Climate Impacts & Policy

URL study guide

https://studiegids.vu.nl/en/courses/2024-2025/AM_1240

Course Objective

After completing this module, the student is able to:
- Understand processes in climate and economic systems and their interactions which cause climate impacts on society;
- Understand and apply methods for assessing impacts from extreme weather events and climate change in order to guide policies that limit these impacts;
- Be able to interpret, analyse, and critically reflect on the results gained from applying these methods.

Course Content

This interdisciplinary course combines knowledge from climate sciences, analysis of risks from extreme weather events and climate economics in order to assess climate change impacts. This knowledge forms the basis for guiding the design of policies that limit these impacts on society, including climate change adaptation and mitigation policies at the global and local level. At the start of the course, processes of climate and economic systems and their interactions that lead to climate change impacts on society are discussed. Moreover, students learn methods for integrative climate impact analysis, such as climate models for assessing relations between climate change and extreme weather events, catastrophe model approaches which are used for assessing flood, and drought risks, and integrated assessment models of climate and the economy. Students work on assignments in which these methods are applied and results are used for the evaluation and design of policies that limit climate impacts through global climate policy agreements and local natural disaster risk management strategies, like flood protection.

Teaching Methods

6 EC = 160 hours in total. The course will be taught through a combination of lectures, practical classes, and (computer) exercises. The methods will be applied to environmental problems, and students will reflect on the results. Moreover, for about half of the course students will work on their models, analyses and reporting themselves.

Method of Assessment

The assessment will consist of written assignments (40%) and a closed book examination (60%).

Literature

See the study manual on Canvas.

Target Audience

Second year students of MSc Earth Sciences, specialization Global Environmental Change and Policy , the MSc track Climate Econometrics, and the MSc track Climate Finance.

Entry Requirements

Admitted to MSc Earth Sciences, specialization Global Environmental Change and Policy, the MSc track Climate Econometrics, or the MSc track Climate Finance.