The course gives an overview of global energy markets: their inner workings, how they are regulated and how they are influenced by politics.  It focuses on the energy trilemma of security, sustainability and affordability of energy. Given the prominent role that a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions play in climate change mitigation it begins with renewables, hydro- and nuclear energy. It then discusses the worst polluter – coal - and how regulations such as carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), carbon taxes and cap and trade schemes could reduce emissions. Then the course analyzes how oil and natural gas have shaped the politics of development and international relations over the past century. Industrial consumer societies, military force projection and the feeding of 7 billion people all would be impossible without oil and gas. The course takes a specific look at the Middle East and Eurasia as the largest producer regions of these commodities and how their resource endowments have shaped their domestic politics in so called rentier states.

Evaluación

• (Group) Presentation (10 minutes) of one of the topics listed in the syllabus for each session. The presentations are meant to prompt discussions within the class and will be at the beginning of each session: 25% of grade.

• Quiz (30 min.) with 20 multiple choice questions: 25% of grade

• Paper (topic of your choice, 2.500-3000 words incl. references): 50%

Competencias, resultados de aprendizaje y actividades formativas (PDF)