Wellington Faculty of Science
             School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences

CCSP 403: International Climate Change Policy Individual Assignment Essay

Due date
6:00pm, 10 October 2025

Weight
45%

Word limits
Approx. 2,500 words (-/+ 10% acceptable).
The word limit includes tables and figure captions, but excludes your reference list

Topic

Choose one of the following topics for your essay:

1. “The Paris Agreement goals were not informed by realistic risk assessment” ( Planetary Solvency Report (p4/40).

• Discuss the above claim, made in the Planetary Solvency Report.

• How does the planetary solvency framework challenge the mainstream
understanding of climate risk?

• Critically analyse the implications of the report for either: public risk governance (government), climate litigation (courts), or capital reallocation (markets).

OR

2. Could a global levy raise revenue and political will for climate financing?

• Formed at COP28 in 2023, the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force aims to
institutionalise ‘polluter-pays’ international levies as a stable, equitable funding source to fight climate change and support development.

• Critically evaluate the proposed levy mechanisms and political feasibility of this novel approach

• In your conclusion, discuss what is at stake for this taskforce at COP30 in 2025 In what format?

Standard essay format, with an introduction (topic, background, thesis statement), body (core arguments and analysis, supported by evidence, one main point per paragraph), conclusions (tie your points together and explain why it matters). Your essay should be formatted with 1.5 line spacing and include a title, author name, word count, and reference list in APA style. You should also include a statement of AI use, if relevant.

The following criteria will apply to assessments

1. Quality of Critical Analysis (45%)

• The essay should demonstrate strength, depth and originality of critical thinking.

• Shows awareness of tensions, implications and competing perspectives.

• Develops a nuanced, persuasive, and well-supported argument

2. Clarity, Structure, and Organization (30%)

• Introduction: The essay should have a clear and concise introduction that sets the context, outlines the main points and signposts the author’s stance or
thesis.

• Body: The main content should be well-organized, with each paragraph
transitioning smoothly to the next, maintaining a logical flow.

• Conclusion: The essay should provide a concise summary of key findings and
arguments, reinforcing the main thesis.

• Overall Coherence: The essay should maintain a consistent focus and flow
throughout. Terms and acronyms should be clearly defined upon first use, with
unnecessary jargon avoided. Sentences should be clearly understandable on
first reading. Any unnecessary words or phrases should be omitted.

3. Understanding of Key Concepts and Terms Relevant to the Topic (10%)

• The essay should accurately define and apply key concepts, frameworks and
terminology related to the chosen topic

4. Use of Readings and Supplementary Material (10%)

• The essay should incorporate relevant, up-to-date literature and materials,
demonstrating initiative in sourcing information beyond provided readings.

• Should include sufficient academic sources in the mix and not rely unduly on
grey literature

5. Referencing (5%)

• All sources should be correctly cited and referenced in APA style, including an intext citation and a reference list at the end. The reference list should only
include texts that were cited in the essay.

Total: 100%

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Some general suggestions on essay writing:

Writing Introductions
A good introduction should:
1. Grab the attention of the reader;
2. Clearly state the question to be answered or topic to be discussed;
3. Tell the reader why this subject is important;
4. Outline what the essay will cover and in what order; and,
5. Summarise the argument to be made.

Example:
Pressure groups are sometimes portrayed as a dangerous and destabilising component of Australian politics. Such a view is often used as a basis for the curtailment of their democratic right to protest. This essay will analyse the purpose of pressure groups and the reasons why they form. The paper is divided into three main sections. Section one will explain the purpose of pressure groups. The second section will then consider why they form. Finally, the Wilderness Society (TWS) will be used as a case study to illustrate the
general points made. It will be argued that far from being something to fear, pressure groups play a vital role in identifying urgent issues that the government needs to address.

Writing the Main Body of the Essay
Remember that the purpose of an essay is to be read. It is an indication of your skills in research, analysis, communication and creative thinking. The following points are suggestions that might help you through the essay writing process.
Don’t just recount what others have said:

• Identify the relevant points of agreement and disagreement in the literature;

• Acknowledge the gaps in the literature that may make answering the question difficult (these are often flagged as starting points for future research);

• Construct an argument that answers the question using your research as a support;

• Don’t use too many quotations; and,

• Don’t just link up quoted passages with a sentence or two.
Language & layout:

• Check the meaning of words before using them;

• Avoid over-using colons, dashes & semi-colons;

• Make sure you know the proper use of similar words (e.g. their, there & they’re);

• Each paragraph should cover one main point;

• Paragraphs should flow on from each other; and,

• Only include diagrams, tables or quotes if they are relevant.

Writing Conclusions
A good conclusion should:
1. Draw together all the points raised;
2. Not introduce new arguments that haven’t appeared in the paper; and,
3. Summarise the findings and restate the argument; and,
4. When read together with the introduction should provide a summary of the whole section

Example:
This essay has shown that the purpose of pressure groups is two-fold: first, to have theirconcerns or interests placed on the political agenda and, second, to elicit a supportive response from government. It has been demonstrated that pressure groups form when enough individuals become concerned about the apparent neglect of an issue or interest by government. TWS, for example, formed in response to the lack of adequate environmental protection in Tasmania. Such groups actually assist the operation of good government by
putting urgent issues on the political agenda for action.

Referencing
All sources of information, concepts, statistics and quotes should be properly referenced. Please use APA referencing style and avoid putting references in footnotes (Turnitin will include these in its plagiarism count).

The EndNote software is recommended for organizing references and citations:
http://libguides.victoria.ac.nz/referencing-andciting/endnote