Overview

Class Central Tips

Climate change has been high on the political agenda for years, yet greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. Globally, communities are already experiencing the consequences of the crisis in various ways: from increases in extreme weather and changes to ecosystems to rising sea levels and depleting natural resources. Despite the clear consequences of climate change, political action has so far proven inadequate at addressing the crisis. Democratic countries are no exception in this regard, which raises questions about the democratic system's ability to deliver the policies and actions needed to address climate change. The goal of this course is to zoom in on the relationship between democracy and climate change action. Do democratic systems have the capacity to deal with a threat like the climate crisis? If so, what will this require in terms of innovating democracy as a political system? During the course, you will meet researchers and experts from the University of Copenhagen who specialise in various areas relevant to this course. This includes scholars working on political and democratic theory, climate and environmental science, authoritarianism, international politics, and non-state actors. Furthermore, you will be presented with interviews from real-world actors who have engaged in the climate debate in various ways. We hope you will join this course to equip yourself with the knowledge needed to take part in the ongoing discussions related to climate change and the role of democracies in addressing its many challenges.

Syllabus

Climate Change and Democracy - A Perfect Storm?

The purpose of this module is to introduce the fundamentals of democracy and climate change. The module provides an overview of the main justifications for why democracy is the most preferred mode of government, and juxtaposes these justifications with the challenges that climate change poses to democracy. The module concludes by outlining how and why democratic innovations might be needed.

When, How and Why is Democracy Failing Us?

The purpose of this module is to analyse when, how, and why democracies are failing to address climate change with sufficient action. The module provides an overview of the main causes of inaction, with a focus on lobbyism, policy-inertia, and lack of attention to nonhuman forces. The module concludes by outlining how and why democracy, regardless of the current stalemate, has the potential for reform.

The Allure of Authoritarianism - A Credible Alternative?

The purpose of this module is to explore how and why some actors see climate change as a reason to replace democracy with eco-authoritarianism. The module provides an overview of the history of authoritarianism and offers an in-depth account of how this history informs contemporary eco-authoritarianism in Europe and elsewhere. The module concludes with a discussion of why eco-authoritarianism, regardless of its intuitive appeal, fails to address the challenges of climate change.

Democracy and the International Political System - Where Is the Innovation?

The purpose of this module is to examine the actions that the international political system has taken to address climate change. The module focuses on institutional reforms by the United Nations and the European Union, and discusses how these reforms affect relations between the global north and the global south. The module concludes with a discussion of how and why institutional reforms from above require democratic innovations from below.

Democracy, Non-State Actors and Civil Society - Where is the Innovation?

The purpose of this module is to analyse how democratic innovations from below enhance the fight against climate change at both local and global scales. The module focuses on climate citizens' assemblies, climate activism, civil disobedience, green neighborhoods, and other non-state actors, and introduces the politics of swarming as an umbrella-term for these innovations. The module concludes with a discussion of how and why a renewal of democracy must take many forms to address climate change.

Democracy and the Non-Human – An Impossible Idea?

The purpose of this module is to introduce the concept of a "more-than-human democracy" as a way to overcome the limits of contemporary climate politics. The module focuses on the entanglements of human and non-human forces and shows how these entanglements inspire new forms of democratic innovations ranging from artistic performances to the extension of rights to rivers and other ecosystems. The module also includes a discussion of why purely technological solutions are insufficient and why this should lead us to an ecological perspective on democracy. Finally, the module provides a brief overview of the previous five modules and concludes by emphasising that making democracy fit for climate will require new understandings of participation, representation, the relationship between humans and non-humans, and the distribution of authority across both local, national and transnational borders.