CFR Education: Global Climate Change Policy Simulation
Provided by: Council on Foreign Relations|Published on: September 18, 2023|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Lesson Plan
Subjects: Civics, Geography, English Language Arts
Authors: CFR Education
Location: Earth, North America, North America > United States
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This case study simulation prompts students to act as representatives on a UN Security Council that is addressing international and United States domestic policy to combat climate change.
- The case study resources are incredibly comprehensive, providing students with text, videos, and focus questions to help them understand enough background information to make informed decisions in their assigned role.
- Depending on your class structure, this case study simulation could take 1 - 3 weeks to complete.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This simulation is an excellent way to prompt students to synthesize different resources (text, video, etc.), in order to provide an informed argument for their strategies for climate change foreign policy.
- Students will consider a variety of governmental positions with varied perspectives on climate change impacts and responsibilities.
- There are excellent guiding questions and built-in assessments to help students focus their research and discussions as they progress through the case study simulation.
Additional Prerequisites
- In order to access the full case study and create a student experience, you must create a teacher account on the Model Diplomacy website and "enroll" your class in the simulation.
- Students should have a basic understanding of how climate change is a global problem requiring solutions at many levels, including international agreements.
- Students should have background knowledge on the Paris Agreement and some background on different roles within the presidential cabinet of the U.S. government.
Differentiation
- As students read the "Situation" section in the case overview, encourage them to click underlined words to access a pop-up glossary which defines the terms and provides more related information.
- It is highly recommended to create a graphic organizer for students to record their research as they discover information related to the Paris Agreement and their assigned role.
- It may be helpful to create a short guide to operational rules of the National Security Council for students to reference as they participate in the simulation.
- Since there is quite a bit of background research related to policy, international diplomacy, climate change, and specific governmental roles, it is recommended to schedule some linked videos and readings as homework and have students work together in their assigned roles during class time.
This resource from the Council on Foreign Relations walks students through a simulation of a National Security Council (NSC) meeting just before a major international climate summit. The resource provides a good introduction to global climate change policy, with a number of excellent videos included. The main issue and the decision point for the NSC meeting are outlined before students are assigned roles and asked to prepare a memorandum prior to the role play. Each role is clearly described with considerations and a list of external research leads is included. A web-based simulation tool is provided to streamline the whole process. This simulation really allows students to act as leaders shaping the United States’ climate policy. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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