A UK-first undergraduate degree programme has been launched at Keele University to help law students tackle the climate crisis using all the powers available in the legal system.

The new course in Law with Environmental Sustainability is the first undergraduate course of its kind in the UK, and has been designed to not only give students a solid foundation for their legal careers, but also allow them to explore the role of the law in humanity’s response to the climate crisis.

The course has been developed to create legal professionals with not only a good knowledge of companies’ and governments’ environmental obligations and the legal mechanisms for holding these bodies accountable, but also a deep understanding of the need to enforce these regulations to help tackle climate change.

Keele’s world-leading expertise in sustainability has also been featured heavily in the development of the programme, which epitomises the University’s approach to embedding sustainability and environmental awareness across its operations and curriculum.

Professor Alison Brammer, Head of the School of Law at Keele University said: “The climate crisis affects everyone, and we need legal professionals who understand sustainability and climate change to ensure that everyone - individuals, companies and public bodies - meet their obligations, and are empowered to use the law fully and innovatively to meet the challenge.

“This UK-first course reflects the ethos of the University in providing interdisciplinary study and showing a genuine commitment to environmental sustainability. It also speaks to the interests of the generations of students in the 2020s who seek degree education that equips them with the skills and knowledge to impact real world challenges, especially the active pursuit of environmental sustainability."

The degree is one of a suite of new courses in Keele’s School of Law, including Law (Commercial); Law with Criminal Justice; and Law with Social Justice.

For more information about the School of Law visit www.keele.ac.uk/law