ASTK12163U Global Environment Politics

Volume 2013/2014
Content

The purpose of the course is to analyze major global environmental regimes using alternative theoretical approaches in the field of International Relations. Alternative theoretical approaches will be applied, both  the classical approaches: neo-realist (Tragedy of the Commons) and neo-institutionalism (Epistemic Communities) as well as modern approaches such as constructivism to (securitization ) and neo-marxism (Greening of the economy):

 

Issues addressed
 The course will address the emergence of the  global environmental regime in the UN as a result of  the global environmental conferences inStockholm (1972),Rio (1992),Johannesburg (2002)  and Rio + 20 (2012). Within the global regime individual cases that will be analyzed are: climate change, ozone depletion, acid rain, biodiversity,  biosafety and deforestation. Besides special attention will be placed on the role of the EU in the global environmental negotiations and on EU climate and energy politics in particular.

 

For all of the cases the questions will be: How was the issue placed on the global environmental agenda? Who where the lead countries and the laggards? Is the regime strong or weak? Answers to the question will be found in available literature in the field of IR.  Other relevant questions will be the North - South Dialogue and the role of NGOs.

 

Finally the issues of  global environmental governance and private environmental governance  will be  addresses e.g. the changing roles of the state, private enterprises and civil society.


Isses addressed in the course

  1. Cross cutting issues:
    1. Introduction to global environmental politics (GEP)
    2. The evolution of the global environmental regime 1972s-2012.
    3. The North-South Dialogue
    4. The role of NGOs and civil society
    5. The Role of EU in global environmental negotiations

 

  1. Cases: Global Environmental Agreement
    1. Climate change (The Climate Convention and the Kyoto Protocol)
      1. EU Climate and Energy Policy
    2. Ozone Depletion (The Wienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol)
    3. Acid Rain(The Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution)
    4. Loss of Biodiversity (The BiodiversityConvention)
    5. Biosafety (The Cartagena and  Nagoya Protocols)
    6. Deforestation. The UNForestPrinciples

 

  1. IR theories
    1. Classical theoretical approaches to the study of GEP
      1. Neorealism and neo-institutionalism
      2. Constructivism i.e securitization of environment
      3. Neo-marxism i.e. Greening of the economy
      4. Private environmental governance 
Learning Outcome

The objectives of the course is to provide the student the ability to

  • Describe major issues on the global environmental agenda incl. the regime formation, major actors, major issues of debate related to the issue in question  and relate them to the global environmental negotiations from the Stockholm Conference in 1972 to date.
  • Explain basic differences between alternative IR theories, neorealism, neoliberalism, neomarxism and constructivism.
  • Apply a theory to a selected environmental case. Theory may be a theoretical approach, a concept or a framework for analysis.
  • Apply the literature presented in the selected petitum.
  • Ability to discuss strength and weaknesses in the thoughts presented by the authors represented in the selected petitum.

Andresen, Steinar; Elin L. Boasson and Geir H. Stokke, Kristian Rosendal, Regine Andersen and Lars Guldbradsen: (2012): International Environmental Agreements: An Introduction. Routledge.

 

Biermann, Frank and Philipp Pattberg (2012): Global Environmental Governance Reconsidered. HIT Press.

 

Bretherton, Charlotte & John Vogler (2006): The European Union as a Global Actor. Routledge.

 

Buzan, Barry, Ole Wæver and Japp de Wilde (1998): Security – a new framework for analysis. Boulder, Lynne Rienner Publishers.

 

Chasek, Pamela S and Lynn M. Wagner (2012): The Roads from Rio: Lessons Learned from Twenty Years of Multilateral Environmental Negotiations. Routledge.

 

Chasek, Pamela S, David L Downie and Janet Welsh Brown (2010): Global Environmental Politics, 5th ed. Westview Press.

 

Guldbrandsen, Lars H. (2010): Transnational Environmental Governance: The Emergence and Effects of the Certification of Forests and Fisheries. Edward Elgar.

 

Harris, Paul (2009): The Politics of Climate Change. London and New York.

 

Luterbacher, Urs & Detlef F. Sprintz (2001): International Relations and Global Climate Change.

 

Newell, Peter and Matthew Paterson (2010): Climate Capitalism. Global Warming and the Transformation of the Global Economy. Cambridge University Press.

 

Oberthür, Sebastian  & Marc Pallemaerts (2010):  The New Climate Policies of the European Union: Internal Legislation and Climate Diplomacy. VUB Press.

 

Robert, Timmons, and Bradley C. Parks (2006): A Climate of Injustice: Global Inequality, North-South Politics and Climate Policy. MIT Press.

 

No previous courses in environmental politics are required.
Teaching approach will be a combination of lectures, plenary and/or group discussions, student presentations. Emphasis will be on contrasting alternative theoretical explanations.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 28
  • Exam
  • 79
  • Preparation
  • 168
  • Total
  • 275
Credit
10 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination
Written exam
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

Criteria for achieving the goals:

  • Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance: the student lives up to the course's goal description in an independent and convincing manner with no or few and minor shortcomings
  • Grade 7 is given for a good performance: the student is confidently able to live up to the goal description, albeit with several shortcomings
  • Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance: the minimum acceptable performance in which the student is only able to live up to the goal description in an insecure and incomplete manner