2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

SOEE2680 Environmental Policy and Governance

10 creditsClass Size: 80

Module manager: Dr James Van Alstine
Email: J.VanAlstine@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Through lectures, seminars, and in-class activities, this module provides thorough grounding in contemporary debates on environmental policy and governance. It begins by critically exploring the origins of environmental policy-making and changing modes of environmental governance. We then discuss four general categories of policy instruments: environmental regulations, economic instruments, information-based instruments, and forms of voluntary regulation. We finish by examining case-based applications of environmental policy instruments in both developed and developing countries.

Objectives

To provide students with a detailed understanding of the origins, politics and processes of environmental policy and governance and the range of policy instruments that can be used in different spheres of environmental decision-making. This module provides insights into the background, context, nature and influence of these instruments, followed by practical case studies of their application in both developed and developing countries.

Learning outcomes
• Critical understanding of the origins, politics and processes of environmental policy and governance
• Ability to analyse how environmental policy and governance is influenced by multiple actors at multiple scales
• Understanding of mandatory, economic, information-based and voluntary environmental policy instruments
• Ability to apply environmental policy instruments to real-life case studies
• Verbal and written presentation skills

Skills outcomes
• To gain knowledge of contemporary debates and applications in environmental policy and governance
• To understand how context, scale and agency influence environmental policy and governance processes and outcomes
• To gain knowledge of economic, mandatory, voluntary and information-based environmental policy instruments
• To be able to apply the environmental instruments to real-life case studies
• Verbal and written presentation skills

Syllabus

• Week 1: Why regulate? The origins of the environment as a policy issue
• Week 2: Intro to environmental governance
• Week 3: Intro to multi-scale governance
• Week 4: Policy instruments 1: Environmental regulations
• Week 5: Policy instruments 2: Economic instruments
• Week 6: Reading week
• Week 7: Policy instruments 3: Information based instruments
• Week 8: Policy instruments 4: Negotiated agreements and voluntary regulation
• Week 9: Case based applications of environmental policy and governance: Developed countries
• Week 10: Case based applications of environmental policy and governance: Developing countries
• Week 11: Future directions of environmental policy and governance

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	10	1.00	10.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			80.00
Total Contact hours			20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			100.00

Private study

Reading and pre-lecture preparation – 40 hours (4 hours per week)
Assignment preparation – 40 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student’s learning progress will be monitored through feedback on formative and summative work. Formative work includes participation in class activities, essay abstract and group activities. Summative work includes the 2000 word essay.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2,000 words	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 26/09/2019

Disclaimer

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