Course syllabus for The climate: The science, measures and policy

The earth system

·       be able to describe what the earth's climate is and how the sun, atmospheric circulation and the oceans are connected

·       be able to describe how increased amounts of greenhouse gases and particles in the atmosphere disturb the radiation balance and how well we can estimate the magnitude of these disturbances

Effects of global warming 

·       be able to describe what a feedback is and what connections look like in the earth system

·       be able to describe how and why the climate has changed during the last century and what processes and connections are behind this

Emissions and other human impacts on climate

·       understand different types of emission processes (combustion, diffuse leakage, biogenic emissions,…)

·       be able to describe how these emissions have changed over time

·       be able to describe the relative importance of the different processes for climate change

Measures to achieve global climate goals

·       be able to describe measures in the energy, transport, housing and industrial sectors that contribute to reduced greenhouse gas emissions

·       be able to present how measures in the different sectors depend on each other

·       be able to present how bioenergy can contribute to reduced greenhouse gas emissions and the special challenges associated with bioenergy use

·       be able to account for the opportunities for agriculture and forestry for reduced greenhouse gas impact

·       be able to account for different time perspectives regarding measures

Policy, and climate in relation to other sustainable development goals

·       be able to describe how different types of climate policy work

·       be able to present how the European emissions trading system works

·       be able to present the main features of the Paris Agreement

·       be able to present what burden distributions are and how they differ

·       be able to analyze specific challenges to reduce CO2 emissions       

understand how the climate goal relates to other sustainability goals

The course aims to give an introduction to the climate as a system, how humans have affected the climate, how a changed climate affects us, and how we can act to reduce climate change. The course will deal with natural and human impact on the climate, how emissions affect the atmosphere and how this in turn affects the climate, how rising temperatures affect land, water and ecosystems, what measures we can take to reduce emissions with a focus on energy, transport, industry and land use, and the type of policy needed. Throughout, different time perspectives will be discussed, and where science stands today, what we know for sure, and where uncertainty still exists.

The course consists of five blocks:

1)    The earth system

2)    Effects of global warming 

3)    Emissions and other human impact on climate

4)    Measures to achieve global climate goals 

5)    Policy, and climate in relation to other sustainable development goals

The earth system

This block examines what constitutes the earth's climate and how it works in general. We look at the earth's energy balance and how it is disturbed by anthropogenic emissions, structure and circulation in the atmosphere and oceans, as well as the water and carbon cycles. This includes analysis of global long-term series of greenhouse gas concentrations and physical parameters in the atmosphere from different measurement networks.

Effects of global warming

In this block, the effects of global warming are discussed, as well as how these processes and feedbacks are connected and affect each other. We analyze the direct impact of elevated temperatures, changes in precipitation, melting of inland ice (such as that in Greenland), sea level rise and ocean acidification.

Emissions and other human impacts on climate

Various types of emission sources and processes are described here: such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, particles from combustion, biogenic emissions of methane and N2O, diffuse leakage of methane from natural processes, as well as production and use of fossil fuels and carbon dioxide emissions from volcanoes. The impact of atmospheric chemistry is discussed. The coal budget concept and the Paris Agreement are introduced.

Measures to achieve global climate goals

Technical and non-technical measures in different sectors that can contribute to reduced greenhouse gas emissions will be presented from different life cycle and time perspectives in relation to the Paris Agreement. Opportunities and difficulties with different types of measures in different global regions are presented. Competition and/or synergies between different measures will be discussed. Bioenergy will be presented and the special challenges associated with bioenergy use will be discussed. The possibilities for agriculture and forestry for reduced greenhouse gas impact will also be presented.

Policy, and climate in relation to other sustainable development goals

In this part of the course, different types of policy is covered, both these that stimulate new technology, new processes and fuels, and these that punish emissions, such as carbon dioxide taxes. The European trading system is introduced. Concepts such as burden-sharing and burden-sharing models are presented, as well as the international climate negotiations. Sector-specific measures are compared with general measures. The Montreal Protocol may be presented as an example of a successful international treaty, and the challenges and conditions at that time are compared with today's. In a concluding part of the course, it is discussed how measures to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement relate to some of the other global sustainability goals.

The course is based on lectures, exercises and self-studies. The course consists of approx 15 evening lectures (some including exercises and others discussions) of 2,75 hours each including break.

The examination is based on a written exam. Bonus points awarded for approved course assignments are added to the exam result. The requirement for passing the exam is set to 50% approval of the points in the exam including bonus points. Bonus points for approved assignments are only valid for the first, the spring, exam.