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CUHK LAW – A Leading Teaching and Research Hub for Energy and Environmental Law
CUHK LAW is a world-leading institution in teaching and researching Energy and Environmental Law. Our vibrant community of scholars, teachers, students, collaborators and supporters are at the frontier of this truly dynamic area of law that is evolving and developing at great pace. CUHK LAW is committed to the transition to energy and environmental sustainability.
Find out more from our professors about their Energy and Environmental Law research and teaching.
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Energy & Environmental Law Teaching and Research
Research
CUHK LAW has the largest group of scholars dedicated to research in Energy and Environmental Law in the Asia-Pacific Region. Our scholars have produced prize-winning, cutting-edge and innovative research in the areas of energy investment, energy market reform, climate change, circular economy and water. Our research is essential to lawmakers and legal practitioners in deciding on the environmental challenges of our time. CUHK LAW scholars are world-class experts in their specialised fields, publishing books with top publishers and articles in leading academic journals, sitting on editorial boards of journals, speaking at high-level events, holding affiliate positions at international research institutes, and engaging in consultancies with international organisations and development banks.
Our research has been awarded prestigious grants from the Hong Kong Research Grants Council and the CUHK Research Committee. Our scholars are also recipients of numerous research prizes from universities, law societies, and law journals. CUHK LAW research is frequently cited by academics, practitioners, policymakers and courts, and impacts beyond law and policy on economy and society in general. Our scholars are committed to advancing scholarship in this critical field, covering local, domestic, regional and international law, regulation and jurisprudence.
As a diverse and international group of scholars with educational and professional experiences in multiple universities around the world, CUHK LAW researchers engage and collaborate with leading critical thinkers globally. The Environmental, Energy and Climate Law Cluster of our Centre for Comparative and Transnational Law (CCTL) is a forum where our scholars share their published research and invite prominent speakers in the field to discuss important trends and topics. CUHK LAW also has a vibrant community of research students embarking on doctoral and post-doctoral studies in critical topics of energy and environmental law.
Recent publications by CUHK LAW professors covering different aspects of Energy and Environmental law include:
- Anatole Boute, ‘Accounting for Carbon Pricing in Third Countries Under the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism’ (2024), World Trade Review (Cambridge University Press) 1-21.
- Hao Zhang, In Pursuit of Carbon Neutrality: Energy Law and Regulation in China (Cambridge University Press, 2023).
- Anatole Boute, ‘Energy justice in times of crisis: protection of consumers and market-based renewable energy investments’ (2023), Journal of International Economic Law (Oxford University Press) 1-16.
- Anatole Boute, Energy Dependence and Supply Security (Oxford University Press, 2023).
- Hao Zhang, ‘Energy Transition Pathways for Asia and the Pacific: Regulatory Policies and Challenges for Renewable Energy Development’ in Giuseppe Bellantuono et al (eds), Handbook of Energy Law in the Low-Carbon Transition (De Gruyter 2023) 291-307.
- Shaimerden Chikanayev, ‘The Role of Natural Gas in the Energy Transition’, in Giuseppe Bellantuono et al (eds), Handbook of Energy Law in the Low-Carbon Transition (De Gruyter 2023) 145-163.
- Lan Wu, ‘Interaction between Renewable Energy Integration and Wholesale Electricity Markets: a Legal and Regulatory Perspective’ in Giuseppe Bellantuono et al (eds), Handbook of Energy Law in the Low-Carbon Transition (De Gruyter 2023) 123-143.
- Xiaohan Gong, Rainer Quitzow and Anatole Boute, ‘China’s Emerging Hydrogen Economy: Policies, Institutions, Actors‘ (RIFS Potsdam, 2023).
- Anatole Boute, ‘Weaponizing Energy: Energy, Trade, and Investment Law in the New Geopolitical Reality’ (2022) 116 (4), American Journal of International Law (Cambridge University Press) 740-751.
- Benoît Mayer, International Law Obligations on Climate Change Mitigation (Oxford University Press, 2022)
- Anatole Boute, ‘Phasing out coal through electricity market regulation’ (2022) 59 (4), Common Market Law Review 1007-1044.
- Haomiao Du and Hao Zhang, ‘Climate neutrality in the EU and China: An analysis of the stringency of targets and the adaptiveness of the relevant legal frameworks’ (2022), Review of European, Comparative & International Environmental Law 1-15.
- James Zeng, ‘Environmental Policy and Compensation in China: An Empirical Analysis of Article Eight of the Chinese Administrative License Law’ (2022), Journal of Environmental Law (Oxford University Press).
- Anatole Boute, ‘Environmental Force Majeure: Relief from Fossil Energy Contracts in the Decarbonisation Era’, Journal of Environmental Law (Oxford University Press).
- Anatole Boute, ‘Energy Poverty Along the ‘New Silk Road’: the Social Dimension of Central Asia’s Energy Tariff Reform’ in I. Del Guayo, L. Godden, D. Zillman and L. Paddock (eds), Energy Justice and Energy Law (Oxford University Press 2020) 122-138.
- Anatole Boute, ‘Regulatory Stability and Renewable Energy Investment: The Case of Kazakhstan’ (2020) 121 Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.
- Anatole Boute, ‘The principle of solidarity and the geopolitics of energy: Poland v. Commission (OPAL pipeline)’ (2020) 57(3) Common Market Law Review 889-914.
- William Acworth, Mariza Montes de Oca, Anatole Boute, Carlotta Piantieri and Felix Christian Matthes, ‘Emissions Trading in Regulated Electricity Markets’ (2020) 20(1) Climate Policy 60-70.
- Banban Wang, Anatole Boute and Xiujie Tan, ‘Price Stabilization Mechanisms in China’s Pilot Emissions Trading Schemes: Design and Performance’ (2020) 20(1) Climate Policy 46-59.
- Anatole Boute and Hao Zhang, ‘Fixing the emissions trading scheme: Carbon price stability in the EU and China’ (2019) 25(3) European Law Journal 333-347.
- Anatole Boute and Alexey Zhikharev, ‘Vested interests as driver of the clean energy transition: Evidence from Russia’s solar energy policy’ (2019) 133 Energy Policy.
- Fernando Dias Simões, ‘How Investment Law Works in Investment Law and Renewable Energy: Green Expectations in Grey Times’ in George Ulrich and Ineta Ziemele (eds), How International Law Works in Times of Crisis (Oxford University Press, 2019) 206-220.
- Chin Leng Lim, Jean Ho and Martins Paparinskis, International Investment Law and Arbitration, 2nd Edition (Cambridge University Press, 2021).
- Chin Leng Lim, ‘Developments in International Investment Law and Policy in Asia’ in the Yearbook on International Investment Law and Policy 2019, Lisa Sachs, Lise Johnson and Jesse Coleman (eds.), (Oxford University Press, 2021) 331-336.
- Benoit Mayer and Alexander Zahar, Debating Climate Law (Cambridge University Press, 2021) 380 pgs.
- Benoit Mayer, ‘Article 4: Mitigation’ in Geert Van Calster and Leonie Reins (eds), The Paris Agreement on Climate Change: A Commentary (Edward Elgar, 2021) 109-132.
- Benoit Mayer, ‘Temperature Targets and State Obligations on the Mitigation of Climate Change‘ (2021) Journal of Environmental Law.
- Benoit Mayer, ‘Climate Change Mitigation as an Obligation under Human Rights Treaties?’ (2021) American Journal of International Law.
- Sandrine Maljean-Dubois and Benoit Mayer, ‘Liability and Compensation for Marine Plastic Pollution: Conceptual Issues and Possible Ways Forward’ (2020) 114 AJIL Unbound (Cambridge University Press) 206-211.
- Benoit Mayer, ‘Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage: Existing and Emerging Legal Principles’ (2019) 13(2) Carbon and Climate Law Review 113-121.
- Benoit Mayer, ‘Transparency Under the Paris Rulebook: Is the Transparency Framework Truly Enhanced?’ (2019) 9(1) Climate Law 40-64.
- Benoit Mayer, ‘Interpreting States’ general obligations on climate change mitigation: A methodological review’ (2019) 28(2) Review of European, Comparative and International Environmental Law 107-121.
- Benoit Mayer, ‘A Review of the International Law Commission’s Guidelines on the Protection of the Atmosphere’ (2019) 20(2) Melbourne Journal of International Law 1-40.
- Hao Zhang, ‘China’s natural gas sector regulation in the context of pipeline restructuring: towards independent gas pipeline operation?’ (2022) The Journal of World Energy Law & Business (Oxford University Press).
- Hao Zhang, ‘China’s Ownership Policies in the Coal Sector: Effectiveness of Capacity Regulation and Prospect for Climate Change Mitigation’ (2021) Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law.
- Hao Zhang, ‘Regulations for carbon capture, utilization and storage: Comparative analysis of development in Europe, China and the Middle East’ (2021) 173 Resources, Conservation & Recycling – International Journal of Sustainable Resource Management and Environmental Efficiency.
- Hao Zhang, ‘Regulating green bond in China: definition divergence and implications for policy making’ (2020) 10(2) Journal of Sustainable Finance and Investment 141-156.
- Xiangbai He, Hao Zhang, Alexander Zahar, Climate Change Law in China in Global Context (London: Routledge, 2020) 236 pgs.
- Hao Zhang, ‘Prioritizing Access of Renewable Energy to the Grid in China: Regulatory Mechanisms and Challenges for Implementation’ (2019) 3(2) Chinese Journal of Environmental Law 167-202.
- Yuhong Zhao, Chinese Environmental Law (Cambridge University Press, 2021).
Teaching
CUHK LAW founded the LLM in Energy and Environmental Law Programme based on the extensive research knowledge of our scholars in clean energy, energy investment and trade, project finance, infrastructure development and climate change mitigation. With a strong focus on practice and application, our teachers aim to train the next generation of lawyers with skills and capabilities to address critical and complex issues of energy security, energy investment, as well as environment and climate change in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
CUHK LAW’s teaching expertise comprises the core areas of Energy and Environmental Law, including clean technology law, international and comparative energy law, international environmental law and principles of environmental law. Specialised courses complement the core areas, such as Chinese Energy Law, Chinese Environmental Law, Clean Energy and Climate Law, Disaster Law, Dispute Resolution in the Energy and Natural Resources Sector, Financial Markets: Law and Operation, Oil and Gas Law, and Project Finance and Infrastructure Law.
Our course offerings provide a rigorous and intensive training to prepare our students for practice in this field. CUHK LAW teachers have won numerous teaching awards. We have professional endorsements from members of the profession globally, including law firms, law societies, research foundations and institutes. A variety of scholarships and prizes are available to our Energy and Environmental Law students. We are proud of our collaboration with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftnung which finances individual scholarships and internship opportunities.
Energy and Environmental Law courses offered at different CUHK LAW programme levels include:
- LAWS6044 – Principles of Environmental Law
- LAWS6080 – Climate Law
- LAWS6119 – Chinese Environmental Law
- LAWS6319 – International Environmental Law
- LAWS6331 – International and Comparative Energy Law
- LAWS6402 – Clean Technology Law
- LAWS6401 – Project Finance and Infrastructure Law
- LAWS6411 – Clean Energy and Climate Law
- LAWS6412 – Oil and Gas Law
- LAWS6413 – Dispute Resolution in the Energy and Natural Resources Sector
- LAWS6414 – Disaster Law
- LAWS6415 – Financial Markets: Law and Operation
- LAWS6416 – Chinese Energy Law
- LAWS6417 – Water Law
(Browse individual course details here.)
- LAWS3410 – Energy Law
- LAWS4310 – The Environment and the Law
- LAWS4311 – Chinese Environmental Law
- LAWS4481 – Climate Change and the Law
(Browse individual course details here.)
Postgraduate students may select the above LLM in Energy and Environmental Law Elective Courses or any other approved courses offered under the JD or LLM Programmes. Students who would like to undertake an independent research project in an area of significant personal interest may choose Independent Research or Independent Research Dissertation. The offering of an elective course in any term will depend on teacher availability and sufficient student interest.