MSc in Climate Change students, staff make submission to government consultation

Students and staff teaching on DCU’s new MSc in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society have made a collaborative submission to the Irish Government’s public consultation on Ireland’s National Energy & Climate Plan 2021-2030.

Under new EU rules, member states are required to formulate a “National Energy & Climate Plan” that sets a course for the period from 2021 to 2030. In October 2018, the Irish Government launched an initial public consultation seeking views on the content of Ireland’s plan.

Students and staff teaching on the MSc in Climate Change were invited to participate in preparing a collaborative submission to the consultation. The process was run on an opt-in basis, meaning that the submission does not necessarily represent the views of all students and staff.

While the use of simulation and role play exercises have been widely adopted as pedagogical methods, this student experience was unusual and innovative in giving students the opportunity to participate in formulating a submission to an actual government consultation. It deepened their subject knowledge while also developing transferrable skills, including research, argumentation, and writing for a wide audience.

A preparatory workshop was held on 6 November, facilitated by Dr. Diarmuid Torney (School of Law and Government) and Prof. Pat Brereton (School of Communications). Students were allocated themes and questions relevant to the consultation to research in advance of the workshop.

Following detailed discussion of each theme at the workshop, students were asked to draft material for their allocated theme. This was compiled and circulated to the group for comment, following which the content of this submission was finalised.

The submission, which is available to view here, was built upon the following five guiding principles:

• Climate change should be placed at the centre of policymaking
• Effective communication of climate change policies to the public is essential
• Better indicators of progress are needed to measure and communicate progress on climate change goals to the wider public
• Justice and equity should be central to Ireland’s transition to a low carbon economy and society
• Citizen participation should be central to shaping Ireland’s low carbon transition

DCU’s MSc. in Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society was launched in September 2018. The programme examines how societies are responding to climate change, and how that response can be strengthened. It is the only Master’s programme in Ireland focused on climate change that adopts a social science and humanities perspective on this challenge. It brings together DCU’s unique strengths in the study of climate change governance and law, communications and media, societal transitions, and education.

For further details about the programme, please contact the course director, Prof. Pat Brereton: pat.brereton@dcu.ie