Sustainable Development: Solutions and Trends

We have all heard about climate change and other urgent sustainability challenges, but what can we do about it? In this course, you become familiar with some of the major environmental challenges we face today. You will learn about different sustainability solutions, and be introduced to various examples of how multidisciplinary research, including studies in engineering, contributes to the transition towards sustainability. You also become aware of how sustainability drives technical and societal development further. We take a closer look at the use of natural resources and the importance of well working ecosystems. To better understand how the use of resources can be made sustainable, key concepts such as the planetary boundaries and material flow analysis are discussed. You will also be introduced to different ways of sustainable resource management, such as smart urban metabolism, urban agriculture, the sharing economy, sustainable transport, renewable energy, aquaculture, green chemistry and ecodesign.

This is the second of three courses about sustainable development for problem solvers from KTH, Royal Institute of Technology. Each of the three courses can be taken separately and provide knowledge on how to act, think and approach development in society and for the industry that meets the needs of the present without compromising future generations ability to meet their own needs. In the first course Exploring Sustainable Development the concept and history of sustainable development is discussed from a holistic perspective. In the third course, Enforcing Sustainable Development, we look at what influences current sustainability actions and how people can change via education, and how regulations affect more sustainable behaviours. Situated in Stockholm, Sweden, KTH drives world leading research in sustainability, and offers education for students and staff to ensure that all graduates, as well as the organisation continue to enforce sustainable development. In these courses you meet a multidisciplinary team of teachers and researchers in the forefront of finding solutions for sustainable development.

This course is relevant to professionals working in industry, policymakers, or students in engineering.