Postgraduate Course: Leadership for a Zero Carbon World: Cities, States and Regions (PGGE11240)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 0 |
ECTS Credits | 0 |
| Summary | Cities, states and regions around the world are seeking to deliver on the greenhouse gas emission reductions implied by the Paris Agreement which demands net zero carbon emissions during the second half of this century whilst growing the wealth and social wellbeing of their citizens. No state, region or city has been entirely successful to date, although there are excellent examples of good practice in many different places.
Yet radical disruptive changes are taking place in the costs of energy technologies, in energy markets and their governance, and in citizen behaviours around their use of energy, creating deep uncertainty about which policy, technical or economic options will deliver effective outcomes at city, state or national level. These options are as much about social and cultural choices as economic and technical ones. As a result, individuals at all levels of public, private and civic sector organisations are taking difficult decisions about investments, procurement and operational activities with typically limited knowledge of
the full options available or the likely practical outcomes.
The proposed programme will draw on the experience of cities, states and regions that are on track to meet their carbon targets to enable course participants themselves leaders and decision makers within cities, states and regions to analyse and evaluate the evidence from their locality and employ effective decisions to support positive local outcomes. We draw on examples of cities that are involved successfully in the Covenant of Mayors; and we draw on the Scottish model to showcase successful approaches to meeting carbon targets.
Leadership for A Zero Carbon World: Cities, States and Regions online professional programme will offer a
portfolio of online training and learning modules to equip leaders and key decision- makers at all levels of organisations, cities, states and regions to take responsibility for a zero carbon world and see new
openings for action, in meeting carbon targets whilst also creating social and economic co-benefits in the world.
The programme will both draw on and develop a community of practitioners who promote positive change in their locality. The online professional programme will empower decision-makers to assess effectively and implement different low/zero carbon policies and practices. It will equip participants with rapid understanding of appropriate practical interventions, and the ability to appraise, assess competing options available to them and take action with velocity. |
| Course description |
Module 1: Carbon Reductions: Setting Targets, Measuring Success at City and State Level
Learning Objectives:
Recognise the role of political leadership in setting appropriate targets
Explain, review and appraise the rationale for target setting in their locality
Design a measurement system that enables more informed decisions (through consequential carbon
accounting, rather than attributional accounting).
Appraise the quality of data available to measure success at local levels
Develop a carbon reduction plan for their city, state or region
Content:
Developing State and Region-wide emission reduction plans: drawing on experiences from Scotland (RRP2, RPP3/Climate Change Plan)
Developing Sustainable Energy Action Plans drawing on the Covenant of Mayors cities initiatives and participants own experiences
Detailing the economic, technical and social evidence required
Showcasing the need for political leadership
Reflecting on the conceit of analysts and academic that evidence comes before target setting
Understanding how accounting affects decision making: in particular, the benefits of using consequential accounting rather than attributional accounting
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Please contact the School directly for a breakdown of Learning and Teaching Activities |
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
CA«br /»
There is no summative assessment for this programme however there will be formative assessment through peer-assessed learning and other activities through the online course. |
| Feedback |
Reflective practice
Peer to peer feedback |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Recognise the role of political leadership in setting appropriate targets
- Explain, review and appraise the rationale for target setting in their locality
- Design a measurement system that enables more informed decisions (through consequential carbon accounting, rather than attributional accounting)
- Appraise the quality of data available to measure success at local levels
- Develop a carbon reduction plan for their city, state or region
|
Reading List
Brander, M., Carstairs, S. and Topp, C.F.. (2013). Global protocol for community scale greenhouse gas emissions: a trial application in the West Highlands of Scotland. Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Management. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/20430779.2013.877313.
C40. (2014). First Global Standard Launched to Measure City Greenhouse Gas Emissions & Support Compact of Mayors.
Available at: http://www.c40.org/blog_posts/first-global-standard-launched-to-measure-city-greenhouse-gas-emissions-support-compact-of-mayors.
CDP. (2015a). CDP Cities 2015 Information Request Stadt Zurich, Berlin: Carbon Disclosure Project. Available at: https://www.cdp.net/en-US/Pages/HomePage.aspx.
CDP. (201b). CDP Cities 2015 Information Request City of Copenhagen, Berlin: Carbon Disclosure Project. Available at: https://www.cdp.net/en-US/Pages/HomePage.aspx.
City of Copenhagen. (2012). CPH 2025 Climate Plan, Copenhagen: The City of Copenhagen Technical and Environmental Administration. Available at: http://kk.sites.itera.dk/apps/kk_pub2/pdf/931_e0pg1K8O8G.pdf.
City of Zurich. (2011). Zurich: City of Zurich Office for Environmental and Health Protection Zurich.
Covenant of Mayors. (2014). Brussels: Covenant of Mayors Office. Available at: http://www.covenantofmayors.eu/.
Gibraltar. (2015). A City-Level Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Gibraltar: Government of Gibraltar, Department of Energy and Climate Change. Available at: https://www.gibraltar.gov.gi/new/sites/default/files/HMGoG_Documents/20150301-A_City-Level_Greenhouse_Gas_Inventory_for_Gibraltar_2013.pdf. Last Accessed 15/02/2016
NAEI. (2016). National Atmospheric Emissions Inventories. Available at: http://naei.defra.gov.uk/overview/.
BSI. (2013). PAS 2070: Specification for the Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions of a City: British Standards Institute. Available at: http://shop.bsigroup.com/Browse-By-Subject/Environmental-Management-and-Sustainability/PAS-2070-2013/.
Scottish Government. (2010). Scottish Government Carbon Assessment Project, Available at: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2010/04/14094252/2.
Siemens, (2015). Green City Index. Available at: http://www.siemens.com/entry/cc/en/greencityindex.htm.
The City of Edinburgh Council. (2014). Edinburgh Sustainable Energy Action Plan, Edinburgh: The City of Edinburgh Council. Available at
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20220/economic_development/544/sustainable_economy/2.
Wade, J. (2011). Evaluation of the Local Carbon Framework Pilots, Available at: http://www.local.gov.uk/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=271d92fa-dedc-4a76-b931-b8851ff6e8fc&groupId=10180.
WRI, C40 and ICLEI. (2010). The GHG Protocol for Project Accounting, Available at: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/files/ghgp/ghg_project_protocol.pdf. Last Accessed 12/03/206
WRI, C40 and ICLEI. (2014). Global Protocol for Community-Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories, Washington:World Resources Institute. Available at: http://ghgprotocol.org/files/ghgp/GHGP_GPC.pdf.
Zero Waste Future. (2015). Webpage Available at: http://www.zerowastefuture.com/.
Zurich Insurance Group. (2015). Zurich has become carbon neutral. Available at: https://www.zurich.com/en/corporate-responsibility/protecting-the-environment/carbon-neutral. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Forward thinking
Based toward (thoughtful) action
Optimism
Pragmatically inclusive
Willingness to trust and be accepting
Constructively tough minded
Competitive
Know exactly where they want to go and how to get there
Presence
Strategic and creative thinker
Influential
Connected and related to people profoundly
Be coachable
Inspirational
Operate with intentionality and integrity |
| Keywords | Leadership,Zero Carbon |
Contacts
| Course organiser | |
Course secretary | |
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