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FUBiS Term III: Governing Climate Change
(course # 3.20)
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Type: |
B-Track |
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Instructor(s): |
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Language: |
English |
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Contact hours: |
48 (6 per day) |
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Credit Points: |
4 |
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Capacity: |
18 |
Resources
Course description
Climate change is one of the most pressing scientific and political challenges we are facing today. Over the past decades we have witnessed a paradoxical process of ever increasing scientific certainty about the causes and consequences of climate change, while at the same time political action to effectively address climate change has been lacking behind. This course examines the many different approaches that have been developed to cope with cli-mate change, from international agreements to market-based solutions and private activities, in short how we currently govern climate change. The course will enable students to critically examine and assess current climate governance with regards to questions of emergence, effectiveness and efficiency as well as fairness, legitimacy, equity and justice. Furthermore, students will be enabled to summarize and communicate current climate governance efforts in written and oral form. Finally, students will gain in-depth empirical knowledge of current climate change negotiations and politics within and beyond the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The four excursions to leading Think Tanks (both governmental and private), the Federal Ministry of the Environment, and the world-renowned re-search institute PIK (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research) will provide additional perspectives on the class topic, allowing students to question scientists, policy-makers and lobbyists on climate change related questions.
Student profile
The course is designed for all students interested in global environmental issues, ranging from climate change to biodiversity and forest protection, and politics. Students with a social science background and those without such a background but with a profound interest in environmental questions, in particular those related to the international and global level, are encouraged to register. The course will bring together students with diverse cultural, regional as well as academic backgrounds.
Prerequisites
Some basic knowledge of climate change and international politics.
Course Requirements & Grading
- Reading of required literature
- Active participation in class 30%
- Presentation (powerpoint) in class, 15 min 35%
- Final take home paper of about 1000-1500 words 35%
Reading
A reader with the required literature will be provided in the orientation meeting.
Introductory text (not required, but recommended to those interested to learn some basics on climate governance before the course starts):
- H. Bulkeley and P. Newell (2010): Governing Climate Change. London and New York: Routledge.
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