PS 300 Global Climate Law

Spring 2027

Global Climate Law

An engagement seminar on the politics of the global climate regime — treaties, court rulings, and movement claims read as political bargains. Who wins, who loses, and whose voices shaped the law? Taught from the global majority: you will interview practitioners, expand Wikipedia's coverage of Global South climate politics, and submit your own writing to a real institution.

Schedule & readings Full syllabus Add to calendar

Course at a glance

Meets
Monday & Wednesday, 10:30–11:50 am
Location
108 David Kinley Hall
Instructor
Dr. Cleo O'Brien-Udry
Office hours
TBD · 309 David Kinley Hall
Email
coudry@illinois.edu

Grading

  • 15%Seminar participation
    Includes leading two sessions (one Anchor, one Application) and rotating through five reading-group roles.
  • 10%Weekly reading responses
    400 words, due Sundays at 11:59 pm. Best 8 of 13 count.
  • 25%Practitioner interview series
    Three recorded interviews about one non-Annex-I country, plus a 6-page synthesis paper due at the end of Week 12 (Sun 4/18).
  • 20%Wikipedia expansion
    At least 1,500 sourced words added to a Global South climate article, live by Week 9, plus a reflection memo in Week 13.
  • 20%Public submission
    A rulemaking comment filed to a real docket, or an op-ed pitched to a real outlet. Sent in Week 13.
  • 10%Three-Futures Debate
    Coalition debate on Wed 5/5, plus a 2-page position memo.

Three engagement projects — interviews, Wikipedia, and a public submission — make up 65% of the grade.

Weeks

  1. Week 1The distributive politics of a "super-wicked" problem; the IPCC as political institutionWed Jan 20
  2. Week 2The UNFCCC regime and the politics of differentiation (CBDR)Mon Jan 25 · Wed Jan 27
  3. Week 3Who speaks for the South? G77, AOSIS, BASIC, the V20Mon Feb 1 · Wed Feb 3
  4. Week 4Regime complexity, polycentric governance, climate clubsMon Feb 8 · Wed Feb 10
  5. Week 5Asset revaluation and the political economy of decarbonizationMon Feb 15 · Wed Feb 17
  6. Week 6Comparative climate politics I: capture at the national and subnational levelsMon Feb 22 · Wed Feb 24
  7. Week 7Comparative climate political economy II: petrostates, China, IndiaMon Mar 1 · Wed Mar 3
  8. Week 8Africa, extractive politics, and just transitionMon Mar 8 · Wed Mar 10
  9. Week 9Small island states and the politics of existential threatMon Mar 22 · Wed Mar 24
  10. Week 10Climate, conflict, and displacementMon Mar 29 · Wed Mar 31
  11. Week 11Climate justice, coloniality, indigenous claimsMon Apr 5 · Wed Apr 7
  12. Week 12Public opinion, social movements, and the politics of beliefMon Apr 12 · Wed Apr 14
  13. Week 13Loss and damage and the politics of climate finance reformMon Apr 19 · Wed Apr 21
  14. Week 14Climate litigation as transnational politicsMon Apr 26 · Wed Apr 28
  15. Week 15Capstone: the Three-Futures DebateMon May 3 · Wed May 5

Follow the field

Follow at least one of these news sources all semester, and keep the primary texts handy.