The Age of Sustainable Development

The Age of Sustainable Development" gives students an understanding of the key challenges and pathways to sustainable development - that is, economic development that is also socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable.

• Course Materials
• Information about the general course structure and reading list can be found here.
• What is Sustainable Development?
• Professor Sachs provides an overview of the challenges the world faces, and introduces the topic of sustainable development.
• Inequality Around the World
• Professor Sachs delves into the reasons for and the measurements of inequality between and within countries.
• A Short History of Economic Development
• Professor Sachs provides a history of economic development, starting with the Industrial Revolution and ending with the current state of modern economic growth.
• The History of Inequality
• Professor Sachs analyzes the intersecting roles of various factors that contribute to some countries advancing while others do not.
• The MDGs and the End of Extreme Poverty
• Professor Sachs outlines the pathways for achieving the end of extreme poverty.
• Growth within Planetary Boundaries
• Professor Sachs details the various planetary boundaries and their implications for growth dynamics.
• Human Rights and Gender Equality
• Professor Sachs delves into the ethics of wealth, poverty and inequality as well as the forces that widen inequalities.
• Education
• Professor Sachs provides an overview of the state of modern education, and what needs to be achieved for sustainable development.
• Universal Health Coverage
• Professor Sachs provides an overview of the challenges and pathways to achieving universal health coverage.
• Sustainable Food Supply and the End of Hunger
• Professor Sachs provides an overview of food security, farm systems, and ecology and reviews what can be done to achieve a sustainable global food supply.
• Sustainable Cities
• Professor Sachs looks into what makes a city sustainable, the patterns of urbanization, and pathways for urban resilience around the world.
• Curbing Climate Change
• Professor Sachs provides an introduction to the science behind climate change, and describes the negotiations and policies that are necessary to mitigate and prevent the consequences.
• Saving Biodiversity
• Professor Sachs reviews the various threats to the world's ecosystem and biodiversity.
• The SDGs
• Professor Sachs recounts the history of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and describes what is necessary to achieve them.