Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2025 (28/07/2025 - 22/11/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
Contemporary environmental problems have undeniably taken on crisis characteristics, which register in immediate local contexts, regionally, internationally, and globally. Scientists and many in the general public agree that political responses to the challenges entailed in this are inadequate, too slow, and too incoherent at present. In this course, we explore a) why this is the case; b) how ecological concerns are nevertheless beginning to reshape political and policy processes; c) what this means for received and entrenched understandings of political thought, political economy, development, and public policy; and how political analysts may or should respond. From climate change to global biodiversity, if you want to find out about 'making rules' for a better future, this course is for you.
This course is intended to cover environmental and ecological change as both, a practical and an analytical political challenge: Not only are we faced with massive transformative pressures as contemporary practices of economic and social development begin to reveal themselves as unsustainable; we are also confronted by a crisis of 'meaning-making', where many routine assumptions about political organization, development and progress turn out to be misleading, and where the categories we have come to rely on to explain our world to us reveal themselves as deeply problematic. To explore this, the course develops and applies three distinct analytical lenses, or 'approaches', discusses case examples through these, and introduces ways of apprehending political possibilities and alternatives.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Politics of Environmental Change is a specialist course at postgraduate level, and the assumption is that participants have good working knowledge of theoretical and methodological approaches in social and political science. Students enrolled in the 2-year duration Masters program should complete all 8 units of their Foundational Courses before enrolling in POLS7115.
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
8 units of compulsory courses in program
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
This course comprises 12 sessions starting in week one. Please note that the semester consists of 13 scheduled teaching weeks. The session in week 10 is designated as 'Reading', and we will not have a lecture or seminar. This is to allow you maximum time to concentrate on your major essay, which is due in the final week of the course.
Aims and outcomes
The overarching aim of the course is to introduce learners comprehensively to the unique challenges posed by global and local anthropogenous ecological change for political organization, and for the conceptual and practical resources on which contemporary political institutions continue to rely.
Assessment
Assessment summary
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Reflection |
Reflection (1000-1200 words)
|
25% |
29/08/2025 2:00 pm |
Essay/ Critique |
Essay (2000-2200 words)
|
35% |
26/09/2025 2:00 pm |
Examination |
Final Exam
|
40% |
End of Semester Exam Period 8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025 |
Assessment details
Reflection (1000-1200 words)
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
29/08/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
The Reflection Assignments in Politics of Environmental Change are designed to give you the opportunity to engage critically and personally with the course content, drawing on your experiences, insights, and questions developed during the first part of the course. The reflection should address material from Weeks 1 to 4, but should be presented as a single, coherent narrative rather than a session-by-session account.
In writing your reflection, focus on what has been particularly significant, thought-provoking, or challenging for you. Consider whether the seminars and readings introduced surprising or unfamiliar perspectives, or whether they deepened or complicated your existing understanding of environmental politics. You are encouraged to critically reflect on how issues were explored, rather than simply summarising content.
You may wish to consider the practical and organizational challenges discussed in the course and how these complicate efforts to conceptualize, propose, and implement political responses to anthropogenic ecological problems. A productive approach to structuring your reflection is to identify key problems or tensions, formulate questions that arise from them, and sketch possible strategies or conceptual pathways for addressing these issues.
Rather than offering a general summary of lectures or seminar discussions, concentrate on elements that resonated with you personally—ideas that challenged your thinking, raised unresolved questions, or opened up new directions for inquiry. Concluding your reflection with questions that remain open for you is a powerful way to demonstrate critical engagement and contribute to the 'learning-feedback loop' that this assignment is intended to foster.
Producing a well-structured, thoughtful, and analytically rich reflection will not only support your academic performance but also serve as a valuable record of your intellectual development during the course. Where relevant, you should cite and reference sources appropriately, using a consistent academic style.
Since the word count range is already specified, no leeway of +/- 10% is allowed.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic, and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submissions independent of AI and MT tools.
All instances of AI or MT must be referenced or acknowledged. Failure to reference the use of generative AI or MT may be considered student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Please submit via the dedicated Turnitin Portal ("REFLECTION") under the 'Assessment'-tab on the Blackboard Site for POLS7115.
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not automatically send this receipt to you.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and check if it's possible to resubmit.
- If you are unable to resubmit, please email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please avoid late submission by applying for extensions in a timely manner (i.e. always before the deadline). Late submissions without legitimate extensions attract a penalty (10% off the total possible score per calendar day).
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Essay (2000-2200 words)
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
26/09/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
You will write a 2000- 2200-word argumentative research essay on one question you choose from the list provided (available via Blackboard).
For your essay, you have to engage with the required as well as recommended readings for POLS7115, in addition to any other academic input you find in your research. Your essay should be written as a well-integrated and consistently argued analysis that engages with the topic in the context of how it is explored and discussed in our course. Avoid serializing self-contained paragraphs, and make sure you reference appropriately throughout, especially with regard to providing full details (including page numbers) where you cite or refer to specific points in your sources.
Presentation: Your essay must be typed (1.5-line-spaced), fully referenced, and include a reference list. You are required to use the author-date in-text referencing system.
Please note that submissions must be made via the designated Turnitin Link (Blackboard), using Word encoding (.doc or .docx extensions); .pdf files are not accepted.
The essay should demonstrate a high standard of grammar, spelling, and general presentation and conform to the standards set out in the School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide.
Since the word count range is already specified, no leeway of +/- 10% is allowed.
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic, and complex. Whilst students may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and/or Machine Translation (MT) technologies, successful completion of the assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.
To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submissions, independent of AI and MT tools.
All instances of AI or MT must be referenced or acknowledged. Failure to reference the use of generative AI or MT may be considered student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not automatically send this receipt to you.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and check if it's possible to resubmit.
- If you are unable to resubmit, please email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Please avoid late submission by applying for extensions in a timely manner (i.e. always before the deadline). Late submissions without legitimate extensions attract a penalty (10% off the total possible score per calendar day).
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Final Exam
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03
Task description
You will need to select and answer two questions from a list of six by writing discursive analytical essays. Ensure that your response is well-structured, logical, and presents your arguments in a progressive and integrated manner.
Your exam and the available questions enable you to synthesize the knowledge you have gained throughout the course. Please make sure to address the chosen question(s) explicitly, clearly, and comprehensively. Since this is a 'closed book' exam, where you reference materials from memory, we do not expect your information to be comprehensive or fully accurate (for example, 'verbatim citations' or the correct year of publication).
Be sure to write legibly and organize your arguments before you begin writing. Take the time to plan your paragraphs and build a logical progression in your essay.
Exam details
Planning time | 10 minutes |
---|---|
Duration | 120 minutes |
Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
Exam platform | Paper based |
Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
You may be able to defer this exam.
In accordance with UQ and HASS Faculty policies governing exams.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
Grade | Description |
---|---|
1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student does not address the question, shows no evidence of reading and minimal comprehension of the issues at hand. |
2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student addresses the question poorly and shows very little evidence of reading. |
3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: The student makes an effort to establish a single major argument for the essay and employs some research which is correlated with the argument. Makes a visible effort to achieve adequate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Evidence of attempting to achieve a recognisable narrative flow appears throughout the assignment. The student addresses the question and shows evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. However, falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. |
4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student makes an effort to establish a single major argument for the essay and employs some research which is correlated with the argument. Makes a visible effort to achieve adequate grammar, spelling and punctuation. Evidence of attempting to achieve a recognisable narrative flow appears throughout the assignment. The student addresses the question and shows evidence of required research and a basic grasp of the issues at hand. However, falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. |
5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student provides suitable evidence to support an argument and employs a comprehensive research base that directly relates to the topic, though it may not completely support the argument. Achieves decent levels of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers the question in a direct, well supported fashion and shows evidence of some wide reading and a reasonable understanding of the issues at hand. |
6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a very good grasp of the chosen topic and provides a considerable amount of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs a reasonably extensive and well-organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and achieves a high level of competence in grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers the question in a direct, reasonably sophisticated fashion, employs wide research and shows a sound understanding of the issues at hand. |
7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: The student demonstrates a highly sophisticated grasp of the topic and succeeds in addressing the question by providing a high level of evidence to support a clearly stated argument. The student employs an extensive and well organised research base to structure evidence in support of the argument and achieves impeccable levels of grammar, spelling, punctuation and narrative flow. The student answers the question in a direct and elegant fashion, employs significant research and shows a deep understanding of the issues at hand. |
Additional course grading information
Grades will be awarded on the following basis:
1. Fail 1 - 19%
2. Fail 20 - 44%
3. Fail 45 - 49%
4. Pass 50 - 64 %
5. Credit 65 - 74 %
6. Distinction 75 - 84 %
7. High Distinction 85 - 100 %
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Word Length Penalty
Unless otherwise indicated, in the case of written submissions with a specified word count, you are given a +10% leeway on the upper word limit. If your written submission is over this leeway limit, it will attract a 10 percentage point penalty. For example, if your essay is 1,500 words, you may write up to 1,650 before attracting a word count penalty. If your essay exceeds the upper word limit, it will attract a 10% word count penalty. Therefore, if your essay is worth 40 marks, you will lose 4 marks from your allotted grade. Unless specified, penalties only apply to exceeding the word length, not for failure to write a sufficient amount.
Students should note:
• The Author-date in-text referencing system will count toward the word length;
• References in the Footnote referencing system will not count toward the word length. If you are using footnotes, any content included in footnotes beyond the specific text reference will count towards the word length.
Marking Criteria/Rubric
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available on Blackboard.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Essay Guide
The School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide can be downloaded from the School’s Student Support webpage.
The Guide sets out guidelines you should follow in preparing written assignments.
Essay Writing Assistance
The School of Political Science and International Studies schedules regular “drop-in” sessions designed to provide one-on-one advice and assistance in essay planning and writing.
There is no need to make an appointment and you are encouraged to bring your essay with you.
The day and time of these sessions will be finalized at the beginning of each semester and published on the Student Support webpage.
Student Services
Student services offer a variety of short courses during the semester which will help you improve your study, research and writing skills and thus your academic performance in this course.
Library Resources
UQ Library offers training in software, assignment writing, research skills, and publishing and research management.
The University’s library holdings for Political Science and International Studies are primarily located in the Central Library.
There is a help desk in the Library. Students are also welcome to contact the BEL/HASS Librarians for assistance.
Email: librarians@library.uq.edu.au
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
---|---|---|
Week 1 (28 Jul - 03 Aug) |
Seminar |
Opening and Survey of Ecological Challenges In the first section of this course, we will outline the program and discuss key environmental challenges. These challenges include climate change, soil erosion, biodiversity loss, pollution (such as plastic in oceans and atmospheric contamination), freshwater shortages, and the decline of the cryosphere. Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Week 2 (04 Aug - 10 Aug) |
Seminar |
Approach I: Global problems, transnational solution We examine contemporary attempts to make sense of transnational (including global) efforts to address environmental degradation issues. International diplomatic activities and institution-building are the focus of research projects such as the Earth Systems Governance (ESG) network. The seminar explores this as one instance of attempts to address the normative and analytical challenges posed by the politics of environmental change in international and global settings. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 3 (11 Aug - 17 Aug) |
Seminar |
Approach II: Political Ecology the bottom-up This lecture introduces and develops the Political Ecology approach as a counter-balance to globally scoped theoretical and practical conceptions of environmental politics such as ESG. Political Ecology emerged from human geography and has been concerned with studying and understanding the impacts and implications of the framing of environmental politics at levels above the biomes and landscapes inhabited by human communities. This complements approaches like ESG but also raises important criticisms of the latter. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 4 (18 Aug - 24 Aug) |
Seminar |
Approach III: Ecology as integral to Politics The third and final instalment of our Approaches segment is dedicated to exploring what we may call relational ways: In many Indigenous philosophical systems, law, politics, and ethics are integrally connected with the land, place, and all the life it sustains, without inhibiting the pursuit of human needs and objectives. The lecture covers some examples and reconstructs some key reasons why political thought couched in (broadly) Eurocentric, science-oriented registers has such difficulties understanding such relational ways of knowing and acting. The final section of the lecture brings the three Approaches together, as each represents different political and analytical possibilities. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 5 (25 Aug - 31 Aug) |
Seminar |
Three Approaches in Context: 'Extractivism' The dependence on various mineral resources has led to a rapid expansion of mining activities globally, with some even predicting future mining explorations in space. In this lecture, we will utilise the three approaches we developed during the first part of the course to examine the political and policy tensions surrounding these operations. We will examine how various interests, power dynamics, and political perspectives intersect and influence one another. Additionally, we will consider the future of mining, particularly in light of technological advancements and the increasing demand for new resources in post-fossil fuel economies. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 6 (01 Sep - 07 Sep) |
Seminar |
Three Approaches in Context: The Example of Climate Mitigation In this seminar, we focus on the politics of climate change, using our three approaches frame. ESG envisages international institutional transformations and a realignment of policy priorities globally that would be facilitated through such reforms. Political Ecology considers the consequences and implications of such attempts at coordinated action and poses the question of who is burdened with having to change against the backdrop of ecological impacts. Indigenous political thought instead offers different institutional ideas and ways of reconfiguring what could be done to address both the implications of climate change and the dynamics that keep contributing to it. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 7 (08 Sep - 14 Sep) |
Seminar |
Three Approaches in Context: Fisheries Marine and fresh-water fisheries are an important food-source, but also pose significant challenges in terms of environmental impacts. Well take the three framings to investigate how fisheries resources are configured within each and consider what conflicts might arise when different political orientations towards managing these confront each other in practical settings. The ESG approach is consistent with sustainable intensification, political ecology stresses the dilemmas into which local fisheries are forced by national and transnational regulation and competition, and indigenous or artisanal approaches stress the co-dependencies of fish, humans and maintenance of habitat integrity. All three have implications for what may or may not be done to address policy problems with environmental impacts of fisheries. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 8 (15 Sep - 21 Sep) |
Seminar |
Ecology and Political Conflict We turn to Peace and Conflict, questioning what ecological change and society/nature relations have to do with this. It seems intuitive that inter-community conflicts have environmental impacts and implications. Conversely, there appears to be much less general appreciation of how human relations with the natural world may drive such conflicts. In this lecture, we explore this by focusing on how different ways of organising and institutionalising societal relations with nature may drive the politics of conflict and/or confrontation. We examine two examples—one more obvious and one less so—with the aim of developing an understanding of the challenges of analysing and resolving such conflicts. In this context, we deepen our understanding of the limitations of received conceptions of politics, complementing our three approaches' learnings. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 9 (22 Sep - 28 Sep) |
Seminar |
Managing Ecological Change In this session, we will discuss and investigate the politics of economic choices in greater detail. It is clear and well-established that the dominant capitalist model of economic development and accumulation has accelerated and exacerbated many of the negative trends we currently face in environmental change and crisis. Today, we will examine those attempts to green global economic activities that operate from the premises of the current system and aim to include additional environmental safeguards and components. One of these attempts, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) initiative, argues that valuing nature is key to protecting it. We will unpack that approach and explore its potentials and problems. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Mid Sem break (29 Sep - 05 Oct) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break No Seminar |
Week 10 (06 Oct - 12 Oct) |
Practical |
Essay Writing Week Public holiday for the King's birthday. The session will not be rescheduled. Use this week for reading and writing. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 11 (13 Oct - 19 Oct) |
Seminar |
Alternatives? We continue with the theme of ecology and political economy. Are there alternatives to contemporary growth imperatives? We consider three: 1) Ecological Modernisation Theory, which effectively argues for technology-driven, rapid, greened modernisation by way of escalating efficiency. 2) Social Ecology, which draws from ideas about ecologically embedded political autonomy and has been put into practice in part by Kurdish followers of Abdullah Ocalan. 3) Restorative Ecology/Agriculture, which comprises projects directed at reversing damaged landscapes or improving biodiversity. What economies and economics do such alternatives require? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 12 (20 Oct - 26 Oct) |
Seminar |
Political Institutions & Political Theories Building on the previous sessions, we revisit the three approaches from the first part of the course. This time, we focus on the question of political institutions and their justifications. Political theories concern themselves with how and about what rules should be established that may be deemed binding, legitimate, and comprehensive. In various ways, the contemporary ecological crisis has exposed the inadequacies of competing political theories. What can we derive from the three approaches towards more appropriate expressions of justified political organisation, both regarding the Social Question and the Ecological Question? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 13 (27 Oct - 02 Nov) |
Seminar |
Summary The final lecture begins where we left off last week and reflects on the course and the topics we have covered. Our main objective is to determine how our exploration of the Politics of Environmental Change has allowed us to examine significant aspects of the issues at hand. How can we, as researchers, prepare ourselves to further our interest in this field? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.