This paper is an introduction to the exciting and important field of global environmental politics and policy. We will look at environmental policy development in the international arena, examining how competing interests, values and a range of actors have shaped the nature of global politics and policy. We will explore contemporary debates on issues of sustainability, social justice, and environmental governance. We will seek to understand the political structures and processes underpinning the search for cooperative solutions to environmental dilemmas such as climate change policy.

To do this, we will engage in a collective project of study, involving lectures and intensive class discussions of course readings and case studies. There are no prerequisites for the course other than an interest in the subject and a willingness to work and participate actively.

This paper is delivered over B semester through one online lesson and one workshop session per week. In-class sessions are interactive, involving active class participation in discussion of readings, videos, and cases, as well as an environmental treaty negotiations role play. There are a number of assigned readings for each week that are introduced in the online lesson along with key concepts.

I find this subject compelling, provoking and important. I will endeavour to make the class interesting and fun by using a variety of learning techniques and exercises. All of these involve you in some mode of active learning, of learning by doing. My goals for this class are to collectively deepen our understanding of global environmental politics and policy, sharpen our critical thinking skills, improve our ability to write and speak well, and strengthen our capacity to work collaboratively with others.

Please plan on doing the following to ensure you get the most out of this paper:

• Familiarise yourself with this course outline, course requirements and expectations, and all assessments.
• Read all assigned materials on time - before coming to class.

Oral and written communication skills are an essential part of education and a prerequisite to learning about politics, public policy, and public administration. These skills are not only important in this course but will be beneficial in your future career and your role as a citizen. Learning to write well is something only you can do through your own hard work, but there are resources available to assist you. I will be as helpful as I can in providing specific suggestions, comments and encouragement.

Attendance and participation are recommended at every workshop session. In line with University guidelines, attendance via zoom is possible for those students who have a legitimate reason for not attending in person. Students will need to indicate by Week 1 if they intend to physically attend class meetings on campus or virtually via zoom.

Participation in the treaty negotiation role play is required. These will take place in-class during weeks 11 and 12.

The paper offers online support through Moodle. Moodle is available on the University website. The course outline, all lecture notes, and additional resources are available on the POLCY318­-20B Moodle site. In addition, certain assessments are required to be submitted electronically through the Moodle site.

In addition to attending classes, students are expected to read assigned materials and complete the course assessment tasks. The expected work load for the paper is an average of about 10 hours per week.