Climate and Energy: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (FutureLearn)

Climate and Energy: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (FutureLearn)

Explore climate change issues from an interdisciplinary perspective to find innovative solutions for a better future. Gain interdisciplinary skills for climate change solutions. On this four-week course, you’ll join educators from ten universities on a virtual field trip to a remote Swedish island to gain perspectives on climate and energy from a multitude of disciplines.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

On our shared journey to this beautiful part of the world, you’ll study the climate of the past, the state of the climate, and climate change solutions.
With this walkthrough, you’ll understand not only what we know about climate change, but where this knowledge comes from.

Delve into the carbon cycle
The second part of the course considers the state of the climate, the ‘wicked’ nature of its associated problems, and the call for interdisciplinary solutions.
You’ll explore key topics, such as the carbon cycle, and gain an understanding of climate terminology to help enhance your communication skills.

Explore different energy solutions
Next, you’ll unpack an interdisciplinary perspective on energy solutions, considering both opportunities and drawbacks.
Through case studies, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impacts of different energy sources.
With this knowledge, you’ll discover how it is essential to collaborate with specialists of other disciplines working on climate and energy.

Learn how to take steps to a sustainable future
Finally, you’ll explore international climate law and policy as well as solutions such as marine protected areas and counting carbon. This will help you understand whether the challenges of climate change are being addressed effectively.
By the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to take a collaborative approach to climate change for more effective action.

Syllabus

Week 1: Climate of the past
Week 2: The state of the climate
Week 3: Energy solutions
Week 4: Policy solutions

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe the climate crisis and how it came to be from an interdisciplinary perspective.
  • Compare disciplinary approaches to acquiring knowledge about climate and energy
  • Assess climate change solutions from an interdisciplinary perspective
  • Demonstrate disciplinary knowledge about climate and energy beyond their own discipline
  • Collaborate with specialists of other disciplines working on climate and energy
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Achieving Transitions to Zero Carbon Emissions and Sustainable Urban Mobility (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London,Transforming Urban Mobility Initiative - TUMI,EIT Urban Mobility,ICLEI

Achieving Transitions to Zero Carbon Emissions and Sustainable Urban Mobility (FutureLearn)

Discover how cities can transform their urban mobility systems to become more sustainable and reach zero carbon emissions. Understand the steps to becoming sustainable city. Transport accounts for a large proportion of carbon emissions, so ensuring urban mobility systems are sustainable is key to helping cities to achieve zero-carbon goals. On this four-week course, you’ll discover how cities can transition their mobility systems to become sustainable, innovative, and inclusive.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Sustainability Through Film (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
INTO FILM

Sustainability Through Film (FutureLearn)

Engage and empower your students when teaching sustainability, using film analysis and basic filmmaking principles. Use film and filmmaking to provide meaningful lessons in sustainability. Film is an engaging way to reach young people on any topic or subject, bringing important topics to life and adding context to learning. With that in mind, Into Film presents this two-week course showing you how to teach learners aged 5 to 19 about sustainable practices using short films.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Causes of Climate Change (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Bergen

Causes of Climate Change (FutureLearn)

Learn the physical processes behind climate variation around the world to better understand the causes of climate change. Uncover the past, present, and future of the causes of climate change. This free online course provides the basis for understanding the underlying physical processes governing climate variations in the past, present and future.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Planet Partners: Tackling the Climate Crisis Together (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Reading

Planet Partners: Tackling the Climate Crisis Together (FutureLearn)

Investigate the impact of climate change, the research being done to tackle it, and what you can do to take meaningful action. Explore the different areas affected by climate change. The impacts of climate change are being felt worldwide and across many areas of life. This includes our food, our physical and mental health, where and how we live, wildlife and environmental systems, and political direction.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Climate Solutions: India (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Edinburgh,Climate Solutions,Edinburgh Climate Change Institute(ECCI)

Climate Solutions: India (FutureLearn)

Explore the effects of climate change and how to address the biggest challenge to our civilisation in the 21st century. Tackle the climate emergency in India. Climate Change is one of the greatest threats we face. The impacts of climate change are already being felt around the world, affecting both natural and human systems, and these impacts are expected to become greater in years to come.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Sustainable Practices in Food Service (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
International Culinary Studio

Introduction to Sustainable Practices in Food Service (FutureLearn)

Create a more sustainable food service business and make a difference to your bottom line, your stakeholders, and the environment. Improve your sustainable practices within your organisation. Sustainability isn’t just about ‘greening’; sustainability actually means ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.’ On this course, you’ll look at general global sustainability concepts, issues, and concerns, before focusing on sustainability specifically within food service and what you can do to reduce your impact.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Renewable Energy: Achieving Sustainability through Bioenergy (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Renewable Energy: Achieving Sustainability through Bioenergy (FutureLearn)

Understand the principles of bioenergy and learn how to harness this form of renewable energy to achieve sustainability. Learn about the principles and environmental implications of bioenergy. On this two week course, you will explore bioenergy, one of the most diverse and readily available sources of renewable energy. You’ll look into what types of biomass can be used and how sustainable energy solutions can be developed in a wide range of communities.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Service Science and Sustainability (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
National Tsing Hua University

Service Science and Sustainability (FutureLearn)

Discover the science behind service systems, and in the process learn how the service sector can become more sustainable. Discover what service science is and how to best provide sustainable services. The service industry is underpinned by the systems that help to provide a service, and the stakeholders in the companies involved.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Tackling Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable Future (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of York

Tackling Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable Future (FutureLearn)

Discover how environmental research can inform how we respond to and solve the major global environmental issues of today. Explore sustainable solutions to environmental issues like changing glaciers. Our energy use is unsustainable, we’re producing waste plastic that’s endangering oceans, and large parts of the natural world are disappearing. We know our planet is facing huge environmental challenges, but what are we doing to solve them?

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Climate Intelligence: Using Climate Data to Improve Business Decision-Making (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Reading

Climate Intelligence: Using Climate Data to Improve Business Decision-Making (FutureLearn)

Build climate resilience in your business as you learn how climate intelligence helps make decisions that mitigate risks. How exposed is your organisation to climate risk? Climate and weather projections hold the data that businesses need both to evaluate the risk climate change poses and to mitigate that risk. However, interpreting this data can be challenging. On this two-week course, you’ll learn how to identify relevant and reliable climate data for your business and explore how that raw data can be converted into information that connects with the particular operational and financial decisions you face.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Climate Change and Resilience in Food Systems (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds,Africap

Climate Change and Resilience in Food Systems (FutureLearn)

Learn new research-led strategies designed to mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture and food systems. Learn about the effects of climate change and how to build resilience in agriculture and food systems. Even small climate changes can have large-scale consequences in agriculture and food systems with devastating effects for the people and their economies. On this course, you will learn strategies designed to mitigate the impact of climate change, develop resilient food systems and create sustainable development in local communities.

Self Paced
2 Weeks