Links:
[1] http://www.iesabroad.org/study-abroad/programs/european-union
[2] http://europeangreens.eu/
[3] http://www.gruener-punkt.de/
[4] http://www.storyofstuff.com/
[5] http://blogs.wsj.com/brussels/
[6] http://Greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com
[7] http://www.bbc.co.uk/
EU Environmental Policies: On the Road to Sustainability
The EU and its Member States are leaders in developing and implementing environmental policy. EU sustainability policy has driven some of the best examples of sustainable practice, technological innovation and market uptake that are studied for replication by policy-makers across the globe.
This course presents the emergence of environmental thought and policy over the history of the EU. Students will have the opportunity to analyze the individual EU Member State role and compare the challenges to implementing EU environmental policy within the Union. The course demonstrates the extent to which “environment” and sustainability policy are integrated within a multitude of EU policy areas such as climate, energy, agriculture, transportation, urban planning, biodiversity and procurement. With an emphasis on best practice and case studies, the course also focusses on Member State cities and the role that they play as incubators for environmental solutions via political commitment and innovation.
Studying the topic while being in one of the top sustainable cities in the EU – Freiburg, Germany - students are certain to gain invaluable experience and be inspired for their future personal and professional paths.
One course in political science
All IES courses require attendance and participation. Attendance is mandatory per IES policy. Any unexcused absence will incur a penalty of 3% on your final grade. Any student who has more than three (3) unexcused absences will receive an “F” as the final grade in the course. Absences due to sickness, religious observances, and family emergencies may be excusable at the discretion of the Center Director.
In the case of an excused absence, it is the student’s responsibility to inform the Academic Dean of the absence with an Official Excused Absence Form, as well as any other relevant documentation (e.g. a doctor’s note), and to keep a record thereof. This form must be turned in as soon as possible before the class, in the case of a planned absence, or immediately after the class, in the case of an unplanned absence, in order for the absence to be considered excused. It is also the student’s responsibility to inform the professor of the missed class. Students can collect and submit the Official Excused Absence Form from the office of the Academic Dean.
TESTS MISSED DURING UNEXCUSED ABSENCES CANNOT BE MADE UP!
ASSIGNMENTS NOT HANDED IN ON THE DUE DATE WILL BE SUBJECT TO A 3% PENALTY PER DAY POST-DUE DATE (with the exception of students who have an excused absence).
The use of laptop computers during class is not permitted. Cell phones are to be switched off. Updated information on your course and readings can be found on Moodle.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Lecture, case studies, discussions, presentations by students, field trips
1. Reading and Class Participation (20%)
Seminar discussions which are based upon the compulsory readings and teaching introductions to the subject given at each session by the instructor. All students are expected to come to class having completed required readings and join the seminar discussions. Selected readings will be assigned to students for summary in class (class lectures 5 and 10) Required readings are found on Moodle. This participation component is worth 15% of your total course grade.
The elevator pitch. You will be given a character (i.e. are the head of the department of sustainable economic development of your chosen city.) You have 2 minutes in an elevator with a corporate executive wanting to move her/his operations to a European location based on the sustainability of your city/region/country. This is your only chance to make a successful pitch. This participation component is worth 5% of your total participation grade.
2. Midterm Exam (15 %) The midterm exam (90 minutes) consists of essay questions covering the material of the first nine sessions (lectures and readings) to ensure that the basic policy concepts to date have been understood. After completing the the exam, you will also be requested to perform a mid-term evaluation of the course.
3. Course-related presentation “The Evolution of Greens in the EU” (5%)
3. Term Research Work (30%)
a) A paper proposal (Max 2 pages) which will include a detailed outline, identification of the city and policy areas that will be covered (see below) and a preliminary bibliography. This research component is worth 5% of your term research work grade.
b) A city research paper (8-10 pages, not including your table of contents/sections and cover page) will focus on one particular city and analyze the conditions in regards to the environment, specifically looking at climate and energy strategies and/or integrated sustainable development planning and management. Each student will analyze one city of his or her choice that is being visited during the official IES Abroad Member State field trips. This research component is worth 20% of your term research work grade.
c) A reflection paper The research on the cities and the way they have incorporated ecological policies will be complemented through direct observation during the on-site visits, during each student will assess their chosen city, with the aid of a provided checklist. You will then summarize you findings and report how their observations confirm or reveal discrepancies with the reported information and plans in your city research paper. This research component is worth 5% of your term research work grade.
4. EU to US - City Presentation (10%) Here you will demonstrate the potential transfer of researched and observed best practice solutions from Europe to America. You will identify an area of policies whose application could be particularly beneficial to the student’s hometown or region. Based on the insights acquired in the course and the SWOT approach where appropriate, each student is required to present an “Action Plan” for a city or town with which the student is already quite familiar, which highlights the opportunities and challenges for its implementation.
5. Final Exam (20 %) Whereas the mid-term exam served to ensure that you had an understanding of the basic concepts and background of the material and concepts presented mid-way through the course, the final exam will test your overall knowledge and ability to analyze the concepts, policies and practices that you have learned during the entire term.
I. Thinking Sustainability
1. Welcome to Europe! Let’s Talk Sustainability.
Preparation: Reflect upon 1-2 sustainability topics that are of particular interest to you for this course. These can include issues ranging from broader policy issues such as European member country application of EU environmental policy, to specific applications of waste management (recycling), renewable energies, local sustainable development/urban planning. 1-2 paragraphs outlining these priority topics with a brief description on the motivation of your interest is due for the next class on Thursday.
Note: think about choosing your European city for your term research work
Required Reading: Ecotopia must be read by Thursday (next class)
2. Ecotopia as an Alternative Vision: an American utopian novel as a catalyst and blueprint for a better future
We will discuss the influence that this US novel had on EU policy and EU policy in practice. The European policy-makers learned and were inspired by this American auther. Can the US now be inspired in return?
Required Reading: Ecotopia must have been for this session.
(M) Clive Ponting, A New Green History of the World (pp. 1-35)
3. Threats to Survival – Events and mindsets and the danger of shifting the balance of sustainability.
Human activity has and will always have a negative impact on ecosystems and sustainability. When looking at the “environmental” history of our world, what we not learned from the errors of our past? How do events and mindsets shift the balance of sustainability and how can better policy decisions bring back balance?
Required Reading:
(M)Clive Ponting, A New Green History of the World (pp. 36-86)
(M)Jeb Brugmann, Welcome to the New Urban Revolution, Preface: ix-x, Chapter 1: Look Again (pp. 3-16)
II. Politicizing Sustainability
4. The Convergence of Science and Politics and its Impact on Policy
We will discuss the impact on science and events (nuclear accidents, climatic events etc.) on environmental policy within the EU as well as debate the difference between science’s impact on policy between the EU and the US.
Required Reading:
(M)Clive Ponting, A New Green History of the World (pp. 137-198)
(M)European Commission, Fukushima’s effects on nuclear policy in Germany and the UK April. 2012
(M)DeWit and Saaler. Political and Policy Repercussions of Japan’s Nuclear and Natural Disasters in Germany, The Asia-Pacific Journal May 2, 2011
5. National and International Dimensions: The Green movement goes political in Europe and the Europeanization of green parties
We will discuss the evolution of differences of the green movement within the EU Member States and how it impacted policy and politics today. We will also make EU-US comparisons.
Presentation: Course-related presentation “The Evolution of Greens in the EU” (10%)
Required Reading:
(M) Green Identity. pp. 89-124 (PLUS selected country readings will be assigned to individual students)
Recommended Reading:
http://europeangreens.eu/ [2]
(M)Bomberg. The Europeanisation of Green Parties: Exploring the EU's Impact,
6. EU Level: The establishment of environmental policies as a European policy domain and its impact in an enlarged Europe
We will examine the development of the environmental policies and implications on the 27 Member State Union
Required Reading:
(M)Knill and Liefferink, Environmental Politics in the European Union (Introduction & Chapter 1)
Case for class discussion: Implications of the EU Renewable Energy Directive for different European countries
(M)European Commission: Renewable Energy: Progressing towards the 2020 Target
Recommended Reading:
(M)Clive Ponting, A New Green History of the World (pp. 231-264 and 265-293)
III. Sustainability As A Political Program and in Practice
7. A Clean City (Waste Management)
We look at the case of the German „Green Dot“ (Der Grüne Punkt), The German Packaging Law, The Green Dot and it’s replication throughout the EU. Students will be able to answer the question “What happens to all of the “stuff” that we put in the yellow bag?”
In class activity – PRO-EUROPE
(M)BMU. Waste Policy in Germany and the EU
(M)Summary Article : Green Dot & Packaging Waste Directive Compliance in Europe
Recommended Reading:
(M)The European Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
(M)The German Packaging Ordinance (Verpackungsverordnung) – English Translation
Der Grüne Punkt http://www.gruener-punkt.de [3] (only limited information available in English)
8. The Urban Center as an Ecosystem and City as a Palate of EU Sustainability Policy
We will look at the city as an ecosystem and have a closer look at what policy and practice are crucial to a sustainable city.
Required Reading:
(M) Jeb Brugmann, Welcome to the New Urban Revolution, Chapters 10+11
Wolfgang Frey. Freiburg Green City: Approaches to Sustainable Urban Development. pp 10-27
Recommended Reading:
(M)European Commission (2010), Making our Cities Sustainable,
Wolfgang Frey. Freiburg Green City: Approaches to Sustainable Urban Development (More on Freiburg). pp 30-67
9. MID TERM
10. A Well-Designed City: A Strategic City
What specific approaches, strategies and policies make up the strategic city? We will look at the cases of Curitiba principles of this city that have impacted sustainable policies with a focus on Barcelona, and Freiburg.
Required Reading:
(M)Jeb Brugmann, Welcome to the New Urban Revolution, Chapters 12-13.
Wolfgang Frey. Freiburg Green City: Approaches to Sustainable Urban Development. pp 68-141
11. A Conscientious City (Sustainable Consumption & Procurement)
One of the most high-impact policies in terms of creating sustainable markets is related to sustainable procurement. We will look at how we consume and how procurement policy impacts areas such as climate change and developing markets for sustainable projects. Students will reflect upon their present and future procurement practices.
Required Reading/Preparation:
(M)ICLEI - Procura Manual
Video: The Story of Stuff - http://www.storyofstuff.com/ [4]
12. An Energetic City (Energy)
The EU is a leader in sustainable energy policy. We will look at EU Energy policy and it has been implemented in the Member States with different policy and market mechanisms.
Required Reading:
(M)Renewable Energy. The Facts. – Introduction – pp 16-39, chapter 10 – pp. 154-165 (M)Renewables Make the Difference. EU , 2011
Recommended Reading
(M)The EU Renewable Energy Directive
13. The Strategic City (Sustaianble Planning). How to know your policy needs and plan for them.
Sustainable Cities are also strategic. We will look at the how city strategic sustainability action plans are put into place and into practice. We will learn about the SWOT as a tool for city planning and how to go beyond the SWOT to action planning.
Required Preparation: Choose your US city for your presentations and do required basic research on the sustainability problems that it faces.
Recommended Reading:
(M) Liveable Cities The Benefits Of Urban Environmental Planning. Cities Alliance, ICLEI and UNEP. 2007
14. Resilient City (Climate Change)
Understanding climate change is crucial understanding drivers behind almost all EU policy. We will analyze local and European examples
Required Reading:
Wolfgang Frey. Freiburg Green City: Approaches to Sustainable Urban Development. pp 142-177.
(M) ICLEI –Case Study # 94 - Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany: Long-term strategies for climate protection in Green City Freiburg
15. A Productive City (Food & Agriculture)
The EU Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) is one of the earliest EU policies and traditionally largest parts of the EU budget. We will look at how the pressure for sustainable practices has driven change in this policy area and the new CAP reforms directly linked to sustainability.
Required Reading:
(M)European Commission, The Common Agriculture Policy Explained.
Wolfgang Frey. Freiburg Green City: Approaches to Sustainable Urban Development. pp 28-29
16. Healthy City (Health, Quality of Life)
What overriding policy areas impact quality of life. Why is quality of life so valued in the EU at both the policy and business level?
Required Reading: European Commission (2010), Making our Cities Sustainable,
IV. Sustainability Returns to America – Sessions 17-18
What have you learned this term and how can it be applied to policy and practice back home. What is replicable and what is not (and why?) Presentations will be approx. 10 minutes long with discussion and input from your classmates.
17. Action Plan for American Communities I – Presentations
18. Action Plan for American Communities II– Presentations
19. Local Field Trip (will take place during the term and date will be in the MOODLE calendar)
20. FINAL EXAM
For updates on environmental issues, it is recommended to visit the following websites:
As a center of ecological thought and practice, the Freiburg area is home to a broad array of expert pioneers and projects in environmental affairs. Depending on availability, some of them will be invited to join us for class sessions at IES and/or students will have the opportunity to meet with them at their workplace. Moreover, given the physical proximity, it will be possible for the class and individual students to arrange for outings to various enterprises which reflect the transposition of environmental thinking into a real world economic context.
Sandra Makinson has been working in the sustainability sector for near to 20 years and in over 10 countries globally. She has a vast range of experience varying from policy and project development, to managing projects for renewable energy applications in poverty-stricken areas, training bankers on investing in sustainable energy, and lecturing to graduate students on financing renewable energy. She has on the ground experience with the public, non-profit and private sectors and has developed and implemented multi-country EU projects. Ms. Makinson is fluent in several languages and has worked at the European, World and Latin American Secretariats of ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) and the Canopus Foundation in Freiburg. As a sustainability consultant, she now works with clients such as BASE (The Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy) and the United Nations Environmental Program in Paris. One of the most influential mentors at the start of her professional career was a former IES Abroad Student. Ms. Makinson graduated from the University of Ottawa (B.S.Sc.) and holds an advanced degree from the University of Waterloo (Masters in Applied Environmental Studies). She has been teaching policy-related courses at IES EU since Autumn 2011 and also teaches on the topic of renewable energy and climate for the IES Freiburg program.