Tackling Climate Change Through a Hands-On Simulation

November 21, 2019

Each year, students have the opportunity to hone their policy analysis, critical thinking, and decision-making skills through a variety of simulations offered at the school. In November, students in Professor Sarah Jordaan’s course “Climate Change: Science, Economics, and Politics” participated in the World Climate Simulation – developed by Climate Interactive, where they teamed up for role playing exercises focused on the UN climate change negotiations.  

During the simulation, each of the student teams represented a country or block of countries that have large potential to reduce domestic emissions that will experience severe impacts of climate change with few resources to adapt or mitigate, and/or that can help support vulnerable countries adapt and mitigate by pledging funds to the Green Climate Fund. The goal of the negotiation was based on the Paris Agreement’s goals: to limit temperature changes to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to work towards limiting to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Learn more about the school's Experiential Learning opportunities here.