SLE740 - Climate Change, Adaptation and Mitigation
Unit details
| Year | 2027 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes | Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s) | 1 |
| EFTSL value | 0.125 |
| Unit chair | Trimester 1: Robert Faggian |
| Prerequisite | Nil |
| Corequisite | Nil |
| Incompatible with | Nil |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment | 2 x 1 hour lectures per week, 1 x 1 hour seminar per week. |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment | Online independent and collaborative learning including 1 x 1 hour scheduled online practical experience (workshop) per week. |
| Typical study commitment | Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
Content
This unit examines climate change adaptation and mitigation from scientific, policy and systems perspectives, with a strong emphasis on how climate risk is interpreted and translated into real-world decisions. Students engage with contemporary climate science, the governance of uncertainty, and the institutional, social and economic factors that shape climate responses across urban, regional and rural contexts. Drawing on case studies from Australia and internationally, the unit explores climate impacts on socio-economic and environmental systems; the design and critique of climate policy; adaptation pathways from incremental adjustment through to transformation; mitigation in policy and practice; and the challenges of planning under uncertainty. Particular attention is given to regional systems, vulnerability and adaptive capacity, competing objectives, and the trade-offs involved in developing integrated climate responses. The unit is designed for students seeking to build advanced capability in analysing climate risks, evaluating policy responses, and developing context-appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies for government, industry and community settings.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Explain how climate policies are developed and discuss the complexity and uncertainty of this process in the context of the broader public climate change debate. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Explain the principles of adaptation (from incremental through to transformational) and discuss them in a context-appropriate manner. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Analyse the interconnected nature of a regional system (and its dependencies on climate) to determine exposure to the risks associated with climate change. | GLO4: Critical thinking |
| ULO4 | Critically consider the elements of effective climate change policies. | GLO4: Critical thinking |
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some units still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 | 10-minute oral presentation | 30% | Week 5 |
| Assessment 2 | 1,500 word written report | 30% | Week 10 |
| End-of-Unit Assessment | Timed online test | 40% | End-of-Unit Assessment period |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for SLE740 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
To fully engage with Deakin's learning experiences, students must be able to access and use internet-connected devices as outlined in computing requirements at Deakin.
To support student success at Deakin, we have a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) learning environment that acknowledges that students and educators bring with them the digital tools they regularly use to complete academic tasks. These tools stay with you beyond the classroom, helping you to keep learning, explore ideas more deeply, and connect with knowledge in ways that matter to you.
Students requiring a loan device should visit our Loan Laptop webpage or students requiring longer-term assistance should visit our Student Financial Assistance webpage.
Unit fee information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.