CFR Education: How Do Governments Combat Climate Change?
Provided by: Council on Foreign Relations|Published on: September 15, 2023|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Economics, Civics, Engineering
Authors: CFR Education
Location: Earth
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 text describes how various actions implemented by governments can help with the fight against climate change, including policies, agreements, regulations, and innovations.
- It gives examples of how the following seven policies have been successful: clean energy standards, international agreements, cap and trade, carbon taxes, adaptation policies, minimizing financial risks, and technology investment.
- There is also a lesson plan for various sections of the World 101 Climate Change module and a discussion guide for higher education classes.
- This is the twelfth section of the World 101 Climate Change module.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The text lists ways that each policy has seen success or failure and it lists governments that have implemented each policy.
- The lesson plan links to the Model Diplomacy website (which requires a login creation) that hosts a simulation program for students to act as representatives on international governmental councils addressing climate change policy.
Additional Prerequisites
- Teachers will be encouraged to make copies of certain Google Docs and Slides, so having access to the Google Suite is helpful.
- Some of the links in the lesson plan are broken, but many of the broken links link to a single slide that can be found in the comprehensive Google Slides file at the top of the lesson plan titled "Climate Change: Policy Presentation."
Differentiation
- If a class is not choosing to follow the lesson plan, it is recommended to have students review the other sections in the World 101 module to dive deeper into climate policy.
- Before reviewing the article, ask students if they think governments should regulate fossil fuel consumption.
- After reading the article, consider having students each choose one policy to research further and share their opinion about whether it is a viable solution in their state or region.
- The guided reading handout and vocabulary handout linked in the lesson plan are excellent resources for classes that are diving into a deep exploration using the World 101 resources.
This resource from the Council on Foreign Relations introduces students to the varied steps governments are taking to tackle climate change. The text of this resource discusses the seven main policies governments utilize, giving pros and cons for each and then providing case studies where each policy has been implemented effectively. A lesson plan is also included that features a guided reading handout that would serve as an excellent homework assignment. This resource is filled with clear text and graphics, as well as numerous linked video resources. The only small issue is that there are a few broken links to external sources in the lesson plan document. These faults do not outweigh the merits, and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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