Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
This unit looks at crucial global environmental issues, how they have emerged, and how they might be dealt with by policy-makers. The unit first looks briefly at theories of environmental politics, using concepts from international relations, global governance and policy studies, to ask how should we think about the planet and its politics. It then looks at key actors, including states, intergovernmental organisations, transnational corporations and social movements, and how these actors clash to produce political and environmental outcomes. The unit concludes by looking at several case studies of how environmental issues arise, how different actors inform governance and wield authority, what policy solutions might look like, and how political interests prevent them from being implemented. Case studies include the militarization of the Himalayan watershed, intergovernmental climate change agreements, resource extraction in Southern Africa, the governance of the Arctic and Antarctic, the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, and the global coal industry's struggle for survival. Students will learn how global environmental crises arise, why they are mismanaged, and how they can be best be reckoned with.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Details for undergraduate courses
- Level 3 option in the Political Science and International Relations; Philosophy, Politics and Economics; International Cybersecurity major sequences
- Level 3 elective
- Outcomes
Students are able to (1) explain, and engage critically with, the conceptual frameworks, theories, techniques of investigation, and key debates associated with the global politics of the environment; (2) identify, explain and debate policy options for how global environmental issues can be dealt with; (3) interrogate the links between environmental problems and political and economic decisions made by different types of environmental actors; (4) analyse the causes of global environmental issues; (5) critically reflect on society's engagements with environmental issues; and (6) work collaboratively to develop policy options to solve environmental issues.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) policy brief; (2) research essay; and (3) workshop participation. Further information is available in the unit outline.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Dr Alexander Davis
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- 12 points of Social Sciences and/or Humanities study at level 2
- Incompatibility
- POLS2229 States, Welfare and Environmental Policy
- Contact hours
- 3 hours per week
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.