This is the foundation course for the Post-Degree Certificate in Climate Change Policy (CCPC). An overview of current scientific information about climate change, including adaptation and mitigation as well as the fundamentals of public policy development, implementation and evaluation will be delivered. Students will analyze climate change information and discuss its importance for making informed, un-biased recommendations for public policy initiatives.

The climate change modules will be based on the authoritative frameworks established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These modules will examine changes observed in the climate system and explain the related interactive natural processes, including natural and anthropogenic drivers. Because traditional knowledge and indigenous worldviews have value, they will be given full and fair consideration in developing a comprehensive perspective on climate change. In addition, the course explores the impacts of climate change on natural and human systems and discusses adaptation and mitigation concepts.

The policy modules will provide a solid understanding of the various fields, tools and stages of policy development, from analysis to evaluation, and include public policy analysis in an indigenous government setting. These modules also explore the relationship between law and public policy, as well as the role of legal institutions in setting public policy.