Climate Change: Science and Society
| Module title | Climate Change: Science and Society |
|---|---|
| Module code | GEO2317 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Jo Hamilton () |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 150 |
|---|
Module description
In this module, you will develop your skills in the analysis of global climate change, using perspectives from physical and human geography. You will get a strong grounding in the science of climate change, climate and society relations, the governance, policy, and politics of climate change, climate mitigation and adaptation, and decarbonisation. You will be challenged to think about the interlinked human and physical geographic dimensions of climate change. By the end of the module, you will be able to articulate key information about climate change impacts and proposed solutions.
The assessment is designed to stimulate interest in the module content beyond the taught material. It is designed to support your development in the understanding, analysis and evaluation of interlinked physical and human geographical dimensions of climate change science and action.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module will:
- understand the fundamental science of climate change; causes and consequences of local and global scale changes in environment and environmental futures;
- analyse the interaction of human behaviour and policies on greenhouse gas emissions and proposed social and technical solutions;
- explore perspectives, theories and methods for investigating climate change as a social phenomenon and environmental reality, as embedded in current research on climate change risks, on emissions reduction, and climate action at different geographical and policy scales.
Through the module you will develop the following graduate attributes:
- interpersonal skills through in-class discussions and digital discussion boards;
- confidence in assessing the robustness of scientific evidence and climate policy;
- communicating complex concepts and evidence with confidence through enquiry-led learning.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Describe the main scientific and social concepts associated with climate change and climate action
- 2. Outline the concepts and principles of policy analysis as currently applied to climate change issues at various scales, from energy choices, to adaptation, to global environmental agreements
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Adopt a cross-disciplinary perspective for the development of knowledge and understanding of climate change
- 4. Analyse and evaluate proposed solutions at different geographical and policy scales
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Communicate ideas, principles and theories effectively and fluently through written means
- 6. Develop a sustained and reasoned argument and identify, evaluate and synthesise data from a range of appropriate sources
Syllabus plan
The following topics are indicative of those covered:
- Human causes and impacts of climate change
- Fundamental science of climate change
- Climate change mitigation
- Key areas for climate action and decarbonising society (e.g. agriculture, transport, waste, energy, production and consumption)
- Communication and public engagement of climate change
- Climate policy and governance at local, national, and international scale
- Contemporary frameworks for decarbonisation and climate action
- Social and climate justice in relation to impacts and proposed solutions
These topics will be applied to real world contexts including UK climate and climate action. The Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention takes place during the term and sessions will engage directly with emerging debates in real time.
The assessment will consider pertinent contemporary debates regarding the interdisciplinary and contested nature of climate change science, action and policy.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 20 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activities | 2 | In-class workshops and assessment preparation support |
| Guided Independent Study | 8 | Preparation for workshop sessions |
| Guided Independent Study | 120 | Reading and assessment preparation associated with your specific topic |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer assessment of proposed policy/action intervention | Assessment plan for discussion with peers during workshop | 1-6 | Verbal feedback from peers within second workshop session |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | 100 | 2 hours | 1-6 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam | Exam (2 hours, 100%) | 1-6 | Referral/deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Leichenko, R. and O’Brien, K. (2019) Climate and Society: Transforming the Future, Wiley.
- Dryzek, J., Norgaard, R. and Schlossberg, D. (eds.) (2011) Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society. Oxford University Press.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Climate Brief is a useful web resource and newsletter for topics related to climate policy and action www.climatebrief.org
- The UK Climate Change Committee (UKCCC) has useful policy recommendations and sector briefings in their 3rd Assessment Report theccc.org.uk
Two important journal resources are:
- Nature Climate Change http://www.nature.com/nclimate/index.html
- Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change http://wires.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WiresJournal/wisId-WCC.html
Key words search
Climate change, climate action, decarbonisation, climate policy, sustainability
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/06/2012 |
| Last revision date | 27/03/2025 |
