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853-0024-00L 2 Credits

International Environmental Politics

Internationale Umwelt- und Ressourcenpolitik

Lecturers & Examiners: Prof. Dr. Thomas Bernauer
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-02-05 14:56:48

Abstract

This course deals with the conditions under which cooperation in international environmental politics emerges and the conditions under which such cooperation is effective and/or efficient.

Objective

The objective of this course is (1) to gain an overview of relevant questions in the area of international environ-mental politics from a social scientific point of view; (2) to learn how to identify interesting/innovative questions on this topic and how to answer them in a methodologically sophisticated way; (3) to receive an overview of important global and regional environmental problems.

Content

This course deals with the questions how and why international cooperation within the field of environmental and resource politics emerges, and under which circumstances this cooperation is effective and efficient. Based on theories of international political economy and positive theories of regulation, various examples of international envi-ronmental and resource politics are discussed: the problem of insecure nuclear plants in eastern Europe, the man-agement of international rivers, the political reactions to global warming, the protection of the ozone layer, the re-duction of large-scale air pollution in Europe, the regulation of international trade of toxic waste, the international protection of species as well as questions of cross-border consumer protection. The first part of each session will be conducted as a lecture. During the following colloquium, specific aspects of the lecture are discussed in detail. Stu-dents of the ETH Zurich are eligible for the first part of each session only, but are granted the opportunity to acquire the second credit point with the completion of a written final paper.

Resources

Lecture Notes

The relevant material is available at the library of the Center for International Studies (CIS) of the ETH Zurich (Seilergraben 49). A password that will be announced at the beginning of the course allows access to further documents on the web (seewww.ib.ethz.chsection on teaching).

Literature

Vgl. Kursunterlagen, www.bernauer.ethz.ch (teaching, courses, Internationale Umwelt- und Ressourcenpolitik)

General Information

Language
German
Frequency
Yearly recurring

Examination

Type
end-of-semester examination

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture Internationale Umwelt- und Ressourcenpolitik
  • Fri 13:15-15:00 (HG F 3)
2 h weekly

Offered In