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

CCSP 403: International Climate Change Policy Individual Assignment Policy Brief

Due date
6:00pm, 15th August 2025

Weight
35%

Word limits
Approx. 1,500 words (-/+ 10% acceptable), excluding reference list and tables/graphs

Topic

Choose either of the following topics:

• A global climate justice conference is being convened in the lead-up to COP30 at which a proposal to introduce Ecocide as a fifth international crime under the Rome Statute will be discussed. You have been asked to prepare a brief for your chosen government’s central leadership team (‘the cabinet’ in Aotearoa New Zealand). In your brief you should outline the nature of the proposed law and discuss the arguments for and against supporting the proposal. Bearing in mind your chosen country’s domestic environmental values, politics, and policies under its current leadership propose a position statement for Ministers to take to the conference outlining your government’s position on the proposed legislation.

OR

• You work for a major international NGO that has been asked to run a session at the conference in which you may propose an international policy initiative on the rights of climate-displaced communities. Outline your policy proposal and the key reasons for introducing it as a new international agreement or law. Identify 3-5 key challenges you anticipate the proposal may face. Conclude your brief with a strategy for obtaining agreement to a set of follow-up steps in the negotiation process from key institutions and countries attending the conference.

Please ensure your Policy Brief includes a title, author name, word count and reference list in APA format

In what format?

Policy Brief
There are a wide variety of templates for policy briefs, depending on the context and objectives. Optional templates have been provided for each of these two different types of policy briefs (Position and Advocacy Briefs), along with a sample guideline used by MFAT for New Zealand Aid Programme Awards. You are not required to use these templates – they are provided as a guide only.

How do we assess?

The assignment will be assessed with respect to:

1. Understanding and framing of the issue (20 points)

• Demonstrates clear understanding of the topic and policy relevance

• Frames issues effectively (clear, concise, informative) for the target audience

2. Quality of Analysis and use of evidence (30 points)

• Evaluates competing arguments and policy considerations

• Uses critical, relevant, and recent sources of information

• Demonstrates critical and reflective engagement and an original (own) point of view

3. Policy argument and recommendations (30 points)

• Clear and persuasive recommendations

• Aligned with actor’s mandate, values and context

• Feasible and well-justified

• Identifies key barriers to implementation/adoption

• Offers realistic and creative strategies for addressing them

4. Presentation, context awareness, and Referencing (20 points)

• Uses an appropriate policy brief structure

• Follows formatting instructions (includes title, author, word count)

• Accessible and appropriate tone for intended audience (e.g. short, punchy
sentences, concise and efficient wording)

• Well-organised and purposeful writing

• Has a logical flow and is systematically organised

• Good grammar and spelling

• Citations are accurate and use APA style

Specific assessment criteria and weighting: