Law and Sustainable Finance LAW5204

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Law
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 1
  • Available to Visiting Students: No
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

The course provides a systematic examination of the role of law in sustainable finance. It examines the linkage between sustainable finance and established legal concepts such as fiduciary duty as well as investigating new regulatory techniques that have been developed to facilitate sustainable finance. The course covers a broad range of financial activities and instruments so as to evaluate how the financial market as a whole is engaging with sustainability. It also examines how sustainability operates at the corporate level through board decision-making and how the corporate and financial dimensions interact. Global, regional and national aspects are included so as to provide a comprehensive overview.

Timetable

Weekly 2-hour seminars

Requirements of Entry

Admitted to the LLM Programme at the University of Glasgow School of Law.

Excluded Courses

None

Assessment

The course is assessed by an essay of 1500 words (25%) and a 2-hour final online and open-book examination (75%). The latter is subject to the university and School of Law supporting online examinations for the LLM. If not, the examination will be in-person.

Main Assessment In: December

Course Aims

The course aims to provide students with a sound understanding of why and how the concept of sustainable finance has emerged in recent years. It examines how law and regulation are linked to sustainable finance through the provision of finance in financial markets and the use of finance in the activities of companies.  

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

 explain the concepts of sustainability and sustainable finance; 

 critically evaluate the role of the market and the law in developing sustainable finance;

 identify and explain the key legal principles and regulatory techniques that are engaged by sustainable finance; 

 assess the role of fiduciary duty in sustainable finance; 

 distinguish and discuss the respective roles of finance and corporate decision-making in facilitating sustainability;

 undertake a critical evaluation of current debates and reform proposals in the field.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit 100% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.