Course starts: 13 October, 2015
Open to: the course is tailored to senior policy-makers and negotiators of climate agreements, particularly as an input into the climate conference COP21 in Paris in December this year.
Venue: online
About this course
This MOOC was developed by four eminent scientists who together authored the health chapter in the recent 5th Assessment report of the IPCC. They offer you a short crash-course into the topic of climate change, tailored to senior policy-makers and negotiators of climate agreements, particularly as an input into the climate conference COP21 in Paris in December this year.
This 1 week MOOC requires 3 hours of investment time and provides hard evidence for four key arguments as to why health is and should be central in climate policy.
Two positive arguments:
1. Health is a positive motivator, a driving force for citizens and policy-makers to care about and act on climate change.
2. The huge health co-benefits must enter the risk-benefit calculations.
However, two arguments pertain to the restrictions that our health and physiology impose on humans under climate change, particularly in a world that is +4°C warmer:
1. There are health limits to adaptation.
2. Decreased work productivity in hot countries.
Finally, we should consider health as an indicator, not only for sustainable development, but also for climate policy.
Who should take this MOOC?
Senior, experienced members of climate negotiation teams from all 195 member states of the UNFCC. The course is launched to allow policy-makers involved in the Climate Conference COP21 in Paris 2015 to take it as part of their brief. In addition, any policy maker at local, national, regional and global levels would benefit from the course, but in keeping with the philosophy of MOOCs, the course is open to any citizen interested in the topic.
What do you need to know?
Participants should be familiar with the essentials of the climate systems and the current debate on mitigation and adaptation policies, as well as proposals for fair financing of the shared but differentiated responsibilities of rich and poor countries, which are the agenda of the COP21 conference.
What will you learn?
(i) The participant will understand why health is not another sector but a key argument in developing climate policy and fair share of the burden and benefits of climate policies.
(ii) The participant will learn the scientific evidence behind the four key climate policy arguments based on human health:
1. Health is a positive motivator, a driving force for citizens.
2. The huge health co-benefits must enter the risk-benefit calculations.
3. There are health limits to adaptation.
4. Decreased work productivity in hot countries.
How to enroll?
You can take the short course for free by registering at the iversity platform HERE
