Course Syllabus

 

 

Art by David Shillinlaw & Lily Mixe, Street Art New York

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to give a comprehensive understanding of environmental policy in Denmark, the EU, and on the global stage. 

This course introduces environmental policy as a practical, and evidence-based policy sector, shaped by scientific knowledge, political institutions, economic interests, civil society, and public values. The course examines how environmental stressors become policy problems, how policy responses are designed and implemented, and why some approaches succeed while others fail.

Students will begin by understanding the current state of the environment in Europe and Denmark, including climate change, biodiversity loss, air and water pollution, land-use pressures, food systems, chemical pollution, waste, and critical raw materials. The course then follows the policy process through major sectors and governance levels, ending with evaluation tools, stakeholder analysis, and the role of regulation, markets, NGOs, and business in driving or resisting change.

A major goal of the course is to help students understand that environmental policy is not only about “protection” but also about trade-offs, distributional justice, institutional capacity, and political feasibility. By the end, students should be able to analyze environmental policies in Denmark, the EU, and the U.S., and also identify which policy lessons may travel beyond Europe.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course students will be able to:

• Explain the main environmental pressures affecting Denmark, Europe, and the global system.
• Connect environmental science and policy design using evidence, indicators, and policy evaluation tools.
• Compare environmental governance in Denmark and the EU.
• Analyze policy responses across major sectors such as agriculture, food, waste, chemicals, and raw materials.
• Evaluate the role of stakeholders, including NGOs, civil society, business, and public agencies.
• Discuss just sustainability transitions and the political challenges of implementation.
• Assess the strengths and limits of environmental policy instruments.
• Identify examples of policy approaches that may be relevant outside the EU.

Faculty

Emmanuel Gentil. Ph.D. in environmental engineering, DTU, Denmark, 2011. Independent environmental consultant. Senior Consultant at Copenhagen Resource Institute, for the European Environment Agency and for the European Commission on waste management policy in the EU. Ph.D. School Manager and Ph.D. researcher at DTU, Denmark 2006-2011. PhD thesis in climate and waste management policy. Master of business strategy and environmental management, Bradford. With DIS since 2013.

Readings

Field Studies

Field studies are visits or workshops lasting half a day. These field studies are an important, and mandatory part of the course in order to experience a real life situation or to interact with external experts.

TBC

Approach to Teaching

The course is taught as a mixture of lectures and discussions. Also, guest speakers and field studies are important parts of the learning process. The course heavily emphasizes your own engagement and active participation. Much of the learning in this course is dependent on how much effort you put into your own explorations and research, not least in connection with the different types of assignments. 

AI Policy

In this class, AI tools are permitted and assumed to be part of the learning environment, but they must be used to support your learning rather than replace it. You may use AI to brainstorm, outline, revise, study, or test ideas, but you are responsible for understanding, evaluating, and owning all final work you submit. AI should help you think more deeply, not think for you. If AI use becomes a substitute for reading, writing, problem-solving, or reflection, it will weaken the very skills this course is designed to build.

Because AI systems have a significant combined environmental impact, they should be used thoughtfully and only when they genuinely improve learning. You are expected to use AI efficiently, critically, and transparently, and to recognize that every use of AI has costs as well as benefits. In this class, the goal is not to avoid AI, but to use it in ways that strengthen cognition, judgment, and independent learning. Any AI-generated content must be checked carefully for accuracy, bias, and relevance, and your own thinking must remain central to the work.

Ecosia (based on French company mistral AI), claim to use 100 % renewable energy to power their training and their datacenters.

Computers cannot be taken to take notes (tablets are OK and students with written accommodation are OK) but will be used when required for some exercises. AI glasses (meta glasses) and recording of any kind (audio, video, transcript), as well as headphone / earpieces during class is strictly prohibited to ensure that we a safe and inclusive learning environment for everyone in the classroom.

Tips for using AI:

• Beware of data poisoning: malicious or bad training data can bias or corrupt model outputs; for example, fake examples that link “refund” to “refund denied” can make a support bot give wrong answers.
• Watch for hallucinations: models can invent facts or sources, so always verify references and claims.
• Remember privacy with free AI: prompts and outputs may be used to train models, so don’t share sensitive information.
• Avoid unintentional plagiarism:  submitting lightly edited AI text as your own can violate academic integrity; for example, asking an AI for a paragraph and submitting it with minimal edits is still plagiarism.
• Improve results by refining prompts: vague prompts yield poor output; invest effort in clear, specific prompts and iterate.
• Verify numbers and facts: don’t trust statistics or facts from AI without checking reliable sources; you’re responsible for any errors.
• Disclose AI use in assignments: include a short paragraph noting how you used AI; failure to disclose may breach academic honesty rules.
• Use AI thoughtfully and seek permission when needed: only apply it where appropriate and confirm policies with other instructors or courses.

DIS Accommodations Statement

Your learning experience in this class is important to me.  If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support academicsupport@dis.dk

Expectations of the Students

• Active and voluntary participation in class discussions

• Having prepared properly for every class, i.e. doing all the required reading and research

• Being able to address the readings critically during class, thus displaying a good understanding of the subject matter

Evaluation

You will be evaluated through a mix of class participation, short analytical assignments, group exercises, and a final integrative assessment. Across the course, you will complete brief tasks such as policy memos, stakeholder analyses, debate reflections, and evidence-based exercises that build toward a final policy brief or case study. Assessment will focus on your ability to connect environmental pressures to policy responses, use evidence critically, compare Denmark, the EU, and the U.S., and think practically about real-world environmental policy.

Grading

 

Assignment	Percent
News article	15%
Policy document analysis (Annotated reading)	20%
Debate	15%
Mindmap	10%
Policy Crisis Simulation and Briefing (final)	20%
Participation	20%

 

 

 

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