Geopolitics and the green transition(s) (Current Global and Development Challenges and Solutions)

F2024

Global Studies * / International Development Studies * / International Public Administration and Politics * / Politics and Administration * / Public Administration * / Global and Development Studies / International Politics and Governance / Public Administration / Law and Public Policy

Course

English

Read about the Master Programme and find the Study Regulations at ruc.dk

You register for activities through stads selvbetjening during the announced registration period, which you can see on the Study administration homepage.

When registering for courses, please be aware of the potential conflicts and overlaps between course and exam time and dates. The planning of course activities at Roskilde University is based on the recommended study programmes, which should not overlap. However, if you choose optional courses and/or study plans that goes beyond the recommended study programmes, an overlap of lectures or exam dates may occur depending on which courses you choose.

10

Lars Buur (lbuur@ruc.dk)

Somdeep Sen (sens@ruc.dk)

ISE Registration & Exams (ise-exams@ruc.dk)

U60663

A specialisation course aims to allow students to immerse themselves in the theories/theory lines and empirical issues pertaining to a particular subject area. The course equips students to competently select and argue for the applicability and relevance of a theory/theory line to given issues. The courses offered are based on the Institute's research in the field and knowledge of the highest international standard. The specific subject area of the courses will be described in the activity description.

Current Global and Development Challenges and Solutions addresses various global and development challenges, such as conflicts, questions of justice, inequality, sustainability, and effects for instance on states, markets and civil society.

Geopolitics and the green transition(s): natural resources, extractivism and conflict

Academic focus. Geopolitics is deeply entangled with the green transition. The demand for and competition over natural resources as part of the green transition have emerged as key topics both in resource-rich (developing) countries and resource-consuming (developed) countries. Developments around land-grabbing, critical minerals, natural resource investments, renewable energy, sustainability and climate change have become deeply entangled with the appetite for resources needed for the green transition. This has led to the re-emergence of traditional geopolitical issues in the form of struggles to protect and control resources and the environment, as leading nation states and transnational companies intensify their searches for and claims to potentially resource-rich areas. At the same time, however, a new parallel architecture of institutional governance is slowly but steadily manifesting itself by trying to tame, control, govern and set standards for the regulation, extraction, and use of funds from extractive industries related to the green transition. This is often done in the name of sustainability, which impacts on the governance of land, investments and resource extraction in trying to make the green transition more accountable.

This elective seminar takes stock of current debates within political economy and political ecology on geopolitics and the green transition by focusing on natural resource extraction and governance related to the green transition. It traces the historical roots of the academic debates, arguments, explanations and ontologies that underpin the green transition. We examine emerging trends around the green transition, climate change, renewables, natural resource investments, resource conflicts, corporate social responsibility and the role of new institutional geopolitical actors for regulation and standard setting, as well as providing examples of global and local forms of resource competition and governance.

Examples from: Africa, Europe and Latin America

The course is organized around four dimensions: The New Green Extractivism; Critical Minerals and Geopolitical competition; Conflicts, Renewables and the Green Transition(s); Investments and Governance.

Course material is available on Moodle. As background literature: Stuart Kirsch. 2014. Mining Capitalism: the relationship between Corporations and their critics. University of California Press Peter Dicken (7 ediiton). 2015. Chapter 12: 'Making Holes in the Ground': The Extractive Industries. Pp. 395-422. In Peter Dicken, Global Shift: Mapping the Changing Contours of the World Economy. Sage.

A full reading list will be provided consisting of a mixture of articles, reports, book chapters and other types of material that will be uploaded or stated on Moodle in good time before course start. An additional reading list related to exams (book review) and newspaper features will also be uploaded on Moodle. The pensum will be roughly 60 academic pages per lecture.

10 ECTS x 27 hours = 270 Estimated:

13 lectures x 2 =26 hours;

Group work = 10;

Exam 1: Book review + exam 2= 78;

Exam 2: Newspaper assignment including the development of essay question + exam 1= 78;

Preparation: reading and preparing questions 13 x 6 = 78;

Total = 270 hours

The activity is evaluated regularly according to the study board evaluation procedure. The activity responsible will be informed about a potential evaluation of the activity at semesterstart. Se link to the study board evaluation praxis here https://intra.ruc.dk/nc/for-ansatte/organisering/raadnaevn- og-udvalg/oversigt-over-studienaevn/studienaevn-for-internationale-studier/arbejdet-medkvalitet- i-uddannelserne/

There will be a mid-term evaluation of the course. There will be feedback on group presentation. There will be office hours for questions, as well as feedback on assignments after exams.

Tentative as it will be adapted to the availability of companies, international NGOs and government representatives

The course is organized around four dimensions: The conceptual landscape; Conflicts, Renewables and the Green Transition(s); Critical minerals and geopolitical competition; and Governing sustainability

Tentative Course Structure:

A. The conceptual landscape

Lecture 1. Introduction I. Lars Buur. The New Green Extractivism I: Why is natural resource extraction and the green transition so contested?

Lecture 2. Introduction II. Lars Buur. The New Green Extractivism II: New ways of understanding geopolitics and the green transition(s) - governance of natural resources within and beyond the state centric model

Lecture 3. Introduction III. Lars Buur. The New Green Extractivism III: Understanding Resource Investments: assemblages, rights and conflict B. Conflicts, Renewables and the Green Transition(s)

Lecture 4. Conflicts, Renewables and the Green Transition(s) II. Lars Buur: What new kinds of conflicts do windfarms produce?

Lecture 5. Conflicts, Renewables and the Green Transition(s) III. Lars Buur. VESTAS windmill company coming to discuss with us or we visit them C. Critical minerals and geopolitical competition

Lecture 6. Critical Minerals and Geopolitical competition I. Marie Axt (and Lars Buur). EU´s Open Strategic Autonomy and Geopolitical competition: the global competition between US, China and EU

Lecture 7. Critical Minerals and Geopolitical competition II. Marie Axt (and Lars Buur): EU´s Open strategic Autonomy and critical value chains: can circular economy principles foster strategic autonomy?

Lecture 8. Critical Minerals and Geopolitical competition III. Lars Buur: The dark side of the green transition: the incommensurability of value forms. D. Governing sustainability

Lecture 9. Investments and Governance I. Anne Marx (and Lars Buur). The Green Wind from the East: China and Japan Challenging Global Development Norms

Lecture 10. Investments and Governance II. Anne Marx (and Lars Buur). South-South cooperation: The case of Ethiopia and how ‘state’ driven development meet neoliberalism

Lecture 11. Investments and Governance II. Meeting NGO representatives engaged in governance and human rights (Lars Buur)

Lecture 12. Summary and exam preparation hereunder essay 2 questions. Lars Buur

Academic focus. Geopolitics is deeply entangled with the green transition. The demand for and competition over natural resources as part of the green transition have emerged as key topics both in resource-rich (developing) countries and resource-consuming (developed) countries.

Developments around land-grabbing, critical minerals, natural resource investments, renewable energy, sustainability and climate change have become deeply entangled with the appetite for resources needed for the green transition. This has led to the re-emergence of traditional geopolitical issues in the form of struggles to protect and control resources and the environment, as leading nation states and transnational companies intensify their searches for and claims to potentially resource-rich areas. At the same time, however, a new parallel architecture of institutional governance is slowly but steadily manifesting itself by trying to tame, control, govern and set standards for the regulation, extraction, and use of funds from extractive industries related to the green transition. This is often done in the name of sustainability, which impacts on the governance of land, investments and resource extraction in trying to make the green transition more accountable. This elective seminar takes stock of current debates within political economy and political ecology on geopolitics and the green transition by focusing on natural resource extraction and governance related to the green transition. It traces the historical roots of the academic debates, arguments, explanations and ontologies that underpin the green transition. We examine emerging trends around the green transition, climate change, renewables, natural resource investments, resource conflicts, corporate social responsibility and the role of new institutional geopolitical actors for regulation and standard setting, as well as providing examples of global and local forms of resource competition and governance.

Examples from: Africa, northern Europe and Latin America The course is organized around four dimensions: The conceptual landscape; Conflicts, Renewables and the Green Transition(s); Critical minerals and geopolitical competition; and Governing sustainability

Exams:

Individual written portfolio. The portfolio consists of 2 written products, that wholly or partially are developed during the course. Both assignments will be handed in at the end of the course. In total the two assignments must not exceed 36,000 characters. See study.ruc.dk (https://study.ruc.dk/class/view/28944).

• Be able to explain and evaluate, using relevant terminology, the advantages and disadvantages of various theories/theory lines within the aspect of a subject area that is dealt with in the specialisation course

• Be able to confidently and independently evaluate, select and apply relevant theories in relation to an issue

• Be able to reflect critically on the relevance of the topic to the subject matter of the course

• Carry out analyses on a scientific basis and deal in a creative and solution-oriented manner with central issues within the course theme

• Communicate knowledge in language that is technically precise, well-structured and well-argued.

Individual portfolio exam.

The character limit of the portfolio is maximum 36,000 characters, including spaces. Examples of written products are exercise responses, talking points for presentations, written feedback, reflections, written assignments. The preparation of the products may be subject to time limits.
The character limits include the cover, table of contents, bibliography, figures and other illustrations, but exclude any appendices.

The portfolio is written completely or partially during the course.

The entire portfolio must be handed in at the same time (uploaded to eksamen.ruc.dk). Handing in the portfolio or parts of the portfolio to the supervisor for feedback, cannot replace the upload to eksamen.ruc.dk.

Assessment: 7-point grading scale.

Samme som ordinær eksamen / same form as ordinary exam

Individual portfolio exam.

Criterias related to the overall learning outcomes: Explain and discuss, using relevant terminology and perspectives, the advantages and disadvantages of various positions within the different dimensions of geopolitics and the green transition(s); be able to discuss natural resource extraction and regulation, that is dealt with in the specialization course. • Confidently and independently select and apply relevant theories and perspectives on geopolitics and the green transition, including resource governance in relation to a specific issue or thematic. • Analyze and reflect critically on the different perspectives and themes taken up in the course • Discuss and communicate knowledge in language that is technically precise, well-structured and well-argued.