and Development Centre (LEDC) investigates the dynamic relationships between the fields of law, environment and development.

The main goal of the centre is to advance research and teaching and explore the role each of these disciplines play in realising sustainable development and natural resource use, particularly in the Global South. 

Applications for PhDs relating to the work of the centre are warmly invited and should be directed to Professor Philippe Cullet. 

Postgraduate modules in Environmental and Natural Resource Law and Policy

• Law, Environment and Social Justice (LLM/MA) (Term 1)
• International Environmental Law: Principles, Institutions and Enforcement (LLM/MA) (Term 1)
• Biodiversity, Nature and Wildlife Law and Policy (LLM/MA) (Term 2)
• Law and Natural Resources (LLM/MA)
• Water Justice: Rights, Access and Movements (Law) (LLM/MA) (Term 1)
• Water and Development: Commodification, Ecology and Globalisation (Law) (LLM/MA) (Term 2)
• Law and Global Commons (LLM/MA) (Term 2) 
• Climate Change Law and Policy (LLM/MA) (Term 1)

Non-Law options

• Global Energy and Climate Policy (MSc)
• Energy Policy in the Asia Pacific (MSc) Term 2 only

Undergraduate Module in Environmental Law

• International Environmental Law
• Environmental Law in Action: Comparative and Domestic Perspectives

The Law, Environment and Development Centre undertakes research in various areas of environmental law of contemporary relevance. The centre's research focuses in particular on topics of relevance to the South and to North-South relations:

• Biodiversity: access and benefit sharing; equity; farmers' rights; intellectual property rights; traditional knowledge.
• Biosafety: biotechnology, in particular agro-biotechnology in the South; precautionary principle; liability regimes.
• Climate change: common but differentiated responsibility; Clean Development Mechanism, emissions trading.
• Forests: governance, biodiversity, energy, forest users rights and trade.
• Natural resources: land; mining, plant genetic resources for food and agriculture; multinational companies.
• Sanitation: right to sanitation, wastewater, manual scavenging and sewage workers; gender.
• Water: right to water, groundwater, governance and institutions; environment; regulation and privitisation.