Ethics, Politics, and Expertise in Climate Policy

Undergraduate / Graduate

Introduction to philosophical and political concepts useful for climate policy practitioners. How can we evaluate climate policies? Examines utilitarianism, sustainability, intergenerational justice, and the treatment of risk and uncertainty, culminating in the Stern-Nordhaus debate. How do political institutions shape collective action on climate? Bargaining, voting, and free riding as structural challenges facing climate governance. What role should experts play in policy? Strategic communication, inductive risk, and value-laden concepts as threats to the transmission of scientific knowledge to the policy arena.​​​​​​