91661 - Institutions And Policies For Climate Change

Learning outcomes

The student will be able to frame the complex phenomeon of the climate change, to understand the main interdependencies pertaining to the economic and political aspects as well as to the local, sovranational and global dimensions. The students will be able to detect the main consequences in some areas of the economy, society and of international relations. The student will also be able to describe the origin and the evolution of international agreements and programs aiming at dealing with the climate change as well as to understand the impact of such phenomenon on different regions/areas of the world. Specifically, the module is concerned with the political and institutional dimensions of the climate change policies at the international European and national levels. In particular, the module: will provide an introduction to the issue and problem definition; a brief history of international climate change negotiations; an overview of how the international legal and policy framework to address climate change developed over time; a focus on EU efforts in promoting agreements. Institutions, policy programs and measure referred to sustainable agriculture, national and local policy programs will be illustrated.

Course contents

The course program consists of three modules. This second takes place in presence.The number of students allowed in class is determined on the basis of class capacity and by the health and safety provisions that deal with the pandemic emergency. In case more students want to attend classes in presence than permitted by the rules, a system of shifts will be organized so to allow students to participate. Regardless of the health-related conditions and the specific organization of the course, students will be able to follow the lessons of the entire course remotely on MS TEAMS

This second module of the course includes:

1. Introduction over basic concepts and contents of climate change policies (mitigation, adaption); overview of the origins and development of international cooperation and climate policy regimes.

2. Global conventions and legal frameworks,  key elements and provisions of the UNFCCC, its organisational structure, and the different Parties (sstates in Annex I and non Annex I); other policy actors in IPCC.

3. Kyoto Protocol and EU ETS; European Union initiatives and climate policy in promoting climate change agreements;

4. COP 21 and Paris Agreement, the Paris Agreement and INDC (national commitments), the most recent developments.

5. International organizations, and NGOs, global networks and national and local associations and movements, the Covenant of Mayors; case studies related to developed and developing countries.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography common to all the modules; one of the following books, at choice

a) Mastrojeni G. e Pasini A., 2017, Effetto serra, effetto guerra. Clima, conflitti, migrazioni: l'Italia in prima linea, Chiarelettere Editore

b) Di Paola M., 2015, Cambiamento climatico. Una piccola introduzione, LUISS University Press.

Bibliography for the second module

GIDDENS A., 2015, La politica del cambiamento climatico, Il Saggiatore (only 4th, 7th, and 9th chapters)

JAMIESON D., 2011, The Nature of the problem, cap. 3 in DRYZEK J. et al (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, Oxford University Press, pp. 38-54

Wirth D.A., 2017, The Paris Agreemnet as a New Component of the UN Climate Regime.International Organization Research Journal, vol 12, n. 4, pp. 185-2014

Biermann F., 2012, New Actors and Mechanisms of Global Governance, in Dryzek J. et al. (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society, Oxford University Press.

Delreux, T., & Ohler, F. (2019). Climate Policy in European Union Politics. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. Oxford University Press. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1097

CESPI, 2019, Lo stato di attuazione degli impegni di Parigi sul clima in vista della COP 25 di Madrid, Osservatorio Cespi, Roma

One optional reading between the follows:

Held D.,Harvey F., 2009, Democracy, climate change and global governance, Policy Network Paper, www.policy-network-net

Meadowcroft J., 2010, Climate Change Governance. The World Bank, World Development Report Team

von Homeyer I. et al, 2021, EU climate and energy governance in time sof crisis: towards a new agenda, JEPP, 28, 7,(special issue in JEPP)

Alemu T. & Mengistu A., 2019, Impacts of Climate Change on Food Security in Ethiopia: Adaption and Mitigation Options, pp. 397 - 412, in P. Castro et al. (eds), Climate change-resilient Agriculture and Agroforestry, Springer (e-book on line: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75004-0 )

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures, and experts' seminars on some topics

Assessment methods

For the attending students there will be two mid-term exams and a final exam. Each mid-term exam is worth 30% of the final grade; the final exams 40%.

The first mid-term exam will cover the arguments of the first module. The second mid-term exam will cover the arguments of the second and third modules. In each mid-term exam students must answer to three open questions; each exam lasts two hours.

The final exam will be a Report that students write at home; this Report will then be discussed with the instructors during the oral final exam. The topic of the Report will be communicated by IOL. The Report must be sent to the instructors at least 10 days before the oral final exam.

For the not-attending students the final exam will be oral and it will cover all the required readings.

Teaching tools

Text-books, Readings, Slides,websitesand database, videos and official documents

Office hours

See the website of Renata Lizzi