OADD 2375 - Global Climate Action : Policies & Practices

This global course, designed jointly by the CARE consortium, equips graduate students with the knowledge, tools and frameworks needed to understand and engage with climate action in an increasingly fragmented world. Combining international climate governance with initiatives led by cities, Indigenous communities, civil society and private actors, the course explores policy design, implementation, finance and local adaptation. Through case studies and applied discussions, students examine how multi-level governance, innovation and cross-sector collaboration are reshaping climate action.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand major global climate governance frameworks and evolving policy dynamics.
• Analyze climate action across scales and actors, including states, cities, Indigenous communities and private actors.
• Apply concepts and tools for climate policy design, implementation and stakeholder engagement.
• Examine the role of Indigenous knowledge systems and local practices in climate governance.
• Evaluate emerging approaches to climate finance, technological innovation and multi-level governance.

Professional Skills

Policy analysis and strategic writing; collaborative project design; oral presentation; stakeholder mapping; teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration; policy communication; critical analysis of climate governance frameworks.

Faculty

Mandatory Group Tutorial:

Elena Alvarez Blanes

None

Online/hybrid lectures combine expert input and student-led debates; on-site tutorials support discussion and assessment preparation. Students receive written feedback within 2-3 weeks. Group projects receive written evaluation and oral feedback where possible.

Individual policy brief/strategic memo (25%, mid-term, 1,000-1,200 words);

group capstone project with report and 10-min presentation (40%, end of course);

debate animation in one of the sessions (25%, individual note);

mandatory tutorial participation (10%, throughout semester).

• Attendance: 26 hours a semester (16 hours online/hybrid lectures + 10 hours on-site tutorials)
• Online learning activities: included in the 16 hours of online/hybrid lectures
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 4 hours a week / 48 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 40 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 32 hours a semester
• Other: final presentation preparation and peer feedback: 4 hours a semester