FE401 Environmental- and Energy Politics

Contents and structure

The course will provide an introduction to the most important environmental discourses and an introduction to methods used to analyze environmental impacts of technical systems and products, with an emphasis on consequencial analysis, life-cycle assessment and ecological footprints. An introduction to sustainable development will also be given, in particular in relation to development of renewable energy. The course will give a fundamental overview over policy instruments and requirements stimulating increased production and use of renewable energy in Norway. The course provides an introduction to the most important environmental consequences of increased production and use of renewable energy, and the debate in society in relation to this. 

The course will give an historical review over Norwegian environmental- and energy politics, and emphasis will be put on understanding the development and background of the current system from a societal perspective. An overview of the most important actors and elements in international energy politics will also be given. The course will provide a thorough introduction to the licence procedure for energy plants based on the legal and practical process based on requirements in the licence procedure. An introduction to qualitative methods will be given, in particular interviews, to use in the project assignment. 

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

• The students will have knowledge about the most important environmental discourses.
• The student should know about sustainability, UN sustainability goals, and have knowledge about the most important challenges related to renewable energy.
• The students will have knowledge about the most common methods for environmental consequential analysis and asses these in relation to environment and sustainability. 
• The students will have knowledge about how an environmental impact assessment of a energy plant is done.
• The students will have fundamental knowledge about the most important actors and policy instruments in national and international energy politics. 
• The students will have knowledge about the most important policy instruments in order to stimulate to increased production and use of renewable energy.
• The students will have knowledge about different types of printed and digital sources and key Norwegian scientific databases.

Skills

• The students should be able to develop parts of an application for license for an energy plant.
• The students should be able to use interviews and document analysis in the project assignment.
• The students should be able to search and find relevant scientific literature in key Norwegian databases.

Competence

• The student should have fundamental competence about the most important environmental discourses, energy- and environmental policy tools and the most common methods for environmental impact assessment.
• The student should be able to develop parts of an application for license for an power plant.

Entry requirements

None

Recommended previous knowledge

None

Teaching methods

Lectures, guest lectures, group work, assignments and excursion. Students who are not able to participate on the excursion will be given an additional work requirement. 

Compulsory learning activities

Two (2) written assignments consisting of 500-1000 words without references. Two of two assignments must be approved (passed) before one may take the exam. 

Assessment

Written group based project assignment with groups of 2-5 students, of at least 5000 words (excluding reference list). Individual adjusting oral exam based on the project assignment.

If a student fails or want to improve the grade, a new project assignment have to be submitted. 

Grading scale A-F, where F represents a fail.

Examination support material

All

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