ADMGJD: "Global Environmental Change, Justice and Development"

Module code: ADMGJD

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Andrew Ainslie , email: a.m.ainslie@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module aims to critically explore an ever more interconnected world with complex, interacting drivers of change. You’ll learn about the trade-offs in environmental change and social justice that are now central to the development–environment nexus at all levels, from local to global. By exploring a range of conceptual framings of this complexity and then applying this learning to a number of exciting case-studies, you will develop the expertise to understand - and the confidence to tackle - socio-environmental challenges. And you will learn this all through reading, interactive small-group learning, film clips, seminars, study visits, and case-studies introduced and led by regional specialists. 

The purpose of this module is to ensure that you are able to make a deliberate and thoughtful contribution once you complete your studies, equipped with the terminology, concepts and historical perspective to critically debate the motives for and the implications of global environmental change, notions of justice and development policy and praxis as these are applied around the world. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Develop robust, well-informed and evidence-based critiques of key theories and conceptual frameworks that relate to environmental theorising, management and evaluation within a global context
2. Critically appraise how environmental justice concerns are conceptualised in a range of settings in both the Majority World (LMICs) and High Income Countries (HICs)
3. Examine the roles played by different institutions, actors and stakeholders in the inter-related fields of environment, justice and development

Module content

Module content (the exact content may change from year to year, as this list includes guest lectures from academic colleagues and professionals in the development sector) 

1. Environment, Justice and Development: Wicked problems and policy challenges in the 21st century 
2. Theories and conceptual framings of nature, environmental change and social justice 
3. Systems thinking in interdisciplinary contexts: conceptual models linking economic growth and development with GEC, including the essentials of biodiversity and its conservation 
4. The Tragedy of the Commons – understanding collective action and the global commons 
5. Paragons of virtue or obstacles to ‘genuine’ transformation (or both)? The UN Agencies, NGOs and CBOs and their impacts on/in the Majority World  
6. The Role of the Private Sector in Global Environmental Change, Justice and Development 
7. Urban Environmental Governance and ‘Smart’ Management 
8. Trends and Transitions: demographic, nutrition, waste management, information 
9. Extractive and regenerative industries – Agriculture and the Global Food System 
10. ‘Uncertainty’ and the GEC, Justice and Development situation 30yrs from now – What use are scenarios and other ‘horizon scanning’ methods? 
11. How to tackle case-study-centred research and analysis. Case-study 1: Livestock Production Systems: Environments, Livelihoods and ‘Efficiency’ 
12. The Renewable Energy Agenda in selected LMICs 
13. Managing global water resources: The case of trans-boundary Rivers as arenas of Conflict and Cooperation 
14. What are the drivers of environmental change in the Brazilian Amazon and what are the justice gains/deficits? 
15. The Politics of Palm Oil production: Case-study of RSPO 
16. Class Debate: Trade-offs relating to Biodiversity Conservation on a Planetary and Local Scale – the case of Virunga National Park 
17. Environmental Justice, Participation, Citizen Science: Urban Pollution control 
18. Difficult and overlooked institutional issues in natural resource management – examples from fisheries co-management, with special reference to Bangladesh 
19. Taking Environmental Management and Rehabilitation seriously in the wake of the extractive economic activities 
20. What are the key ingredients of a ‘Transition Economy’ that is characterised by Low Carbon technologies and high environmental Justice?

The exact content may change from year to year, as this list includes guest lectures from academic colleagues and those in the Environmental Change and International Development sectors.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module is taught via the delivery of structured lectures, seminars, small group discussions, reading, watching video clips, listening to podcasts, and engaging with other media. Students are encouraged to actively participate in class after having undertaken the preparatory reading and viewing. Seminars will focus on a particular reading or clip that is directly relevant to the topic at hand. Learning activities outside the class involve guided reading and occasional participation in exercises in groups in preparation of class discussions. Students are encouraged to reflect on and bring their own life experiences to bear on their studies and contributions in class, as well as to attend workshops and seminars across the university and further afield, and to share their learning from these events. 

Study hours

At least 44 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment