Living and working in the 21st Century brings a range of challenges and opportunities at a scale that society has not faced before. A rapidly growing and more demanding world population is putting unsustainable stress on the natural environment. There is ongoing inequality in the distribution of wealth.

For many the supply of the key resources of water, food and energy is not secure. Climate change is putting additional pressure on already exciting problems. However, people have never been more connected through the advantages of modern technologies, are better educated, benefit from advanced scientific innovation and a new Green Economy is emerging.

This interdisciplinary module introduces the concept of Sustainable Development and invites the student to reflect on how sustainability relates to their own study-discipline and/or career aspirations through a mix of lectures, seminars, online exercises and reflective writing.

It addresses the global environmental, social and economic challenges that society is facing and explains how they are related.

Finally it will discuss methods, innovations and approaches that could lead to a more sustainable society.

This module's aims are to enable you to:

• Discuss major global challenges that society faces today and in the future e.g. urbanisation, population growth, poverty alleviation, climate change, energy security, water security, food security, biodiversity and health
• Explore theories and meanings of sustainable development and sustainability in the context of a variety of disciplines ranging from Environmental Sciences to Humanities.
• Identify and critique drivers and challenges to sustainable futures
• Reflect on societal and personal attitudes and values that inform (un)sustainable practices
• Formulate and contextualise local and global strategies for sustainable futures
• Enhance key transferable skills through a variety of learning methods, time management and problem-solving

See assessment section below for how ILOs will be assessed.

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module-Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1. Define major global challenges, giving examples of sustainable practices, measures taken towards sustainability and how it seeks to achieve its goals.

2. Describe the principles of sustainable development and explain how they connect to specific study disciplines

3. Use appropriate language and presentation skills to communicate sustainability issues

4. Reflect critically on own modes of practice and underpinning values systems

5. Identify and imagine future scenarios

Discipline-specific skills and knowledge:

6. Identify complex global systems and reflect critically on them

Personal and key transferable / employment skills and knowledge:

7. Work independently and with self-motivation

8. Identify and reflect on personal challenges and learn from their resolution

9. Critically reflect on one's own and others' values systems

10. Use a range of e-technologies and web forums

• Induction and group tutorial / setting the scene
• Introduction – Global Challenges, the principles and context of environmental, social and economic sustainability
• Sustainability in practice
• National and global drivers for sustainability
• Drivers and challenges for sustainability
• Exploring values and ethics for a sustainable future
• Identifying good practice in businesses, governmental initiatives, NGOs and media
• Individual tutorials
• Systems thinking
• Scenario planning
• Wicked problems: dealing with complexity (online study and critical reflection)

LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS (given in hours of study time)

DETAILS OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS

Scheduled Learning and Teaching

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT - for feedback and development purposes; does not count towards module grade

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (% of credit)

DETAILS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

DETAILS OF RE-ASSESSMENT (where required by referral or deferral)

RE-ASSESSMENT NOTES None

Indicative basic reading list:

• Brown et al., S. (2010), Tackling wicked problems through the transdisciplinary imagination (London, Earthscan) (main library -  507.2 BRO)
• Hulme, M. (2009), Why we disagree about climate change: understanding controversy, inaction and opportunity (Cambridge, University Press) (main library - 551.6 HUL )
• McIntosh, A. (2008) Hell and high water: climate change, hope and the human condition  (Edinburgh, Birlinn) (main Library 363.73874 MACI )
• Lovelock, J. (2006) The revenge of Gaia: why the Earth is fighting back – and how we can still save humanity (London, Allen Lane)(St Luke’s library,301.31 LOV)

Indicative web-based resources:

• The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy-Skills for a Changing World: www.sustainability-literacy.org/multimedia.html
• MacKay, D. Sustainable Energy – without the hot air: www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/sustainable/book/tex/sewtha.pdf
• The Earth Charter: www.earthcharterinaction.org/content/
• Global Futures Facebook group
• www.exeter.ac.uk/sustainability

ELE

• FCH1000: Additional Reading materials, video presentations, self assessment tools, reflective diary, online forums