EDS306 Sustainability Science: Ecological, Social, and Economic Dimensions

Credits (ECTS):10

Course responsible:<p>Erik Nicolas Gomez Baggethun, Lukas Jack Reiner Gode</p>

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Engelsk

Limits of class size:30-35 students

Course frequency:Annually

Nominal workload:250 hours

Teaching and exam period:Autumn parallell

About this course

Sustainability science is an interdisciplinary field that has its origins in the concept of sustainable development, proposed by the World Commissions on Environment and Development (WCED). Sustainable development has been guiding international environmental and sustainability policies over the last three decades and projects to the future through the Sustainable Development Goals. The course critically scrutinizes dominant paradigms of development and growth and explores alternative pathways to sustainability to secure basic needs for all within the safe operating space of planetary boundaries. In doing so, it draws on fields like environmental and earth system science, ecological economics, and degrowth.

The course opens space for discussion and deliberation. The focus will be on contentious issues dividing scholars in the sustainability sciences, including the nature and practical relevance of environmental limits, valuation of the environment and perspectives on sustainable use of the commons. Students will be exposed to different opinions on these topics. Texts and lectures from prominent representatives of these perspectives will be used as background information.

Lectures are organized in four blocks (A, B, C, D). The first class presents the course structure and methodology and the key concepts and themes. Block A, ‘Environmental challenges of the Anthropocene’ advances notions of global change and Earth system science, the distinct nature of the Anthropocene, the Great Acceleration, drivers of planetary change, planetary boundaries, the condition of ecological life support systems and challenges at the food-water-energy nexus. Eenvironmental problems analyzed in depth include climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, and over-exploitation of natural resources.

Blocks B and C cover lectures in ‘Ecological Economics and degrowth’ (I&II). Ecological economics and degrowth are two related fields that promote structural changes in economic and financial systems to live within just and safe ecological limits. Theoretical issues and operational aspects are covered, including limits to growth, ‘weak vs. strong’ sustainability, decoupling of growth from environmental impacts, green growth, degrowth and doughnut economics, key policy proposals promoting prosperity without growth, links between ecosystems and human well-being, assessment and valuation of ecosystem services, and controversies over framings, valuation, and commodification of nature.

Finally, Block D, ‘Institutional analysis of sustainability problems’ introduces theories and methods in environmental governance, including models of human behavior, institutions, theories of access, resource regimes, and management of common pool resources.

Learning outcome

The aim of the course is providing attendants with interdisciplinary frameworks, concepts, methods and tools for analyzing, understanding and informing sustainability problems and solutions. Particular emphasis is made on the understanding of the interactions between society, the economy and the environment across scales.

By completion of the course we expect attendants to have reached understanding of concepts, methods and frameworks in environmental and sustainability analysis, be familiarized with integrated approaches to the analysis of coupled, social, ecological and economic systems and recognize the social, technological and economic roots of environmental degradation, as well as with empirical insight on the connections between growth and the environment.

The students shall acquire theoretical insights and practical tools for understanding and assessing the links between ecosystems and human well-being, environmental values and valuation approaches, and models of rationality, choice and human behavior. Students shall further acquire knowledge on the design of economic incentives and policy tools for environmental protection, basic notions in environmental management and governance, and understanding of the relations between growth and the environment. Students should also have read key literature in environmental and sustainability sciences. Students shall develop the ability to critically evaluate the assumptions underlying the various theories and perspectives in environmental and sustainability science covered in the course.

Further, the course aims to encourage reflection on own and other people’s values, attitudes and behavior, and on their potential implications for sustainability and justice.

  • Tuition in the course is campus-based, with not streaming, except indicated otherwise in exceptional circumstances.

    The course consists of a combination of lectures, seminars, and an assignment.

    Lectures are organized in four blocks (A, B, C, D). The first class presents the course structure and methodology and the key concepts and themes. Block A, ‘Environmental challenges of the Anthropocene’ advances notions of global change and Earth system science, the distinct nature of the Anthropocene, the Great Acceleration, drivers of planetary change, planetary boundaries, the condition of ecological life support systems and challenges at the food-water-energy nexus. Eenvironmental problems analyzed in depth include climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, and over-exploitation of natural resources.

    Blocks B and C cover lectures in ‘Ecological Economics and degrowth’ (I&II). Environmental degradation and growing inequality have become twin threats to contemporary standards of living. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services International (IPBES) are calling for transformative changes in economic and financial systems. Ecological economics and degrowth are two related fields that promote structural changes in economic and financial systems to live within just and safe ecological limits. Theoretical issues and operational aspects are covered, including limits to growth, ‘weak vs. strong’ sustainability, decoupling of growth from environmental impacts, green growth vs. post-growth, key policy proposals promoting prosperity without growth, links between ecosystems and human well-being, evaluation of ecosystem services, and controversies over framings, valuation, and commodification of nature.

    Finally, Block D, ‘Institutional analysis of sustainability problems’ introduces theories and methods in environmental governance, including models of human behavior, institutions, theories of access, resource regimes, and management of common pool resources.

    Except indicated otherwise, lectures will be held physically in class.

    Facilitated group discussions will take place around controversial aspects in sustainability. The course includes two paper seminars.

    The group assignment consists of a term paper that counts for 40% of the final mark. Groups will decide topic themselves within the scope of the course or choose topics within a menu offered by the lecturers. The assignment will be organized as a group work where the focus is on formulating, analyzing, and addressing a sustainability problem. The students chose who they will work with, in groups of around four members.

  • There is supervision in connection with the group assignment. Attendance at seminars organized in connection with the group assignment is compuslory. Supervision will also be offered outside of these seminars.
  • The course is adapted to the background of the students enrolled in the M-IES program.
  • Combined assessment, with a group assignment and a written exam. Both of these, as well as final grade, will receive a letter grade (A-E).

    The written exam will be in English only.

    The group assignment counts for 40% towards the final grade, the written exam counts for 60%.

  • The written exam and the group assignment will be articulated and assessed by the course responsible and teachers. An external examiner will quality check the design of the course assessment.
  • Attendance at all seminars is compulsory. Participation in the group assignment, and related seminars and supervision sessions, is obligatory. Absence from mandatory activities without legitimate and documented reason will result in the loss of the student’s right to take the exam.
  • Lectures: around 20 double hour lectures. Seminars: 2 double hours. Group work with supervision: 5 hours.
  • M-IES
  • Letter grades
  • Bachelor degree in relevant field, social and/or natural sciences.