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Climate Science for Decision-Making (ATOC90002)

Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

Availability
Semester 1
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This subject focuses on how to access and understand basic climate science and data and how to accurately communicate to a broader audience. The subject covers the fundamentals of climate science, including the physics and chemistry of climate change, future climate projections, climate extremes, and the interactions between the atmosphere and land, forests and the oceans. The subject also interrogates how global changes in climate lead to impacts on society, ecosystems, and economies. The subject has a particular focus on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. To develop practical skills, students will make use of these scientific reports and concepts learnt in class to prepare short assessments that clearly and concisely communicate and translate aspects of climate science. The course culminates in a negotiation session where students take on the role of a state representative within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

 

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

  • Identify the key components of the climate system, including their feedbacks, complexity and variability across a range of time-scales;
  • Discuss the relevance of climate data, scenarios and uncertainties to decision-making;
  • Analyse climate impacts on human and natural systems;
  • Navigate and discuss climate science presented in the IPCC Assessment Reports, scientific peer-reviewed literature and the media;
  • Debate differing international perspectives and policy options pertaining to climate issues; and
  • Analyse and differentiate between climate policy positions based on varying understandings and uses of climate science.

Generic skills

  • Demonstrate advanced independent critical enquiry and analysis and the ability to apply these in a negotiation setting
  • Apply a strong sense of intellectual integrity and ethics of scholarship
  • Produce high-level writing and verbal communication
  • Think critically and creatively, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
  • Critically examine, synthesise and evaluate knowledge across a range of disciplines
  • Analyse and prepare evidence to support informed decision-making

Last updated: 8 November 2024