STV4250 - Global Environmental and Climate Policy
Course description
Course content
This course provides an overview of global environmental policy and especially global climate policy. The course comprises overarching conceptual frameworks, select empirical domains of global environmental policy, and the management of long-term environmental policy challenges. As the international negotiations within the global climate regime aspire to conclude a successor agreement to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol for the period following 2020 by the end of 2015, course participants will undertake structured simulations of potential outcomes of such negotiations.
Learning outcome
Knowledge
Students will:
- Gain an overview of theoretical concepts that enable them to
- analyze generic global environmental problems, and
- understand the strategic challenges in managing long-term environmental challenges
Skills
Students will undertake a range of assignments, either individually or in small groups (see also “teaching”). In particular, they will broaden their skills basis by
- outlining a long-term environmental challenge of their choice,
- compose their own group wikis,
- compose actor papers on negotiations positions for a potential 2015 global climate agreement, and undertake
- web-based group simulations of such negotiations
Competences
You will:
- apply a range of concepts and methods to generic global environmental challenges,
- diagnose as well as propose partial remedies for long-term environmental policy challenges,
- work individually as well as in groups on a diverse set of short assignments
Admission
Students admitted to other Master programmes may be qualified to apply for the course. Please see the webpage on Admission to single master's courses.
For incoming students: All Master's courses in Political Science must be registered manually by the Department, they will not appear in Studentweb. Contact your international coordinator at UiO.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Bachelor's Degree in Political Science or similar.
Teaching
This course will be taught over a four week period, interrupted for 10 days of student preparations for the web-based simulations.
Examination
Throughout the course, a portfolio approach for exams will be employed.
It comprises
- an (individual) outline of a long-term environmental challenge,
- 2 (group) wikis,
- an (individual) actor paper and actor paper presentation, as well as
- a (group) simulation of global climate negotiations, (group) presentation, and (group) simulation paper
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
- Explanation of grades - deadline and processing time
- Appeal about grades
- Complaint about formal exam errors
Ask for explanation of your grade in this course
Resit an examination
Withdrawal from an examination
If you wish to withdraw from the exam you must do so in StudentWeb at least two weeks prior to the deadline. Failure to do so will be counted as one of the three opportunities to sit the exam.
Special examination arrangements
If you have a disability or a health problem that entails significant inconvenience in an examination situation, you may be considered for special examination arrangements. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.
Evaluation
Feedback from our students is essential to us in our efforts to ensure and further improve the high quality of our programmes and courses. All courses are subject to continuous evaluation. At regular intervals we also ask students on a particular course to participate in a more comprehensive, periodic evaluation of this course.