Course unit

Climate and environment

Last updated: 22/02/2024

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Course Director(s):

MONGO Michelle

General Description:

The objective of this course is to present a generic framework to better understand the scientific basis and socio-economic issues associated with climate and environmental variability.

The course is organized as follows:

The first session of the course will be organized in the form of a participatory workshop (climate mural type) (3 hours) aimed at mobilizing students and raising their awareness of the components of climate change and its systemic nature. This will be followed by a presentation of the global boundary framework (3h) with a focus on the scientific basis of each boundary and the main areas of activity responsible for each boundary phenomenon. In a third step, the scientific bases associated with climate and environmental variability, the principle of their declination at different scales (global, regional, local) as well as the statistical tools to describe these variabilities will be presented (6h). The issues of adaptation and mitigation to climate change will also be addressed in this framework. Finally, the social and economic issues will be addressed in a fourth phase, notably through: a contextualization that will present the different sources of GHG emissions (comparison / countries and sectors of activity), the public policies and economic instruments currently adopted to fight against CC (national low-carbon strategy, "polluter pays" principle; carbon market, etc.). It also examines the limits of these instruments and the new possible scenarios for moving towards a low-carbon economy.

Except for the teaching on the scientific bases associated with climate variability which will require an organization such as ½ promo (3h) and ¼ promo (3h) the rest of the lessons will be given in full promo. Due to the health situation, distance learning may be preferred if the need arises.

Key words:

Greenhouse Gases Polluter Pays Principle Carbon market Carbon tax National Low Carbon Strategy Global Limits Climate variability Adaptation Attenuation Scénario bas carbone

Number of teaching hours

21

Fields of study

Earth Sciences Economics, Management, Human and Social Sciences Urban planning, Environment

Teaching language

French

Intended learning outcomes

On completion of the unit, the student will be capable of:	Classification level	Priority
Challenges associated with climate change	1. Knowledge	Essential
The main factors causing climate change	2. Understand	Essential
Statistical tools for assessment/analysis of climate variability	3. Apply	Important
Public policies and economic instruments nowadays adopted to fight CC	4. Analyse	Essential
Public policies and economic instruments nowadays adopted to fight CC	5. Summarise	Important
The limits of public policies and economic instruments adopted today to fight CC	6. Assess	Important
Reflecting on new possible scenarios to move towards a low carbon economy.	7. Create	Essential

Learning assessment methods

Percentage ratio of individual assessment			Percentage ratio of group assessment
Written exam:	80	%	Project submission:		%
Individual oral exam:		%	Group presentation:		%
Individual presentation:		%	Group practical exercise:	20	%
Individual practical exercise:		%	Group report:		%
Individual report:		%
Other(s): %

Programme and content

Type of teaching activity	Content, sequencing and organisation
course	The format of the courses is left to the discretion of the speakers. They can use all the teaching techniques that seem most relevant to them (lectures, tutorials, serious games, MOOC, SPOC, etc.).