KPU introduces summer courses exploring climate change policy

This summer semester, Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Faculty of Arts is introducing two courses that will explore federal climate change policy platforms and its potential solutions. 

ARTS 1150 Introduction to the Climate Crisis and GEOG 2050 Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies will both be offered at the Surrey campus.

“If we only look at [climate change] as being a problem … then it can get a little bit frustrating for those of us who teach it and also for students,” says KPU geography instructor David Sadoway. 

“The main focus is looking both at understanding how the different problems related to climate change impact society, impact our economy, impact the environment, and what are some of the possible ways of coming up with solutions.” 

The courses will incorporate discussions about the direction Canada’s federal government will be heading in regard to climate action. Students will also have the opportunity to compare the federal administration to previous administrations to understand potential differences in federal policy on climate. 

“One of the things students will do in both classes is they’ll try to understand policy because often for students … there’s so much to digest and it’s very confusing,” Sadoway says. 

“The media gives different messages. There’s disinformation and misinformation, and so it’s very difficult to figure out what’s going on in terms of policies. So I want to equip students with some basic policy skills [to] analyze policies.”

Students in the courses will also be able to analyze policies from the different parties who ran in the 2025 federal election, like looking at the messaging put out during the campaign period, learning about climate change organizations, and comparing the policies. Both courses will be feasible for first and second-year students, Sadoway says, adding there are also field trip opportunities.

Learning topics in the geography course also include examining the impact of climate change on First Nations and rural communities. 

“We want to understand what is going on in First Nations communities in relation to climate change,” Sadoway says. “Many of them are sovereign and independent First Nations, so we want to understand the different positions from different Indigenous communities,” Sadoway says. 

One task Sadoway plans to assign students is to look at examples of First Nations communities that are shifting to renewable energy and how they are reducing their carbon footprint and fossil fuel energy consumption. 

The courses will also look at injustices in regard to climate change, such as who benefits from climate-friendly projects, including wind and hydro. 

“Who gets the energy? Who gets the money from generating the energy? So that often is a big issue,” Sadoway says. 

“The other [issue] is who’s getting jobs or who’s losing jobs …? If you’re moving away, for example, from oil, from natural gas, or from coal, where are you going to get the new jobs?” 

An understanding of and being able to analyze social justice issues at different scales is something Sadoway hopes to equip students with, as well as looking at ways to transform society for climate justice. 

“Hopefully, students take away positive energy about how it is possible to reduce greenhouse gasses,” Sadoway says.  

“If we reduce greenhouse gasses, they’ll come up with solutions that are realistic …. They also can rethink policy designs at the local, provincial, regional, or First Nations levels. So rethinking how we design our world for the future, for the next generations, and for themselves is really important.”

ARTS 1150 will run on Mondays from 10:00 am to 12:50 pm while GEOG 2050 will take place on Tuesdays from 1:00 to 3:50 pm. KPU students can register for the courses through their Online Self Service (OSS) account.