Formation/Cours

The term “Anthropocene”, the so-called ‘human age’, refers to the current epoch in Earth’s history in which human activities have become a dominant force shaping planetary systems, to the extent that they constitute a defining geological influence. The Anthropocene is marked by a range of interrelated global challenges, including anthropogenic climate change driven by fossil fuel use, deforestation, and industrial production; accelerating biodiversity loss and habitat destruction, frequently referred to as the “sixth mass extinction”; profound alterations of the Earth’s surface through mining, urbanisation, and industrial agriculture; and pervasive forms of pollution, such as plastics, chemicals, and greenhouse gases, which affect air, water, and soil quality and pose serious environmental and public health risks.

“Governing the Anthropocene” refers to the political, social, and ethical challenge of responding to these transformations in a context where human societies are both the drivers of planetary change and those most affected by its consequences. It raises fundamental questions about responsibility, power, justice, knowledge, and the capacity of existing governance systems to address complex, long-term, and transboundary environmental crises. Addressing these challenges requires rethinking political institutions, governance mechanisms, and normative frameworks in order to enable more sustainable and just forms of human-environment interaction.

This course offers an introduction to the politics and global governance of environmental and sustainability issues in the era of the Anthropocene. Drawing on political science and environmental social sciences, it introduces students to key concepts and debates, including global governance, knowledge and expertise, sustainability, democracy, and justice in the Anthropocene. The course further examines major policy domains and sectoral challenges, such as the governance of climate change, energy transitions, food systems, biodiversity, and infectious disease outbreaks. The final session is devoted to reflecting on future pathways for governing the Anthropocene and the prospects for transformative change.

The learning outcomes of the course are to develop an understanding of contemporary environmental and climate challenges; to engage with and critically assess key texts, concepts, and theories related to the Anthropocene and global environmental and sustainability governance; and to acquire the analytical skills needed to identify and critically examine the values, tensions, and conflicts underlying political claims and policy debates on environmental issues.