06260270 - Geopolitics and Sustainability: crossing viewpoints

This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of the geopolitics issues related to sustainability. We will analyze how sustainability concerns, such as climate change, energy transition, raw materials and commodities… are reshaping geopolitics landscapes, influencing State behavior, and driving international cooperation and conflict. We will assess and analyze the changes at play through the geopolitics prism. Regarding the geopolitics of sustainability, Its most urgent aspect is related to climate change. The geopolitics of climate change is a complex and multifaceted field that examines the geopolitical, economic, and social implications of climate change, affecting the international relations, the national security of States, and the global governance. The third aspect of this course examines the profound geopolitics shifts driven by the global transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources. It explores how this transition is reshaping energy markets, altering power dynamics between states, and creating new opportunities and challenges for international cooperation. We will analyze the geopolitics, economics, social, and technological dimensions of the energy transition, considering its implications for the global governance, global security, development, and environmental sustainability. The last issue addressed in this course aim to analyze in regard to the geopolitics of sustainability is the geopolitics of raw materials and commodities. The impact of climate change, the development of the digital economy and the energy transition is implying new needs and new demand on rarer raw materials like rare earths, lithium, cobalt… New actors are also emerging. Concerns about the security of supply of resources, and a non-level playing field regarding economic competitiveness and innovation have pushed governments around the world to formulate nationalistic strategies, among them natural resource strategies. We will analyze how access to and control over raw materials and commodities shape geopolitical strategies, through resource competition, resource nationalism and supply chain security.

Estimation of private study (outside of contact hours): 12 hours

TARGETED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 

ILOS - Learning objectives
Communication, collaboration, reflexivity [10 T].
Communicate effectively orally and in writing [10.3]
Analysis, problem solving and critical thinking [11 T]

COURSE OUTLINE

Geopolitics of sustainability
-Introduction: Defining sustainability, its dimensions, and its geopolitical significance.
-Climate Change and Geopolitics: The political economy of climate change, international climate negotiations, and the geopolitical implications of climate impacts.
-Energy transition and Geopolitics: The shift to renewable energy, its geopolitical implications, and the future of energy systems. Winners and loosers of the transtion.
-Resource Scarcity and Geopolitics: The geopolitics of water, food, energy, and minerals; resource conflicts and cooperation.
-Biodiversity Loss and Geopolitics: The importance of biodiversity, drivers of biodiversity loss, and the geopolitical implications of ecosystem degradation.
-Environmental Governance: The role of international institutions, treaties, and agreements in addressing sustainability issues.

Geopolitics of climate change
-Introduction: Defining climate change, its drivers, and its geopolitical significance.
-The social impacts of climate change: vulnerability, inequality, and displacement
-Climate change and security: conflict, migration, and disaster relief
-Climate change and global governance: the role of international institutions and 
Agreements
-The politics of climate change: international negotiations, national policies, and interest groups
-The economics of climate change: market failures, carbon pricing, and green technologies

Geopolitics of the energy transition
-Introduction: Defining the energy transition, its drivers, and its geopolitical significance.
-Geopolitics of Energy: Oil, natural gas, and renewable energy; energy security, transit routes, and geopolitical influence.
-The legacy of fossil fuels, their influence on international relations, and the challenges of phasing them out.
-Renewable Energy and Geopolitics: The rise of renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydro, etc.) and their impact on energy security and geopolitical power.
-Energy Transition and Security: The implications of the energy transition for energy security, resource competition, and conflict.

Geopolitics of raw materials and commodities
-Introduction: Defining the raw materials, commodities, its drivers, and its geopolitical significance.
-Defining the resource curse and resource blessing.
-Geopolitics of Water: Water scarcity, transboundary water disputes, and the role of water in international relations.
-Geopolitics of Agricultural Commodities and Food Security: Food as a weapon; land grabs, water scarcity, and the geopolitics of agriculture.
-Geopolitics of Critical Minerals: The growing importance of critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements) for renewable energy technologies and the geopolitical competition for their control.
-Resource Nationalism: State control over natural resources; nationalization, export restrictions, and sovereign wealth funds.
-Supply Chain Security: the geopolitics of supply chains; diversification and resilience.
-Environmental Dimensions: Sustainable resource management and the environmental impact of resource extraction.

Conclusion

Books:
-Barnett, J. (2003). "The Meaning of Environmental Security: Ecological Politics and Policy in the New Security Era." Zed Books.
-Bridge, G. (2018). Energy and geopolitics. Polity.
-Dalby, S. (2013). Security and environmental change. Routledge.
-Daly, H. E. (1996). Beyond growth: The economics of sustainable development. Beacon Press. 
-Dauvergne, P. (2016). "Environmentalism of the Rich." MIT Press.
-Falkner, R. (2012). "Global Environmentalism and World Politics." Polity.
-Hommel, D. (2008). "The Rise of Resource Nationalism." International Institute for Sustainable Development.
-Hulme, M. (2009). Why we disagree about climate change: Understanding controversy, inaction and opportunity. Cambridge University Press.
-Kaplan, R. D. (2009). "The Revenge of Geography: What the Map Tells Us About Coming Conflicts and the Battle Against Fate." Random House.
-Keohane, R. O., & Victor, D. G. (2016). Cooperation and discord in global climate policy. Nature Climate Change.
-Klare, M. T. (2001). Resource wars: The new landscape of global conflict. Henry Holt and Company.
-Meadows, D. H., Meadows, D. L., Randers, J., & Behrens, W. W. (1972). The limits to growth. Universe Books.
-O'Sullivan, M. (2021). Windfall: How the new energy revolution will change the world. Simon & Schuster. 
-Sachs, J. D. (2008). "Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet." Penguin. 

Articles:
-Barnett, J., & Adger, W. N. (2007). "Climate Change, Human Security and Violent Conflict." Political Geography, 26(6), 639-655.
-Dalby, S. (2002). "Environmental Security: Discourses and Practices." Global Environmental Change, 12(2), 95-102.
-Falkner, R. (2005). "Private Environmental Governance and International Relations: Exploring the Links." Global Environmental Politics, 5(2), 58-75.
-Klare, M. T. (2001). "Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict." Henry Holt and Co.
-Litfin, K. T. (1997). "The Greening of Sovereignty: From Environmental Norms to Multilateral Rules." International Studies Quarterly, 41(4), 693-718.

Reports:
-IPCC, 2021: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
-UN (United Nations). (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Journals:
-Global Environmental Politics
-Environmental Science & Policy
-Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences
-Nature Climate Change
-Energy Policy
-Resources Policy

Individual grade
Personal written assignment
Home work 12h

Other grade(s)
Grading during class
Case study - Oral presentation, 1h

Weight: 70% / 30%

TEACHING METHODS
- Lectures
- Case studies

NATURE OF MATERIALS
Case studies based on recent press articles 

TEACHING INNOVATIONS AND USE OF TECHNOLOGY
Moodle platform 

ADVISED PRIOR READING
- Sachs, J. D. (2015). The age of sustainable development. Columbia University Press.