Law - Law, Environment, Sustainability & Business (Taught)

The LLM Law, Environment, Sustainability and Business provides an in-depth study of environmental and sustainability law, with a focus on the role of business in sustainable development. You will gain the skills and knowledge to help businesses balance people, planet and profit.

The programme adopts a broad perspective, examining institutions across sectors and critically analysing environmental law and governance, and corporate governance in business organisations, through the study of specialist units.

Designed for those seeking careers in corporate Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) teams, environmental agencies, consultancies, government or NGOs, this programme develops crucial analytical, communication and research skills valued by top employers.

Our programmes are well respected by leading law firms, with Bristol ranking within the top UK universities for employer reputation for law and legal studies (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025). The University of Bristol is ranked 54th in the world and 9th in the UK for Law (Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2026).

We support the development of your legal research and writing skills throughout the course, from pre-arrival preparation and targeted support in Terms 1 and 2, to workshops and one-to-one sessions over the summer as you work on your dissertation.

Choosing a postgraduate law degree from the University of Bristol, ranked third in the UK for legal research excellence (THE analysis of REF 2021), means engaging in a rigorous, research-rich curriculum that will make you stand out to employers. You will be challenged and inspired by our world-leading academics who are part of the Law School’s Centre for Environmental Law and Sustainability: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/law/centre-for-environmental-law-and-sustainability/.

The city of Bristol also provides an inspiring and highly relevant context for studying environmental, sustainability and business law. Alumna, Alexia Kaplan, describes in her blog how Bristol’s ambitious environmental agenda, including its carbon-neutral 2030 goal and pioneering climate emergency declaration, makes it an ideal city to study environmental law: https://lawstudent.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/2025/03/28/studying-environmental-law-at-bristol-qa-with-un-climate-change-consultant-and-llm-grad-alexia-kaplan/. The University of Bristol mirroring this commitment also gives students access to local initiatives, organisations and experts working on sustainability and climate issues.