PO3A5-15 The Politics of Climate Change
Introductory description
Climate change has been widely identified as one of the most important challenges of the 21st century. Making the kinds of changes, in political, social and economic terms, necessary to meet global greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets is a monumental task. Climate change is a newly legitimised area of policymaking, the effects of climate change are uneven, whilst efforts to mitigate for climate change also have costs and benefits that are unevenly distributed. All this makes the politics of mitigating for climate change highly contested. This module provides an overview of the key debates, arguments and conceptual approaches within the global politics of climate change.
Module aims
This is a timely module that addresses a highly complex political issue. By the end of the module students should be able to understand the main arguments for climate change mitigation and how these relate to political action; the politics of mitigation in the main policy sectors: energy, agriculture, transport and buildings; and to have developed the ability to critically engage with a wide range of political approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions - at global, transnational, national and sub-national levels.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Week 1: Climate Science Meets Politics
Week 2: Actors, Institutions and Compromises
Week 3: Collective Action & Negotiations
Week 4: National Government Action
Week 5: Politics of sustainable change: Energy
Week 6: Reading Week
Week 7: Politics of sustainable change: Transport
Week 8: Politics of sustainable change: Buildings & Agriculture
Week 9: Sub-National & Transnational Action
Week 10: Where are we now? What can we do?
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Understand and explain the political debates behind the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Analyse the role of the main institutions and actors involved in climate change mitigation
- Engage critically with a range of different political approaches to climate change in key sectors such as: energy, agriculture, and transport
- Identify and explore links between global, national and local policies and politics
Indicative reading list
Carter, N. (2018) The Politics of the Environment: Ideas, Activism, Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) (2014) Fifth Assessment Report. Geneva: IPCC. Available here: https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar5/
Garner, R. (2011) Environmental Politics: The Age of Climate Change. Basingstoke & New York: Palgrave Macmillan. (Chapter 1: The Political Dimension of Environmentalism)
Newell, P.; Paterson, M. (2010) Climate Capitalism: Global Warming and the Transformation of the Global Economy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Chapters 1 & 2)
Arnell, N.W.; Brown, S.; Hinkel, J.; Linke, D.; Lloyd-Hughes, B.; Lowe, J.A.; Nicholls, R.J. Price, J.T.; Warren. R.F. (2015) The global impacts of climate change under pathways that reach 2,3 and 4C above pre-industrial levels. Report from AVOID2 project to the Committee on Climate Change. Available here: https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AVOID2-2015-Global-impacts-of-climate-change-at-23-and-4K-above-pre-industrial-levels1.pdf
Bernstein, S. (2002) The Compromise of Liberal Environmentalism. New York: Columbia University Press. (Chapter 1)
Eckersley, R. (2004) The Green State: Rethinking democracy and sovereignty. MIT Press. (Chapter 1)
Giddens, A. (2009) The Politics of Climate Change. Cambridge: Polity Press (Chapters 1 & 3)
Gupta, J. (2014) The History of Global Climate Governance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (Chapter 1)
IPCC (2002) Historical Overview of Climate Change Science. Geneva: IPCC. Available here: Historical overview of climate change science: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/03/ar4-wg1-chapter1.pdf
Lipschutz, R.D. (2012) ‘The sustainability debate: déjà vu all over again’, in P. Dauvergne (ed.) Handbook of Global Environmental Politics (Second Edition). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
View reading list on Talis Aspire
Interdisciplinary
Students will engage with the science of climate change; as well as public policy, international political economy, and political geography concepts of how we can understand and explain global climate change politics.
International
The module covers international governance of climate change (UNFCCC and COP), as well as climate change policies in a wide range of countries.
Subject specific skills
Being able to link scientific claims about climate change with the politics of acting to mitigate
Understanding some of the complexities involved in the politics of climate change
Knowledge of, and ability to analyse, main political approaches to mitigating for climate change
Identify, and think critically in relation to, climate change policy at global, transnational, sub-national, national levels
Transferable skills
Specific knowledge, relevant to policymaking, about climate change
Communication skills - both written and oral
Critical analytical skills
Further development of the techniques of academic argument, writing and referencing
Working with others when undertaking a range of group exercises during seminars
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Seminars | 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%) |
| Private study | 57 hours (38%) |
| Assessment | 75 hours (50%) |
| Total | 150 hours |
Private study description
Students are expected to read, and assess, three core texts in preparation for each weekly seminar.
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A4
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| 2500-word Essay | 80% | 60 hours | Yes (extension) |
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2500 word essay |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| Policy Brief - Individual | 20% | 15 hours | Yes (extension) |
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A written policy brief of 800 words. For example: Critically assess one primary obstacle to achieving a global climate change agreement and offer policy recommendations to address it. |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Feedback form via Tabula, optional verbal consultation
Courses
This module is Optional for:
- Year 3 of UPOA-M100 Undergraduate Politics