Environmental politics in theory and practice

It is crucial to comprehend how we address contemporary environmental and political challenges such as climate change, declining biodiversity, and escalating pollutants in our oceans and natural environments. This is vital for sustainable development and for promoting the well-being of both people and the environment. The course Environmental Policy in Theory and Practice is built on various political science approaches and seeks to emphasize how we can analyze and gain a better understanding of the potential opportunities and challenges involved in mitigating and controlling our current environmental issues.

The course focuses on four thematic areas related to environmental policy challenges:

• collective action and political institutions
• global policies and the international system
• political theory and environmental behavior
• public opinion and political organization.

Each theme includes an introductory lecture, independent study, and analysis/reflection through discussions during a seminar. You will also have a written assignment which will then be presented and discussed during one of the four seminars. Finally, you will have the chance to demonstrate your knowledge in the field of environmental policy in the form of a take-home exam. The focus of this course is to gain a broad understanding of the major theoretical approaches from political science that are relevant to the aforementioned thematic areas, as well as to introduce empirical results from established research in these areas. You will be expected to continuously utilize applied analysis and independent problem solving. The course may be beneficial to students who plan to conduct future thesis work in the field of environmental politics, but it is also aimed at those who want to gain a more general understanding of the field of environmental politics.

Teaching

The teaching in this course consists of lectures, seminars, group work, and practical exercises. The teaching in this course is rooted in current research from political science and the teachers are experts in their fields.