THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2019/2020

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Business School : Common Courses (Management School)

Postgraduate Course: Climate Change and Environmental Policy (CMSE11361)

Course Outline
SchoolBusiness School CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits15 ECTS Credits7.5
SummaryThe course aims to explore climate change and environmental policy at local, national, and international -levels. This will include briefly examining the science of climate change and modelling of its environmental and societal impacts, in order to understand what underpins such policy objectives and outcomes.
Course description This course allows students to identify and evaluate actual and proposed policy interventions, and provide a contextual understanding of the emergence and importance of carbon finance. By providing students with a grounding in the scientific basis of climate change, they will be better able to evaluate policy designs, to understand the importance of policy responses at different levels (local, national, and international) and to appreciate the complexities individuals, organisations, and institutions face in attempting to enact positive climate change and environmental outcomes.

Outline Content

Syllabus
- Introduction to policy making
- Introduction to the science of climate change
- Technologies, innovation and technical change
- International climate negotiations - Climate and environmental policy: country case study
- Evaluating policy objectives and outcomes
- Climate and environmental policy: implications for international development
- Climate and environmental policy: implications for business

Student Learning Experience
Formal teaching occurs in lectures. Much of the learning will be the result of students' own reading and reflection, and preparation for coursework. A high level of student participation is expected, through discussion in class and working in groups. Scholarly endeavour is fundamentally about building on the discovery and insights of others, and we hope that team co-operation will enrich all students.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2019/20, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 150 ( Lecture Hours 20, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 3, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 125 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Feedback Students will be given formative feedback on their policy briefing and individual essays.

Feedback on formative assessed work will be provided within 15 working days of submission, or in time to be of use in subsequent assessments within the course, whichever is sooner. Summative marks will be returned on a published timetable, which has been made clear to students at the start of the academic year.

Feedback will comprise in-class discussions, case studies and exercises (informal peer and lecturer feedback), and essay feedback.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Explain and critically evaluate the current state of climate change science and key climate change policy initiatives, discussing the relationship between climate change science, policy and economics
  2. Identify major projected climate change and other environmental impacts at global, national and local scales, linking these to policy options.
  3. Analyse the international climate change negotiations, and discuss the relationship between international negotiations and regional, national and local action.
  4. Describe the costs and benefits of climate change impacts, adaptation and response measures, market failures and possible policy solutions.
  5. Analyse the relationships between climate change/environmental policy and carbon/environmental finance.
Reading List
Essential and recommended further readings for each week will be provided in a separate Timetable and Readings document. This will be updated periodically and students should check the course Learn website for updates to the reading material each week.

Recommended Readings
IPCC (2013) IPCC, 2013: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Available at: http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf

Stern (2007) The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Available at: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sternreview_index.htm Read the Executive Summary (27 pages).
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Cognitive Skills:
After completing this course, students should be able to critically evaluate press coverage of climate change and environmental science and policy issues, think analytically about the financial and strategic implications for business, critically evaluate alternative policy approaches to climate change and environmental issues, and conceptualise key strategic considerations.

Subject Specific Skills:
After completing this course, students should be able to analyse new developments in climate change and environmental science and policy, and evaluate the implications for business, explain the source and nature of uncertainties in climate change science, and wider environmental implications, identify the implications for climate policy and comprehend, speak and write the language of climate change and environmental science and policy.
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Ian Cochran
Tel: (0131 6)50 9295
Email: Ian.Cochran@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Kelly-Ann De Wet
Tel: (0131 6)50 8071
Email: K.deWet@ed.ac.uk
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