The interconnected ecological, economic and social issues – also referred to as multiple crises – have been intensifying within the last decades, and reached a state of emergency particularly with regards to climate change. Populations all over the world have been subject to more or less severe effects of the warming up of the climate system, exposing the close relation between inequality and environmental degradation. The by now overwhelming body of data and climate science research point to the anthropogenic activities as the core drivers of the destabilization of the climate system, thus placing us, humans, and the make-up of our economies as the clear contributors, or even creators of this destabilization. A large part of younger generations have been loudly shouting out their concerns about the future of them and the generations to come on school strikes initiated by Greta Thunberg and spreading globally. Yet, despite this reality, with the average temperatures rising, a wave of skeptics and so-called climate deniers has also been on the rise. In this course, we explore the intricate relationship between the economy and the environment, and look particularly into the global climate change and various inequalities pertinent to it. The students are invited to critically and actively reflect on the socio-political context and institutional landscape of the current environmental & climatic changes.

The course includes eight block sessions:

Session 1 - October 14^th: Introduction & Movie Screening

Session 2 - October 21^st: The Economy, Environment, and Climate Change·

Session 3 – October 28^th: Consequences of Economic Inequality

Session 4 - November 4^th: Environmental Inequality (1): Exposure inequality and disaster vulnerability 

Session 5 - November 11^th: Environmental Inequality (2): Movie screening

Session 6 - December 2^nd: Inequality in the age of digitalization·

Session 7 - December 9th: Environmental and Climate Justice

Session 8 - December 16^th: Exploring the EJ Atlas & Reflection 

After completion of the course, students will have acquired knowledge about the social and ecological context of economic activitiy. They will acquire a comprehensive perspective and understand how the economy is embedded in social context. Students will realise that their actions in their later professional life will have implications on society and environment, that they carry social responsibility and that they can contribute to longterm sustainable development. They will acquire transferable skills and competences such as self-reflection, sensibility for diversity and understanding of complex relationships that are the economy. They will be able to engage with and critically analyse information, understand problems, think about solutions for them and communicate those effectively.

Examination-immanent courses (PI) have compulsory attendance.
In case of absence the lecturer is to be informed in advance if possible.
More detailed regulations on absenteeism will be explained in the first unit.

• Lectures
• Student Presentations
• Class Discussions

• Active in-class participation 30%
• Presentation & handout 40%:
• Reflection paper 30%

Course enrollment is on the basis of "first-come, first-served” principle. If you have registered but cannot participate in the course, please de-register via LPIS during the registration period so that your course is available to students on the waiting list.

If there is a waiting list for enrollment in the course, students at the waiting list will be notified after the end of the enrollment period, and will be allocated to available places. Students will be ranked by their study progress not by their rank on the waiting list.

This procedure, however, is not to be understood as a place guarantee!