Policy-Making Initiative for Sustainability

Programme objectives

This programme is designed for students interested in understanding the complexity of contemporary transformations and contributing to the development of public policies addressing socio-environmental challenges. By training agile and informed decision-makers, it meets the imperative of a world in transition: acting in complexity to shape public policies adapted to the challenges at stake.

A call for tailored training

Ecological transitions are disrupting societal models across multiple dimensions: environmental, economic, social, cultural, and more. However, these transformations are accompanied by significant uncertainty, driven by several factors:

• The instability of scientific knowledge: Knowledge evolves rapidly, reflecting debates within scientific communities about the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to environmental crises.
• The diversity of social perspectives: Ecological challenges are never neutral; they involve multiple – and sometimes conflicting – political, cultural, and economic viewpoints and interests.
• Technical and systemic complexity: Proposed solutions, such as technological innovations or energy transition policies, are context-dependent and often spark new controversies.

As a result, accepting and making decisions under uncertainty has become an essential skill for public decision-makers. The "Policy-Making Initiative for Sustainability, inspired by Sciences Po's Forccast programme, offers an approach to analyze and act on the complex challenges of ecological transitions. This program replaces the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) initiative.

A methodology to guide public action

Controversy mapping provides an intellectual and practical toolkit to:

• Identify and analyze points of tension, the stakeholders involved, and the underlying dynamics of a controversy.
• Highlight connections between scientific knowledge, technical decisions, and social perceptions.
• Propose public policies based on a nuanced understanding of uncertainties and competing interests.

Through case studies on controversies related to socio-environmental transitions – such as energy, low-carbon mobility, or nature-based solutions – this programme trains students to:

• Use qualitative and quantitative tools to map complex controversies.
• Develop decision-making strategies suited to uncertain contexts.
• Create innovative, inclusive, and sustainable policy recommendations.

Programme structure

The programme is conducted entirely in English.
The "Policy-Making Initiative for Sustainability" includes:

• A series of lectures preceding the start of the spring semester. These seminars, led by experts in various fields, provide an introduction to the issues to be explored during the module.
• A weekly course during the spring semester, equipping students with the tools and methodology needed for controversy analysis and drafting public policy proposals.
• A final presentation of the policy project before a jury.

Programme participation

• Eligibility: The initiative is open to all first-year master’s students at the School of Public Affairs.
• Timeline: Students are notified via email when the call for applications opens during the first half of October.
• Selection Process: Students are selected individually based on their motivation, understanding of the program, and curiosity about the proposed topics.
  Note: You may only participate in one Policy Lab program. If you apply for the Gender Equality and Public Policy Certificate or the IPP initiative, you cannot apply for this initiative.
• Workload: This is a 24-hour course equivalent to 4 ECTS credits (replacing an elective). In addition to the 2 hours allocated weekly, note that the pre-semester week in January is also dedicated to the project. Final presentations with partners are organized in mid-May. Students wishing to apply should ensure that this schedule is compatible with their external commitments (internship, professional activity, etc.).

This programme is supported by the European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition.

More about the chair :

Our mission is to study implementation pathways for sustainable policies and the climate transition in Europe and globally, and to support the European Green Deal’s ambitious objectives. To this end, we are committed to establishing a broad network of actors who will contribute to research, education, and discussions on important topics such as just transition, climate mitigation and adaptation, energy transition, and green finance.

Contact

If you have any questions about the initiative, please contact Léo Houdebine