Prof Michael Mason, Dr Richard Perkins and Dr Meredith Whitten

This course is available on the MSc in Development Studies, MSc in Environment and Development, MSc in Environmental Economics and Climate Change, MSc in Environmental Policy, Technology and Health (Environment and Development) (LSE and Peking University), MSc in Environmental Policy, Technology and Health (Environmental Economics and Climate Change) (LSE and Peking University), MSc in Local Economic Development, MSc in Regional And Urban Planning Studies, MSc in Regulation, MSc in Risk and Finance and MSc in Urban Policy (LSE and Sciences Po). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

The number of students that can be accommodated is limited. If the course is over-subscribed, places will be allocated at the Department’s discretion and a waiting list may be created. For further details, please contact your relevant Programme Coordinator.

This course cannot be taken with GY420 Environmental Regulation: Implementing Policy or GY475 Issues in Environmental Governance.

This course provides critical insights into the nature, dynamics and practice of environmental regulation. It considers different rationales for environmental regulation and the influence of different interest groups over public environmental policy making. The course proceeds to examine the characteristics, design, and performance of different policy instruments, together with various factors impacting policy implementation processes.

15 hours of lectures and 13 hours and 30 minutes of seminars in the AT.

In the Department of Geography and Environment, teaching will be delivered through a combination of classes/seminars, pre-recorded lectures, live online lectures and other supplementary interactive live activities.

This course is delivered through a combination of seminars and lectures across Autumn Term.

This course includes a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

Students are expected to prepare one piece of formative coursework in the Autumn Term: feedback will be provided..

While there is no one single text that covers all aspects of the course, you are welcome to consult the following:

• Bell, S., McGillivray, D., Pedersen, O., Lees, E., and Stokes, E. (2017) Environmental Law (9th edition). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Carter, N. (2018) The Politics of the Environment: Ideas, Activism, Policy (3rd edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Randall, A. (2011) Risk and Precaution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Coursework (100%, 3500 words) in the WT.

The summative assignment will be a policy brief (3500 words).