Commonly offered: This course is very likely to be offered in the next one to three years.
How did environmental protection come to be part of international politics and policymaking? What are the main actors, institutions, ideas, or challenges in this field? How do environmental considerations intersect with policy areas such as development, energy, finance, food, health, human rights, labor, migration, security, or trade? Why do different parts of the world approach environmental protection differently? How could things work better? These are examples of big questions we’ll encounter in this course. The course is largely discussion-based: although there will be some lectures to solidify and extend key concepts, much of our time will be spent in team collaborations, applying those concepts to real issues in international environmental politics. Readings will be drawn from the variety of disciplines that contribute to environmental policymaking: not only political science, but also the natural sciences, economics, public administration, business, law, etc. In addition, we will engage with case studies, guest speakers, government reports, news articles, and other materials. The aim is to build a conceptual toolkit and to gain experience with practical applications. Assignments will be a mix of written work, oral presentations, and discussions – often in the form of team-based activities, reflecting the collaborative and interactive nature of international environmental politics.