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2023/2024

International Environmental Policy 

Code: 104479 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2503778 International Relations OT 4 1

Contact

Name:
Olivia Isabell Glombitza
Email:
olivia.glombitza@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.


Prerequisites

No prerequisites are required.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The environment has been a major topic in international relations for nearly half a century now. Typically of a cross-border nature, environmental problems have been identified as a quintessential policy area for international cooperation – interests, ideas and institutions play out at the international level and shape the who gets what in this domain. This has particularly been the case since the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm), which is generally taken as the first significant instance of global environmental diplomacy. Since then, states, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, NGOs and scientists have all deployed considerable resources to foster, influence or derail negotiations on international agreements regarding climate change, biodiversity, bio-safety, acid rain, stratospheric ozone, desertification, trade in endangered species, hazardous wastes, whales, the Antarctic, or marine pollution, among other environmental issues.

This course addresses both the analytical and empirical components of international environmental politics. Sessions are designed to link analytical and conceptual discussions (the study of actors, power, interests, institutions, ideas, etc.) with the presentation of specific international negotiations, conferences and regimes. 


Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Analyse international society and its structure and understand its importance for real-life problems and professional practice.
  • Analyse the behaviour of international actors, both state and non-state.
  • Analyse the production and implementation of public policies related to the international sphere, in particular foreign policy and security and defence policy.
  • Analyse, establish and argue the legal rules applicable to international phenomena.
  • Apply knowledge of the structure and operation of international institutions to problems and/or practical cases, either real or simulated.
  • Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  • Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  • Identify the main theories of international relations and their different fields (international theory, conflicts and security, international politics, etc.) to apply them in professional practice.
  • Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
  • Produce and prepare the presentation of intervention reports and/or proposals.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Take account of social, economic and environmental impacts when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse and explain the international agenda management in areas of human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid, and the role of the different actors in it.
  2. Analyse and explain the role of different actors in the implementation of actions and public policies in areas of human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid.
  3. Analyse how the operational rules of international society apply to topics related to human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid.
  4. Analyse the indicators of sustainability of academic and professional activities in the areas of knowledge, integrating social, economic and environmental dimensions.
  5. Analyse the operation of the main international institutions in areas related to human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid and the application of the respective regimes and regulations.
  6. Analyse the sex- or gender-based inequalities and the gender biases present in one's own area of knowledge.
  7. Apply quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques in research processes.
  8. Apply the bases of international theories and their different focuses to problems related to human rights, cooperation for development, humanitarian aid and international policies for the environment.
  9. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  10. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  11. Critically analyse the principles, values and procedures that govern the exercise of the profession.
  12. Evaluate the impact of topics related to human rights, environment, cooperation for development and humanitarian aid in foreign policies and public policies of the main states.
  13. Evaluate the impact on the policies and actions of the main states and international actors of the main treaties and legal rulings, of different types, which regulate areas of human rights, environment, cooperation for development and humanitarian aid.
  14. Explain the explicit or implicit code of practice of one's own area of knowledge.
  15. Identify data sources and carry out rigorous bibliographical and documentary searches.
  16. Identify the principal forms of sex- or gender-based inequality and discrimination present in society.
  17. Identify the social, economic and environmental implications of academic and professional activities within the area of your own knowledge.
  18. Produce and prepare the presentation of intervention reports and/or proposals.
  19. Propose new experience-based methods or alternative solutions.
  20. Propose new ways to measure success or failure when implementing ground-breaking proposals or ideas.
  21. Propose projects and actions in accordance with the principles of ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights, diversity and democratic values.
  22. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  23. Propose viable projects and actions that promote social, economic and environmental benefits.
  24. Propose ways to evaluate projects and actions for improving sustainability.
  25. Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  26. Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  27. Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  28. Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.
  29. Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  30. Use analytical tools for international regimes for problems such as human rights, environment and cooperation for development and humanitarian aid.
  31. Use metatheoretical data to argue and establish plausible relation of causality and establish ways of validating or rejecting them.
  32. Weigh up the impact of any long- or short-term difficulty, harm or discrimination that could be caused to certain persons or groups by the actions or projects.
  33. Weigh up the risks and opportunities of one's own ideas for improvement and proposals made by others.

Content

At the end of the course students will be familiar with the basic analytical tools and empirics of international environmental politics. More to the point, students will develop a critical understanding of key areas of international environmental politics in terms of the outcomes of negotiations, the objectives of actors, their motives, the resources they are able to mobilize, alliances, and the interests at play. In addition, the course also helps students to develop the capacity to understand, discuss and use some of the most relevant analytical and conceptual approaches to the study of international environmental politics which are often specific variations of broader approaches to global governance more generally.

 

BLOCK I: Cooperation, institutions and a bit of history

1. International environmental problems, collective action problems and cooperation

2. Change and continuity in the history of international environmental politics

3. Regimes, not organizations, and why that matters

4. The cycle of international environmental negotiations

 

BLOCK II: Actors, power, interests and preferences

5.  States in international environmental politics: power, preferences and interests

6. Environmental NGOs: voice, access, and direct action

7. Companies and private authorities: the transnational governance sphere

8. International environmental politics and the UN system

 

BLOCK III: Negotiations, cooperation and conflict

9. Climate: the many changes of climate politics

10. Ozone: the model of environmental negotiations

11. Whales: a tale of three transnational actors

12. Biodiversity: North and South

13. Palm oil: private authorities

14. Acid rain: the role of knowledge and science

15. The debate on environmental security


Methodology

See table above

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 30 1.2 5, 3, 2, 1, 8, 20, 29, 28, 30, 32, 12, 13
Seminars 20 0.8 5, 3, 2, 1, 7, 31, 9, 18, 15, 33, 20, 28, 27, 26, 12, 13
Type: Supervised      
Case studies 16 0.64 5, 3, 2, 1, 7, 31, 9, 18, 15, 33, 20, 28, 27, 25, 26, 30, 12, 13
Debates, discussions and quizzes 4 0.16 5, 3, 4, 2, 1, 8, 7, 31, 9, 18, 33, 24, 19, 20, 23, 28, 27, 25, 26, 30, 12, 13
Type: Autonomous      
Student-led preparation of group exercise 30 1.2 5, 3, 11, 4, 2, 1, 7, 9, 18, 14, 15, 17, 33, 24, 19, 20, 23, 29, 27, 25, 26, 30, 32, 12, 13
Student-led study 50 2 5, 3, 4, 2, 1, 8, 31, 15, 17, 24, 20, 23, 29, 28, 25, 26, 30, 12, 13

Assessment

 

The evaluation of this course consists of the following:

1. A partial exam covering the first part of the course programme mid-way through the course: 35% of the final grade.
2. A partial exam covering the second part of the course programme at the end of the course (on the last day of class): 35% of the final grade.
3. A group exercise: 20% of the final grade.
4. Continuous assessment: participation in class and activities programmed by the teaching staff, such as debates, text commentaries, etc.: 10% of the final grade.

 

Important considerations:

In order to pass the course, it is necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 5 in each of the partial exams and the weighted average final grade of the course also needs to result in a minimum grade of 5. If failing to overcome the threshold, students will be able to take part in a retake exam if they have participated in assessment activities equivalent to 60% of the final grade. The retake exam will take place on the date of the regular exam scheduled by the faculty (not the retake exam date).

 

Single assessment:

Students who have so requested in due time and form, may participate in a single assessment activity consisting of an exam (70% of the grade) and a practical activity (30% of the grade). This single assessment activity will take place on the last day of class at the end of the term. To pass the single assessment activity, it is necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 5. In case of failing to overcome the threshold, the assessment activity can be retaken on the date of the regular exam scheduled by the faculty (not the retake exam date).


Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Final exam (open book) 35% 0 0 5, 3, 11, 2, 1, 8, 31, 9, 14, 17, 21, 29, 28, 27, 25, 26, 30, 32, 12, 13
Group exercise 20% 0 0 5, 3, 11, 4, 2, 1, 6, 7, 31, 9, 18, 14, 15, 17, 16, 33, 24, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 27, 26, 30, 10, 32, 12, 13
Mid-term exam (open book) 35% 0 0 5, 3, 11, 4, 2, 1, 8, 31, 9, 14, 21, 29, 28, 27, 25, 26, 30, 32, 12, 13
Participation in class 10% 0 0 5, 3, 2, 1, 27, 26, 30, 12, 13

Bibliography

- Gareth Porter, Janet Welsh Brown, and Pamela S. Chasek (2017), Global Environmental Politics, Westview Press.
 
- Michele M. Betsill, Kathryn Hochstetler, Kathryn, and Dimitris Stevis (eds) (2014), Advances in International Environmental Politics, Palgrave.

Software

No software in particular.