Introduction to Sustainable Development

Central to this is the concept of “sustainable development”, which has been accepted internationally as a guideline for future action. This concept encompasses both an analysis of and a policy for global issues relating to the environment, the economy and social justice. The concept problematises the relationship between local and global issues, the conflicts of interest that play a role in this, the relationship between the Western and non-Western worlds, the relationship between scientific knowledge and technical, economic and political action, as well as the value systems that come into play when searching for solutions. With this concept as a reference point, this course addresses a number of global sustainability issues that are discussed on an almost daily basis.

The course is structured around the book Living in the Environment by Tyler Miller. This book begins with an introduction to environmental problems, their causes and their relationship to sustainable development. It then covers the basic principles of ecology, the study of the interaction of living organisms (humans, plants, animals) with their environment, which forms the basis for thinking about sustainable development. It then goes on to discuss the sustainable management of biodiversity, natural resources, environmental quality and human societies. It covers a wide range of topics, principles and facts that can be considered basic knowledge for sustainability sciences (Body of Knowledge).

Please note that the course information in the course guide is binding.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

• describe the characteristics of the most important global sustainability issues, as well as their multidisciplinary nature;
• explain the causes and consequences of these issues, and the complexity of finding solutions;
• reflect on the ethical and normative aspects that play a role in this process.

Do you study at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) or Wageningen University and Research (WUR)? You can enrol via eduXchange.nl

You must meet the following requirements

• Registered for a degree programme other than
• Global Sustainability Science
• Completed none of the course modules listed below
• Sustainability Challenges (GEO1-2410)

• Literature Tyler Miller & Scott Spoolman, 2016. Living in the Environment 19th edition (ISBN 9781337094153)