Concepts in Sustainable Development: An Introduction to the Key Issues

Offered By: University of Leicester via FutureLearn

Course Description

Overview

Get an introduction to the key issues in sustainability

In this course you will study the conceptual foundations of sustainable development, and discuss the issues around sustainability as a complex problem.

We’ll look at the flow of energy and materials worldwide; social and political issues; wealth inequality; the impact of geography, history and culture on sustainability today; and the problems of collective action. Finally, we’ll conduct a SWOT analysis, looking at our resilience and prospects in the face of climate change and other global issues in sustainability. We’ll ask: are we doomed?

This course is open to anyone interested in exploring the general technical and social issues around the concept of sustainability and sustainable development. The course explores the theoretical basis of sustainability from the natural sciences, political and economic perspective. This course is aimed at learners who wish to engage with the challenges and potential solutions to sustainability at a conceptual level.

Syllabus

Sustainable development and complexity

Welcome to the course
Sustainable development
Complexity
Issues in sustainable development
Summary of the week

A metabolic view

Introduction
Energy and order
Material flows
Intergenerational Justice
A closed economy?
Summary of the week

Beyond the average

Beyond the average
World Economic Growth
Growth of wealth
Inequality
Summary of the week

History dependence

History dependence
Geographical determinism
Cultural determinism
Historical determinism
Summary of the week

Collective action

Tragedy of the commons
Values and frames
Globalisation
Fishing
Collective action
Summary of the week

Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

Resilience
Technology
Development aid or trade
Education
Summary of the week and the course

Taught by

David Avery