The first year of the Summer School of Environmental Law and Climate Law (hereinafter “Summer
School”) was held on the dates from September 14 to 17, 2023 in central Slovakia in the village of
Donovaly. A total of 30 participants took part in the first year of the Summer School, and we consider
it a success that we managed to gather such a number of Law Faculty students who are interested in
the issues of environmental protection and climate change.
The second Summer School of Environmental Law and Climate Law (hereinafter “Winter School”) took place from February 16 to 19, 2024, in the picturesque village of Donovaly, central Slovakia. This event attracted 19 participants (but 5 of them also attended the Summer school hence we only report 14), primarily law students interested in environmental protection and climate change issues, marking a successful continuation of the Summer Schools at the Faculty of Law.
The Summer School itself was divided into two thematic blocks. The first block will represent the topic
of environmental law and environmental protection, and the second block was devoted to the topic of
climate change crisis and climate change law.
The main goal of the Summer School was to provide participants with a more comprehensive
overview of individual global environmental problems, with an emphasis on their occurrence, impact
and solutions in the conditions of the Slovak Republic.
The summer school was conducted through lectures and workshops, which were conducted for the
participants by various experts from practice. Individual lecturers and individual lectures were chosen
very specifically to interest the students.
Lectures, workshops and exercises for students included topics:
- the issue of bears in Slovakia,
- hunting,
- legal regulation of control and sanctioning of illegal actions in the field of environmental care,
- environmental crimes,
- National parks of Slovakia,
- educational walk in the national park,
- climate change,
- adaptation,
- mitigation,
- legal regulation of the battle against climate change,
- carbon footprint
- activities that may be undertaken by the citizens in the battle against climate change,
- the role of the municipalities in the battle against climate change,
- climate change litigation.
Key Outcomes
- Comprehensive Knowledge: Participants gained a thorough understanding of various environmental and climate change issues, tailored to the context of Slovakia.
- Practical Insights: The combination of lectures, workshops, and hands-on exercises provided students with practical skills and knowledge applicable in real-world scenarios.
- Active Engagement: The diverse topics and expert-led sessions fostered active engagement and inspired students to take an active role in environmental protection and climate change mitigation.
Future Impact
The Summer School equipped students with the necessary knowledge and skills to address environmental and climate change issues in their future careers. This initiative is expected to contribute to informed decision-making and advocacy, preparing a new generation of legal professionals to influence positive environmental change.
Further information: https://www.flaw.uniba.sk/detail-aktuality/back_to_page/tlacove-spravy-1/article/prvy-rocnik-letnej-skoly-environmentalneho-a-klimatickeho-prava-1/
