Geopolitics of Climate Change

The aim of the course is to give students an interdisciplinary introduction to the major topics involved with geopolitics of climate change. After completing the course the student will have obtained the:

Knowledge of:

• The main conclusions of the IPCC reports.
• Recent research on key fields within international relations and security issues related to climate change.
• The development and current dynamics of global climate change governance, including key institutions, actors, and international agreements. 
• The major issues in climate change negotiations within the COP-process and the working of relevant regulatory frameworks.

Skills in:

• Analyzing and discussing climate change policies at national, regional, and global scales.
• Assessing mechanisms of knowledge production and power dynamics in relation to international climate change governance.
• Comparing and evaluating climate change policies, regulatory frameworks, and governance approaches.
• Presenting and discussing, in oral and written form, complex climate change cases involving multiple stakeholders and geopolitical interests.

Competences to:

• Discuss climate change issues in the context of international relations and geopolitics, for example considering economic, security, developmental and justice dimensions.
• Assess the role of key actors and agreements in climate change governance.
• Identify key challenges associated with climate change linked to differentiated capacities to mitigate and adapt.