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HIS33170

Academic Year 2026/2027

Capitalism, colonialism and climate change: Historical perspectives (HIS33170)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Armel Campagne
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module investigates the historical roots of contemporary climate change, carbon-intensive economies, climate awareness and climate politics by bringing together the insights of the history of the environment, energy, climate change, colonialism and capitalism. By scrutinizing the historiographical debates on climate change and energy transitions, the English capitalist roots of global warming, the colonial expansion and socialist development of the carbon economy, the labor politics of fossil fuels, the longue durée history of climate awareness and climate science, and the climate politics and ideologies of the past centuries, this module sheds new light at the history of the modern world and provides a comprehensive history of global climate change. The module does not assume any prior knowledge on environmental, energy, climate, capitalist or colonial history.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module students should:
- Have developed a working knowledge of the key themes, approaches and debates in
climate change history.
- Be able to read, summarize, contextualize, analyze critically, and discuss sources relevant to climate change history.
- Contribute in a meaningful way to class discussions by demonstrating critical engagement with
the weekly mandatory readings.
- Have acquired a specialized knowledge of a particular topic in climate change history, and be able to share it with other students.
- Write scholarly essays to the standard of a Level 3 student of history.

Indicative Module Content:

This module will address such topics as:
- Climate change as an object of historical research and debate
- The English capitalist roots of global warming
- Modern empires, colonial capitalisms, and global carbonization
- Fossil developmentalism in India, China and the USSR
- Carbon democracy? Fossil fuels and labor politics
- Carbon racism and fascism
- Climate change before global warming, 15th-19th century
- The “discovery” of global climate change: a history of climate science, 18th-21st centuries
- Climate denialism, “energy transition”, “adaptation”, neofascism and neoliberalism: a history of late capitalist climate ideologies and politics
- Resisting the carbon economy: a history

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Novice

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Novice

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Advanced Beginner

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Novice

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

End poverty in all its forms everywhere 1

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture 1

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 1

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 1

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 1

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 1

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all 1

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation 1

Reduce inequality within and among countries 1

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 1

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 1

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 1

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 1

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

11
Seminar (or Webinar)

22
Specified Learning Activities

95
Autonomous Student Learning

95
Total

223

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module combines a one-hour lecture with a two-hour seminar. The lectures will provide an overview of the major themes, approaches and debates in climate change history, whilst the seminars will revolve around two learning moments:
1) Small group and class discussions of the weekly reading and the lecture, with guiding questions aimed at facilitating reading and discussing the weekly reading and at tying them up with the lecture
2) Individual discussions between the lecturer and each student on essay writing, for students to ask questions and for the lecturer to provide guidance and feedback; and, from class 8, oral presentations by students of their work-in-progress essay project, to gain insights from their peers and feedback from the module coordinator

Generative AI may be permitted for certain assignments in this module, subject to the instructions of the module coordinator and in accordance with the Academic Integrity Policy. The Module Coordinator will provide further information during the module.

A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of History are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This can include oral moderation meetings where the student is invited in for a short meeting with the module coordinator to discuss the assignment. Moderation contributes to better informed marking.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): An end of the semester research essay of 4000 words on a topic related to climate change history and using relevant primary and secondary sources Week 14 Graded No
50
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Oral presentation on the work-in-progress essay Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
30
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Contribution to the class discussion, and notably in the critical discussion of the mandatory readings. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
20
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback on the presentations is given in class and via Brightspace. Feedback on the essay assignment is given via Brightspace. Informal feedback on class contributions is given on a rolling basis during the seminar.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32 Thurs 09:00 - 10:50
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32 Wed 15:00 - 15:50
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