Examination arrangement

Course content

The course addresses the main drivers of climate change and the challenge posed by climate mitigation: approaches to avoid a uncontrolled and large climate change through global warming. The course addresses following issues: (1) The greenhouse effect, global warming and the response of the climate system to anthropogenic emissions or land use changes; (2) possible consequences of climate change, adaptation and associated costs; (3) biogeochemical cycles of carbon and other important greenhouse gases and biophysical properties of land-climate interactions; (4) analysis of the dynamics of emissions using scenario models (SSPs, RCPs) and quantification of climate change impacts and mitigation benefits (radiative forcing, temperature, CO2-equivalents); (5) technological options to reduce emissions (renewable energy, changes in lifestyle, negative emission technologies and solar radiation management) and land management strategies for climate change mitigation, their characteristics, costs, co-benefits and barriers; (6) climate mitigation status and experience in selected sectors, such as industry, transport, energy and households; (7) climate policy instruments and framework conditions (Paris Agreements).

Learning outcome

Knowledge: The student should be able to

i) explain causes of global warming, as well as emission trends and driving forces that are responsible for fossil fuel emissions and deforestation. ii) identify technological options to reduce emissions, their barriers and costs and co-benefits. iii) explain climate policy tools, their theoretical merits and practical experiences iv) explain the understanding of climate mitigation in difference disciplines and the discipline's contribution to climate mitigation. v) recognize co-benefits, tradeoffs, potentials, and limitations of a wide range of climate change mitigation options, from the energy to the land sector (including negative emission technologies and geoengineering).

Competences: The student should be able to i) Identify, find and interpret relevant knowledge in the scientific literature on climate mitigation. ii) Explain the terminology and principles for assessing climate mitigation measures. iii) Identify actors and assess potential challenges and barriers associated with the implementation of climate mitigation measures and policies as well as the consequences of these. iv) Quantify climate change impacts and mitigation benefits through appropriate metrics. v) Report and discuss climate-relevant aspects in a scientifically rigorous way.

General competency: The student should be able to i) Understand anthropogenic climate change and its causes. ii) Understand the challenge posed by climate change with respect to ethics and international politics. iii) Understand the assessment of climate mitigation measures. iv) Interpret analyses and model results in the field of climate mitigation.

Learning methods and activities

There is a large volume of reading, mostly from the scientific literature and the IPCC report. Group work and presentations will be part of the teaching.

The lectures are in English. The oral examination will be in English only.

Further on evaluation

To pass the course a score of at least 70 percent is required

Recommended previous knowledge

Familiarity with maths and physics, quantitative analysis

Required previous knowledge

none

Course materials

Collection of scientific papers and sections of the IPCC assessment reports.