Global Environmental Policymaking

Global environmental policymaking has a mixed record. In this course, we examine three stages of the policy process --- identifying problems, negotiating solutions, and implementing agreements --- to explore the conditions that lead to effective governance. We will ask: under what circumstances do countries negotiate treaties to resolve environmental problems, and when are these agreements effective? Our cases include plastics, whaling, ozone depletion, and especially global climate change. We will also focus on learning to write for policy audiences.