Environmental Policymaking

Catalog description

This course focuses on environmental policymaking, defined as the process of managing human activities in order to prevent or reduce harmful impacts on the natural world (and on humans) due to human-induced changes to the environment. Environmental policymaking, broadly conceived, gives rise to the system of legal and other constraints within which sustainability solutions are devised. Since environmental issues are often global in nature, sound environmental policymaking at any level must be fully attuned to the evolving international policy and legal environment. This course will approach environmental policy from the point of view of (i) its active creation and shaping, —typically by people in government, not-for-profit, and to some extent corporate organizations; and (ii) understanding and reacting to environmental policy developed by others. Special attention will be given to the former—the policymaking point of view. The course will provide an understanding of the process and contents of environmental policymaking in general, as well as an understanding of and practice with key analytical tools needed for sound environmental policymaking.