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Making Climate Adaptation Happen: Governing Transformation Strategies for Climate Change

Explore how adaptive governance could help policymakers plan for and manage sudden environmental changes.

6,614 enrolled on this course

Making Climate Adaptation Happen: Governing Transformation Strategies for Climate Change

6,614 enrolled on this course

  • 4 weeks

  • 4 hours per week

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Intermediate level

Find out more about how to join this course

Learn the governance tools to respond to climate change

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governing bodies across the globe.

On this course, you will be introduced to climate science, the societal effects of climate change, and the responses already available in the form of climate adaptation.

Identify why climate change adaptation is important

Adaptive governance is a term used to describe an approach to managing the uncertainty posed by rapid environmental changes in a more responsive manner than traditional modes of governance.

As such, it could be a vital governance tool in the fight against climate change. Being able to nimbly react to fast-changing environmental crises requires certain skill-sets that many governing bodies currently lack.

Create a climate change adaptation plan

Learning alongside experts in governance and adaptation strategies, you’ll examine the science behind climate change, exploring the terminology and facts behind what it is and how we adapt to it.

You’ll summarise the development of the current architecture of global governance for dealing with climate change.

Differentiate climate change adaptation and mitigation policies

Exploring the costs and benefits of climate adaptation versus climate mitigation, you’ll identify the governance and social science theories that can help tackle environmental change, and the role international climate finance can play.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 3 seconds HELLEN DAWO: From the rapid melting of the ice in the Arctic and the Tibetan Plateau, risks to water supply in South Africa and increased temperatures in Australia, climate change is a global issue that affects each continent deeply. The scientific evidence calls for action from everyone. This is a story that you may have heard, time and time again. However, what is the scientific evidence? Who is the IPCC? What have global leaders been doing? Are they doing enough? And how can we, as organisations, adapt and respond to climate change? Think of using subsidies to stimulate organic farming, changing policies that encourage use of public transport, or redesign public space. A lot of these decisions are influenced by other actors.

Skip to 1 minute and 6 seconds These different actors, on global, national, and local levels, make decisions, or don’t that affect day-to-day life. The organisation of how decisions about society are made make up governance. Governance decisions determine how much we pay for the food in the supermarket. They determine the amount and quality of water flowing from the tap, and the security of our electricity supply. This online course on climate adaptation governance was created by an experienced multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Groningen, in cooperation with the Global Centre on Adaptation. Together, we will provide you with the latest scientific information on climate change, theories of governance, and finance in relation to climate governance.

Skip to 2 minutes and 4 seconds With this, we hope to provide you with a wider perspective on climate adaptation governance, which will help you in your work or studies. Join us.

What topics will you cover?

  • Climate science and controversies
  • Climate adaptation governance
  • Climate finance
  • Nature-based solutions

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe the natural science background of climate impacts and climate adaptation based on scientific facts and terminology.
  • Summarise the historical development of the global governance architecture for climate adaptation.
  • Identify relevant governance and social science theories in the context of climate adaptation.
  • Reflect on the role of international climate finance for climate adaptation.
  • Assess climate adaptation governance from an integrated and global vantage point.

Who is the course for?

This course is developed for current and future environmental policy professionals working in both the public and private sectors. It will also appeal to students or professionals interested or working in political science, environmental management, risk management, governance studies, and other related social science fields.

Who will you learn with?

Project Officer Interreg North Sea Region/PhD Research University of Groningen - Campus Fryslan. My research includes sustainable entrepreneurship and business model innovation in sensitive ecologies

Assistant Professor Governance & Innovation, University of Groningen

Research focus on climate adaptation, governance, technology, innovation

https://twitter.com/kschulz_rug
www.rug.nl/staff/k.a.schulz

Who developed the course?

University of Groningen

The University of Groningen is a research university with a global outlook, deeply rooted in Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands.

Global Center on Adaptation

The international organization GCA acts as a solutions broker to accelerate adaptation action, partnering with the public and private sector to learn and work together for a climate-resilient future.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$27.99

For the first two months. Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$134/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 16 Apr 2024

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

T&Cs apply.

Learning on FutureLearn

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  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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