Summer 2026
Extractive Industries Law, Environmental Protection, Climate Solutions, and Sustainability
Dates: June 01, 2026 – July 10, 2026Day/Time: Monday; Wednesday; Friday 8:00 AM - 9:45 AM EDT
Level: 200-Level
Certificate: Human Rights, Sustainability and Climate Solutions
Human Rights certificate requirement: Human rights as a transnational or global practice or phenomenon.
Sustainability and Climate Solutions certificate requirement: Elective.
Instructor: Begaiym Esenkulova, American University of Central Asia
This course is focused on the study of the legal framework of extractive industries, environmental protection, climate solutions, and sustainability. The extractive industries sector may have a significant sustainable development impact in natural resource-rich states. The development of this sector may bring about the much-needed economic growth and reduce poverty. However, it does not automatically lead to states’ sustainable economic, social, and environmental development. Extractive industries projects may fail to contribute to economic prosperity, may give rise to conflicts in local communities, and affect the natural environment negatively for years to come. Therefore, it is important to adopt prudent legal measures in order to ensure that this sector advances states’ sustainable development and, most importantly, does not affect their ability to protect the environment. This course is concentrated on the comparative study of the legal framework of extractive industries of various natural resource-rich states in Asia, Africa, North America, South America, and Europe. It examines the legal tools available for the advancement of sustainable economic, environmental, and social development via the extractive industries sector. In particular, students engage in the analysis of the national legislation, global agreements and standards in the extractive sector as well as extractive industries contracts. During this course, students also study how extractive industries law can advance climate action. While fossil fuels are responsible for the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and need to be gradually phased out, select minerals and metals are needed for green technologies and, hence, for the green energy transition. Students examine climate solutions by exploring how extractive industries law can better serve environmental protection and sustainability.
This is session 1 course. Deadline to register is May 29.
Credits: 3 US / 6 ECTS