International Environmental Negotiation



This course will introduce students to the exciting world of negotiations that address environmental issues that cross international borders. Negotiated agreements are the primary approach to managing complex, transboundary environmental issues and are becoming increasingly important as countries, intergovernmental organizations and non-state actors engage with and craft policies to address issues as far-ranging as climate change, land use change, wildlife conservation, food insecurity, water management and marine pollution. There is still a lot of work to be done! Some of these negotiations are ongoing, while other treaties have been concluded and are being renegotiated. This course will integrate general concepts and cases related to negotiation and the crafting of international agreements with negotiation simulations designed to help students develop their own negotiating skills. Students will learn about addressing issues particular to environmental negotiations, such as scientific complexity and uncertainty, as well as issues common to all multiparty negotiations, including different sources of power and coalition dynamics.



Required Text:



Susskind, Lawrence E., Environmental Diplomacy: Negotiating More Effective Global Agreements, Oxford University Press, 1994.