Module manager: Caroline Wainwright
Email: C.M.Wainwright@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module introduces students to core scientific principles and processes of climate science, impacts of climate change, sources of emission and their reduction strategies. The aim is to establish a scientific literacy that is essential for quantifying and responding to the climate crisis. The course will give learners the ability to communicate the connection between emissions, global warming and impacts to a broad range of policy, business and public stakeholders.
Learners will develop a deep understanding of the connection between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, the main drivers of these emissions, and how climate change influences wider aspects of the Earth System, resulting in societal and ecological impacts. They will explore how global warming levels such as 1.5°C and 2°C will manifest across the Earth system, delving into the detail of carbon budgets, net zero, risk around climate overshoot and potential irreversible changes in the natural world. Learners will draw on engineering, economic and social science viewpoints (including national and global emission mitigation technologies and social transformation strategies) to gain a multidisciplinary perspective.
The module covers modelling and hypothesis testing (developing both fieldwork observation and climate modelling tools). Learning is immersive, using interactive lectures, digital resources, and core literature as a springboard for hands-on training in the practical acquisition and application of natural science and engineering knowledge. The module will be broadly informative with a strong emphasis on problem solving and scientific method, yet it allows those with existing related knowledge and skills to explore topics of interest in greater detail, interacting with world leading researchers to gain expert depth of understanding. Authentic assessments and projects will develop learners' ability to communicate complex scientific knowledge to a variety of policy, public and business stakeholders.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
1. Describe the connection between greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, climate impacts and climate mitigation, including, carbon budgets, key climate risks, sector mitigation and energy demand decarbonisation pathways.
2. Analyse and synthesise real world climate observations and their uncertainties
3. Design and run reduced complexity climate modelling simulations in Python
4. Formulate credible climate change, impacts and mitigation arguments using science, critical thinking, and literature sources.
5. Communicate these arguments to different stakeholders, which may include the public, policymakers, business and academics.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Core literacies and digital creation, problem-solving and innovation (Digital Skills, Work-Ready Skills). Understanding, interpreting, analysing and manipulating numerical data. Using digital technology and techniques to create digital items (such as images, documents and mind maps), and showing willingness to engage with new practices and perspectives to solve problems, make decisions and answer questions).
2. Rapid appraisal, contextualizing and critical evaluation of evidence from published literature and government reports (Academic Skills).
3. Information searching, data and media literacies (Digital Skills, Sustainability Skills). Finding, evaluating, organising and sharing information across a variety of formats and media, ensuring the reliability and integrity both of the sources used and of the ideas that they help you to generate). Searching for, evaluating and using appropriate and relevant information sources to help strengthen the quality of academic work and independent research.
4. Record climate observations, manipulate and analyse datasets: their statistical analysis and synthesis;
Problem-solving and analytical skills (Work-Ready Skills). Run a reduced complexity climate model and design original experiments with the model within Python (Work-Ready Skills). Taking a logical approach to solving problems; resolving issues by tackling from different angles, using both analytical and creative skills.
5. Design and communicate results to stakeholders through a poster presentation,
Presentation skills and Academic Language (Academic Skills). Delivering effective and engaging presentations to a variety of audiences. Using the language proficiency needed to be able to learn effectively and demonstrate understanding.
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supervision | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Practicals | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Practicals | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Practicals | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| Fieldwork | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Lecture | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Lecture | 9 | 2 | 18 |
| Seminar | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Seminar | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Seminar | 8 | 2 | 16 |
| Independent online learning hours | 129 | ||
| Private study hours | 100 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 71 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 300 | ||
Verbal feedback during computer practical laboratories and fieldwork
Written feedback on observational analysis,
Verbal and written feedback on Poster presentation at end of the semester
Written feedback on 2000 word rapid review assignment, end of semester
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Policy focussed Rapid Review: total 2000 words. | 30 |
| Report | Primary data figures and justification of approach | 20 |
| Group Project | Team poster (A0) presentation of climate modelling experiments with peer-assessment. | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
The resits for the Reports (Policy focussed Rapid Review and Primary data figures) takes the same form as the first attempts; a Rapid Evidence Review, but on a new topic, and analysis of primary field data, respectively. The Group Project (team poster) builds on the previous other two assignments, representing the culmination of the module and preparing students for their Capstone project contributions. The resit for this assignment is a personal statement (max. 2,500 words), including reflection on the individual’s participation in the teamwork, reflection on their positionality, and a report of the concrete contributions that they could/should have made to the broader piece.
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 06/05/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team