The course will cover the following areas:
- The climate change threat and the international agenda for addressing the problem
The theoretical part of the course gives the student background information about climate change and milestones in the development of the international climate agenda. Key concepts such as mitigation, adaptation, flexible mechanisms to the climate convention etc. are discussed. Climate change is analyzed in the context of various sectors, e.g. industrial, residential, commercial, energy, transport, agricultural and forestry. Different country perspectives are considered and various stakeholders’ perspectives reviewed (e.g., private sector, government, institutions, end-users and international agencies).
- Climate change mitigation tools and strategies
The students will use analytical tools to evaluate opportunities for climate change mitigation. They will evaluate the flexible mechanisms used internationally including CDM, emissions trading schemes, etc, and analyze the impact of various mitigation measures. This also covers institutional/policy aspects and global partnership in the preparation of national climate change strategies. ‘Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)’ and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be discussed in the context of low-carbon and climate-resilient future.
- Climate change negotiations as a platform for reducing the climate threat
The climate convention has set the stage for global climate policies. What is the role of these negotiations, how long have they reached and how far can they push for change?