Course Number
575.752
Course Format
Asynchronous Online

This course focuses on the practical decision-making challenges facing environmental engineers, planners, and managers when implementing programs and projects from creation to completion. It begins by exploring the foundations of the energy and climate justice movements in terms of current and emerging issues, Accessibility and indigenous rights are examined for practical factors impacting effective implementation of projects. Students are required to focus on the praxis of solutions for effective decision-making approaches for including diverse stakeholders as part of their management approach. This course examines claims made by diverse groups along with the regulatory and government policy responses that address perceived inequity and injustice. The course will study the mechanisms that give rise to class, racial, ableism and other kinds of disparities that impact environmental decision-making which can be barriers to achieving the sustainability development goals that broadly involve these stakeholders. This includes the study of affected constituents, communities, industry, government, activists, policy makers, and scholars, allowing students to learn about the causes and consequences of inequitable distributions of benefits and hazards. Students will learn about various methods for researching climate and energy justice issues and strategies for formulating policies and collaborating with communities. In this course, students will review theories and perspectives through case studies of Black Americans, Latinas, Asians, disability, and indigenous communities. The class will focus mainly on the United States but will include aspects of international issues and perspectives through assignments. There will be flexible options for students to participate in game simulations on climate justice and sustainability issues and when possible, include international participants and guest squeakers from these diverse communities.