701-1651-00L  Environmental Governance

Courses

Catalogue data

Abstract	The course addresses environmental policies, focusing on new steering approaches, which are generally summarized as environmental governance. The course also provides students with tools to analyze environmental policy processes and assesses the key features of environmental governance by examining various practical environmental policy examples.
Learning objective	To understand how an environmental problem may (not) become a policy and explain political processes, using basic concepts and techniques from political science. To analyze the evolution as well as the key elements of environmental governance. To be able to identify the main challenges and opportunities for environmental governance and to critically discuss them with reference to various practical policy examples.
Content	Improvements in environmental quality and sustainable management of natural resources cannot be achieved through technical solutions alone. The quality of the environment and the achievement of sustainable development strongly depend on human behavior and specifically the human uses of nature. To influence human behavior, we rely on public policies and other societal rules, which aim to steer the way humans use natural resources and their effects on the environment. Such steering can take place through government intervention alone. However, this often also involves governance, which includes the interplay between governmental and non-governmental actors, the use of diverse tools such as emission standards or financial incentives to steer actors' behavior and can occur at the local, regional, national or international level. In this course, we will address both the practical aspects of as well as the scientific debate on environmental governance. The course gives future environmental experts a strong basis to position themselves in the governance debate, which does not preclude government but rather involves a spectrum from government to governance. Key questions that this course seeks to answer: What are the core characteristics of environmental challenges from a policy perspective? What are key elements of 'environmental governance' and how legitimate and effective are these approaches in addressing persistent environmental challenges?
Lecture notes	Lecture slides, a script and additional course material will be provided on Moodle.
Prerequisites / Notice	A detailed course schedule will be made available at the beginning of the semester. During the lecture we will work with Moodle. We ask that all students register themselves on this platform before the lecture. We recommend that students have (a) three-years BSc education of a (technical) university; (b) successfully completed Bachelor introductory course to environmental policy (Entwicklungen nationaler Umweltpolitik (or equivalent)) and (c) familiarity with key issues in environmental policy and some fundamental knowledge of one social science or humanities discipline (political science, economics, sociology, history, psychology, philosophy)
Competencies	Subject-specific Competencies Concepts and Theories assessed Method-specific Competencies Analytical Competencies assessed Decision-making assessed Problem-solving assessed Project Management assessed Social Competencies Communication assessed Cooperation and Teamwork assessed Self-presentation and Social Influence assessed Sensitivity to Diversity assessed Negotiation assessed Personal Competencies Adaptability and Flexibility assessed Critical Thinking assessed Integrity and Work Ethics assessed Self-awareness and Self-reflection assessed Self-direction and Self-management assessed

Performance assessment

Performance assessment information (valid until the course unit is held again)
Performance assessment as a semester course
ECTS credits	6 credits
Examiners	E. Lieberherr
Type	ungraded semester performance
Language of examination	English
Repetition	Repetition possible without re-enrolling for the course unit.

Learning materials

Groups

Restrictions

Offered in

Programme	Section	Type
Agricultural Sciences Master	Resource Economics and Agricultural Policy	W
Biology Teaching Diploma	Compulsory Elective Courses	W
Doctorate Environmental Sciences	Environmental Systems Policy	W
Doctorate Environmental Sciences	Forest and Landscape Management	W
Environmental Sciences Master	Theoretical Foundations for Environmental Policy	O
Environmental Sciences Master	Decision Making, Policy and Planning	W