Green Policies and Governance
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Course summary text:
Welcome to Green Policies and Governance
Description:
This course introduces the key ...
Specific Courses (2026)
Introduction:
This course will focus on:
Welcome to Green Policies and Governance
Description:
This course introduces the key challenges of achieving a just green transition and pursuing a more sustainable society. Following the policy cycle (problem identification, agenda setting, policy formulation, decision-making, policy implementation, and policy evaluation), the course aims to provide a broader understanding of the key dimensions concerning the green transition. Throughout the course this will be exemplified, using examples from the global north and global south.
The course views the green transition as a broader phenomenon going beyond mere technological solutions: it is a social, cultural, political, and administrative-organizational project. Therefore, it is essential to inquire into the public deliberation and debates about desired futures, and political decision-making. To enact and implement any policies related to green transition then the political system needs legitimacy, in the form of support for the public and societal stakeholders. This is especially the case in democracies, also true in less democratic or outright undemocratic societies. It thus requires the public to be convinced that environmental issues and climate change are real and man-made, otherwise it will never be identified as a political problem. Furthermore, it requires that the issue it on the public’s agenda for a sustained period. If this is not the case, then the political system is unlikely to pursue the costly policies related to climate change. The green transition also requires that there are supportive governance structures in place for realizing the abstract goals of combatting climate change as well as practical policies related to this. Local governments, for example, are generally viewed as important actors in realizing high-level policy objectives in the green transition and the global visions for creating a climate-neutral society by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Congruently, the EU’s policies under the Green Deal envision key roles for national and local governments in the green transition by, for example, planning for and developing green infrastructures in built-up environments, promoting green transport (electrical vehicles), or reducing energy consumption. Therefore, it is also important to consider how local governments may play a part in the green transition by either playing an active and innovative role or by playing a more reactive instrumental role. Unions, too, are important actors. In the growing renewables industry, they acquire new and more ambiguous roles. While they remain employers’ antagonists regarding traditional employment relations, decarbonization is essentially a mission they share with employers in the interest of humanity.
The course runs over four days. One day is dedicated to a field trip where we visit local sites where companies are working on the green transition, while the remaining three are lectures and discussions.
The course runs over four days. One day is dedicated to a field trip where we visit local sites where companies are working on the green transition, while the remaining three are lectures and discussions.
This course will focus on:
- Problem identification: e.g. popular attitudes and perception of environmental and climate issues, environment citizenship, the role of stakeholders and interest groups (unions, the renewables industry, green think tanks etc.)
- Policy formation: e.g. green growth/degrowth, climate taxes, active labour market policies enabling workers’ transition from closing black industries to the growing renewables sector.
- Agenda setting: e.g. the environmental and climate agenda
- Policy formulation: e.g. policy visions, the role of local governments and the Green Deal, conceptualising the green transition and energy futures
- Decision-making: e.g. green infrastructure and public deliberation
- Policy implementation and evaluation: e.g. Supportive governance structures and capacity, environmental Justice and contestation
- Gain an overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge on policies and governance structures supporting green transition
- Ability to formulate arguments and hypothesis about the green transition
- Understand the implications, challenges and opportunities related to the Green Transition
- Possess knowledge of key theoretical and conceptual approaches related to the subject area in the context of social science and history
- Be able to critically assess relevant theories and make informed choices regarding theory selection in relation to empirical analyses
- Have the ability to apply relevant theories and tools of the field to concrete empirical cases and issues
Teaching methods:
Lectures, reflections, paper presentations and a field trip
Organizer: Malayna Raftopoulos on behalf of The Green Network, Department of Politics and Society
Lecturers:
- Malayna Raftopoulos
- Mads Peter Klint
- Kristian Kongshøj
- Troels Fage Hedegaard
- Anita Nissen
Date: 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, April 2026
Place: TBA
City: Aalborg
Number of seats: 25
Deadline: 30 March 2026
Important information concerning PhD courses:
There is a no-show fee of DKK 3,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before the start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start of the course.
We cannot ensure any seats before the deadline for enrolment, all participants will be informed after the deadline, approximately 3 weeks before the start of the course.
For inquiries regarding registration, cancellation or waiting list, please contact the PhD administration at phdcourses@adm.aau.dk When contacting us please state the course title and course period. Thank you.
Year: 2026
ECTS points: 5