Non-Degree / Dates: 18 – 22 January 2027
Climate Justice in World Politics is a one-week course at Tallinn Winter School, 18–22 January 2027, at Tallinn University in Tallinn, Estonia. It is designed for students of all levels (Bachelor, Master and PhD) and any background, with no prerequisites. 20 contact hours, 4 ECTS. Fee: 450€ early bird until 31 October, 500€ after.
The effects of the climate crisis are increasingly visible in droughts, sea-level rise, wildfires, biodiversity loss and pollution. Yet climate change is also at the heart of wider societal challenges, including migration, food security, changing values and the transition to new forms of economy, transport, energy and everyday life. While climate change is planetary in scale, its consequences are experienced unevenly by people and societies.
Studying the climate crisis raises fundamental questions of justice. Its impacts are unevenly distributed across geography and along lines of race, class and gender, while responsibility for causing climate change is similarly unequal. These inequalities are closely connected to the legacies of colonialism and the structures of the global political economy. Questions of climate justice are therefore central to debates about mitigation, adaptation, responsibility, development and the distribution of costs and benefits.
This course examines the climate crisis through the lens of climate justice in international politics. It explores how states, international organisations, social movements and other actors respond to the climate crisis, and asks whose interests, voices and knowledge shape these responses. Drawing on international relations, political economy and critical approaches, the course develops a nuanced understanding of climate justice as one of the defining political challenges of our time.
Course topics:
- Climate Coloniality; Agency, Structure, Relations
- What is the Climate Crisis: Ecologically, Politically, Sociologically
- Capitalism is Killing the Planet: Degrowth, Green Growth, Green Transition?
- Climate Scepticism, Denialism, Obstruction; Masculinities and the Far Right
- Environmental Justice, Land, Water and More-than-Humans
The course combines active class participation and discussion with independent work on academic articles and written assignments.
Why this course?
Teacher(s)
Dr Benjamin Klasche is Associate Professor of International Relations and Co-Director of the Central and Eastern European Security Hub (CEEShub). Ben’s research focuses on critical-relational theorising, human security and peace, and climate governance, and how all these things are deeply intertwined. He is also keenly interested in colonial history, post-colonial and post-socialist theories, and the politics of knowledge production.
Tallinn University reserves the right to make changes to the teaching staff where necessary. Any such changes will not affect the learning outcomes or the academic quality of the course.
Timetable
Classes take place from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 13:30.
Participants
The course is designed for students of all levels (Bachelor, Master and PhD) who are interested in the subject matter, no matter their background. No prerequisites.
Credit points
Upon full participation and completion of coursework, students will be awarded 4 ECTS credits and a certificate of completion.
Course fee
| Early-Bird Course Fee (until 31 October) | 450€ |
| Regular Course Fee (after 31 October) | 500€ |
NB! Accommodation, cultural programme and meals are not included in the price.
