GV591-7-AU-CO:
Comparative Environmental Politics
2025/26
Government
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 02 October 2025
Friday 12 December 2025
15
08 January 2026
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
MA F7D412 Environmental Futures with Climate Change,
MSC F7D412 Environmental Futures with Climate Change
This module provides a comprehensive introduction to the domestic politics of environmental issues from a comparative (cross-national and sub-national) perspective, drawing on concepts from comparative politics, political behavior, and public policy.
The module begins by exploring domestic perceptions of environmental issues and the challenges associated with environmental and climate policy inaction. We then examine environmental politics at various levels, starting with individual-level values, and progressing to the organized politics of the environmental movement, interest groups, political parties, and governmental and international institutions.
At each level, the course aims to understand why some countries implement more climate and environmental policies than others, and what political and policy solutions exist to address environmental challenges.
The aims of this module are:
- To provide students with the necessary analytical foundations to conduct theoretical and empirical research on the environment.
- To engage with a wide range of applied material relating to comparative environmental politics.
- To generate ideas and design a study that engages with contemporary environmental issues in a theoretically sound and empirically aware perspective.
- To develop the skills required to effectively communicate complex ideas and concepts regarding environmental politics.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of environmental issues and the challenges and strategies in implementing timely responses to climate change at national and sub-national levels.
- Demontrate the ability to effectively communicate their knowledge and understanding of environmental politics through a variety of academic formats, both written and verbal.
Employability related skills that students will develop are:
- Successfully applying theory and evidence to support argument.
- Building advanced analytical and writing skills by engaging with case studies and gaining proficiency in interpreting observational and experimental data, drawing on readings from academic journals.
- Sharing knowledge with others to inform and educate them and help them to realise their own goals and objectives.
- Critically evaluate policies and political phenomena by applying theoretical frameworks, evidence, and normative perspective
- Develop policy recommendations that address contemporary climate and environmental issues through a theoretically rigorous and empirically informed approach.
No additional information available.
The module will be delivered via:
- a weekly two-hour seminar. Students are expected to read for all classes.
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Steinberg, P.F. and VanDeveer, S.D. (2012) Comparative environmental politics: theory, practice, and prospects. 1st ed. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.
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Planetary Boundaries and Earth System Boundaires: Making Sense of the Science. (no date).
-
'The New Political Economy of Climate Change' (2025)
World Politics, 77(1), pp. 155–194. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1353/wp.2025.a950025.
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Aklin, M. and Mildenberger, M. (2020) 'Prisoners of the Wrong Dilemma: Why Distributive Conflict, Not Collective Action, Characterizes the Politics of Climate Change',
Global Environmental Politics, 20(4), pp. 4–27. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1162/glep_a_00578.
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Shen, S.V. (2024) 'Can Autocracy Handle Climate Change?',
PS: Political Science & Politics, 57(4), pp. 487–492. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S104909652400026X.
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Kakenmaster, W. (2025) 'The Fossil-Fueled Roots of Climate Inaction in Authoritarian Regimes',
Perspectives on Politics, 23(2), pp. 415–433. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592724000793.
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Finnegan, J.J. (2022) 'Institutions, Climate Change, and the Foundations of Long-Term Policymaking',
Comparative Political Studies, 55(7), pp. 1198–1235. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/00104140211047416.
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Finnegan, J.J. (2023) 'Changing Prices in a Changing Climate: Electoral Competition and Fossil Fuel Taxation',
Comparative Political Studies, 56(8), pp. 1257–1290. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1177/00104140221141853.
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John Loughlin, John Kincaid, and Wilfried Swenden (2013) Routledge Handbook of Regionalism and Federalism. Taylor & Francis Group.
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Roesler, S. (2013) 'Federalism and Local Authority: Empowering Local Governments to Address Environmental Problems',
SSRN Electronic Journal [Preprint]. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2323891.
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Arndt, C., Halikiopoulou, D. and Vrakopoulos, C. (2023) 'The centre-periphery divide and attitudes towards climate change measures among Western Europeans',
Environmental Politics, 32(3), pp. 381–406. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2022.2075155.
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GAIKWAD, N., GENOVESE, F. and TINGLEY, D. (2022) 'Creating Climate Coalitions: Mass Preferences for Compensating Vulnerability in the World's Two Largest Democracies',
American Political Science Review, 116(4), pp. 1165–1183. Available at:
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055422000223.
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Carter, N. (2018)
The politics of the environment: ideas, activism, policy. Third edition. New York: Cambridge University Press. Available at:
https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/349310.
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Ryan Holifield, Jay Chakraborty, and Gordon Walker (2017) The Routledge Handbook of Environmental Justice. Taylor & Francis Group.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's
reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
GV591 Reading Recommendation |
14/11/2025 |
10% |
| Coursework |
GV591 Presentation |
08/12/2025 |
25% |
| Coursework |
GV591 Policy Report |
16/01/2026 |
65% |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Diane Bolet, email: diane.bolet@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Diane Bolet
Module Supervisor: Dr Diane Bolet, diane.bolet@essex.ac.uk / Student Administrator: pgtgovquery@essex.ac.uk
No
Yes
No
Dr Adrian Florea
University of Glasgow
Senior Lecturer in International Relations
Available via Moodle
Of 20 hours, 20 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.
Government
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