The Politics of Climate Change
| Module title | The Politics of Climate Change |
|---|---|
| Module code | POC3117 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr David Benson (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
This module aims to introduce you to the political and governance challenges presented by climate change. In taking this module you will learn that producing effective climate policy is an inherently complex activity because of: the politicisation of climate science; issues surrounding intra and intergenerational equity; the interconnectedness of climate change and sustainable development; the cross-sectoral and multi-actor dynamics of climate issues; and the interaction between different governance scales. For successful completion of the module you will need to have a strong background in politics, international relations or human geography.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to help you examine why the issue of climate change is so difficult to address. While being rooted in concepts from political science, it aims to provide you with a platform through which the climate change problematique can be analysed from different disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Through a mixture of activities your learning will be organised around key aspects of climate change governance, namely: politicisation of science, the political economy of climate change, fairness in international negotiations’ and evaluating climate policy.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. evidence a significant depth of understanding about the role and perspectives of different actors involved in climate policy;
- 2. demonstrate an excellent level of knowledge about the complexities of addressing climate change across different policy sectors and governance scales;
- 3. evaluate critically policy initiatives to tackle climate change;
- 4. identify examples of climate policy good practice, and produce a critical evaluation of the lessons that can be drawn;
- 5. recognise and offer detailed explanations about the difficulties in reaching a meaningful global agreement on climate change.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. think critically, analyse debates and present coherent arguments on politics;
- 7. evaluate critically the effectiveness of policy;
- 8. understand and explain in-depth the reasons for and barriers to policy intervention;
- 9. critically apply theories of political science and international relations to real-life political situations.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 10. effectively communicate complex topics in a coherent and well-structured manner.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- The politicisation of climate science
- The political economy of climate change
- Climate policy evaluation
- Communicating climate change
- International climate policy
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 22 | 11 x 2 hour seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 78 | Reading and seminar preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | Course work preparation and writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case study plan | 200 words | 1-3 | Written and oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case study essay | 65 | 2,000 words | 1-10 | Written |
| Policy brief | 35 | 1,500 words | 1-10 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case study | 2,000 word case study | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
| Policy brief | 1,500 word policy brief | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Boykoff, M. (Ed) (2010) The Politics of Climate Change: A Survey. Routledge: London.
Brandstedt, E. and Bergrian, A (2013) Climate Rights: Feasible or not? Environmental Politics. Vol.22, issue 3, pp. 394-409
Giddens, A. (2009) The Politics of Climate Change. Polity Press, Cambridge. pp. 1-28
Jordan, A., & Huitema, D. (2014). Innovations in climate policy: the politics of invention, diffusion, and evaluation. Environmental Politics, 23 (5), 715-734
O’Riordan T. (2001) Climate Change. In Timothy O’Riordan (ed) Environmental Science for Environmental Management, pp. 170-185. Pearson Education, Harlow
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 20/09/2018 |
| Last revision date | 04/02/2023 |
