HL Lenses

Apart from the additional content outlined, HL students study the IB ESS syllabus through the prism of three lenses:

• Environmental law
• Environmental economics
• Environmental ethics

Environmental law

• Students explore the syllabus through the lense of environmental laws , focusing on promoting ecological sustainability and social justice. Students will examine environmental constitutionalism, international law, and agreements like the Paris Agreement, CITES, and IUCN, and their effectiveness in addressing various issues. They will look at the application of international environmental law in courts and tribunals, and how legal personhood for natural entities enhances environmental protection.

Environmental economics

• Students study the syllabus through the lense of environmental economics , exploring how economics can address environmental issues and ensure sustainability . Students will examine market failures and solutions. Students will explore the tragedy of the commons and environmental accounting. They will investigate the economic valuation of ecosystem services, the impact of economic growth on the environment, and the concept of eco-economic decoupling . Students will also study models like circular economy and doughnut economics, which aim to promote sustainability and address inequality.

Environmental ethics

• Students study the syllabus through the lense of environmental ethics , examining different moral perspectives on humanity’s responsibility toward nature. They will study moral standing and ethical frameworks such as virtue ethics, consequentialism, and rights-based ethics. The course will also cover concepts like the land ethic , ecocentrism, and anthropocentrism, analyzing how these viewpoints influence sustainability efforts. Additionally, students will explore the intersection of environmental and social justice movements , discussing the ethical implications of human dominance over nature and its parallels to issues like sexism, racism, and intergenerational equity.