Making Democracy Fit for Climate

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.