POSC 356 - Climate Change Politics & Policy: Global Governance

Units: 3 ; Breadth Area: GE-UD-D ; Sustainability
Climate change politics and policy focusing on international action. Covers history, climate impacts around the world, United Nations, international summits, individual country positions, diplomacy, global non-profits, climate migration, climate justice. Follow climate summit negotiations in real time.

Strongly Recommended Preparation: Upper division status (greater than 60 earned semester units) and completion of lower division Area D1-3 requirements.
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Areas A1, A2, A3 and B4 with grade C- (CR) or better.
Possible Instructional Methods: On-ground.
Grading: A-F grading only.
Breadth Area(s) Satisfied: GE-UD-D - Upper Division Social Sciences ; Overlay - Sustainability
Course Typically Offered: Fall Alternate Years

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Summarize the basics of climate science and the socio-political, economic, and environmental impacts of a changing climate
Describe and evaluate the complexities, uncertainties, and injustices of global climate disruption
Discuss what the international community is doing to address climate change, namely via the UNFCCC/COP process
Summarize and evaluate the position and experiences of a key actor (nation, NGO, etc.) in the climate regime
Summarize and evaluate events and outcomes of COP26
Argue for and defend recommendations for the future of the UNFCCC process

UD-D. Upper-division Social Sciences Learning Outcomes

analyze how power and social identity affect social outcomes for different cultural and economic groups using methods of social science inquiry and vocabulary appropriate to those methods;
demonstrate an understanding of and ability to apply accurately disciplinary concepts of the social or behavioral sciences; and
demonstrate an understanding of and ability to effectively plan or conduct research using an appropriate method of the social or behavioral sciences.

Sustainability Overlay Learning Outcomes

identify the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability, either in general or in relation to a specific problem;
analyze interactions between human activities and natural systems;
describe key threats to environmental sustainability; and
explain how individual and societal choices affect prospects for sustainability at the local, regional, and/or global levels.