Governing Climate Change: Theory and Practice

About

We will examine different approaches for coping with climate change: international agreements, market-based solutions, civil-society and corporate actions

Climate change may well be the most pressing environmental challenge humankind is facing. Despite scientific consensus on its main cause – us humans – current policies lack the ambition needed to tackle the crisis effectively. However, sprouts of positive change are seen everywhere. Some countries have decided to cut their emissions to zero over the next 30 years. We also see cities, companies, NGOs and powerful individuals responding to the challenge, collaborating in new and innovative ways to reduce emissions and adapt to the consequences of climate change. A complex global web of institutions, instruments and actors is being created seeking to govern climate change. In this course you will learn about different perspectives and acquire tools for analyzing the increasingly complex world of climate governance.

In this course you will examine different approaches to coping with climate change. From international agreements to market-based solutions and private activities. Theory is combined with practice through lectures, discussions, games and excursions to provide concrete examples of how the issue is being addressed at various levels and by various actors. Along the way we will also invite you to discuss climate change with scientists, policymakers and lobbyists.

Governing Climate Change is embedded in the teaching and research work of the Department for Environmental Policy Analysis (EPA), which is part of VU Amsterdam’s world-renowned Institute for Environmental Studies.

Course leader

Philip Pattberg

Target group

Master or PhD students and professionals with an interest in climate action and policy. Our courses are multi-disciplinary and therefore are open to students and professionals with a wide variety of backgrounds.

Course aim

By the end of this course, students will:

Understand how global climate governance has changed over the past 40 years and where it might take us in the future.
Be able to critically examine and assess current climate governance in terms of its emergence, effectiveness and efficiency, and be able to formulate reasoned opinions about contested concepts like fairness, legitimacy, equity and justice.
Improve their communication and debating skills on climate change.
Experience practical, local and global solutions to climate change issues in the Netherlands.

Fee info

Students, PhD candidates and employees of VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC or an Aurora Network Partner €765 Students and PhD candidates at partner universities of VU Amsterdam €1035 Students and PhD candidates at non-partner universities of VU Amsterdam €1140 Professionals €1360