UCL - Public strategies for sustainable development

[ENVI2010]

[15h] 2 credits

This course is taught in the 1st semester.

Teacher(s): David Aubin, Marie-Paule Kestemont(coord.), Jean-Pascal van Ypersele de Strihou

Language: French

Level: Second

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

This DES in Environmental Sciences and Management has a professional finality. Its objective is to form people with a university degree to a multidisciplinary dialogue as well as to act and to decide in the field of the environment. Next to scientific theoretical acquisitions, an "environmental" specialist has to have a good knowledge of regional, federal and international strategies in what matters the environmental protection and sustainable development, as well as the institutions charged to facilitate their implementation. Indeed, as part of their future professional activities, the "environmental" specialists will have to act within these strategies' framework.
This course aims to allow the students to acquire this knowledge of strategies and institutions. Such a course is also susceptible to interest other programs (political sciences, rights ) and should usefully appear as an option in programs of the faculties ESPO, DRT, AGRO, FSA and SC.

Main themes

The main theme relative to sustainable developement public strategies will be treated on legal, socio-political and scientific aspects. The approach will also be done in traverse way to the different decisions' steps - international - federal - local - and council, by the study of cases and different organizations like :
Local (ex.: Union of cities and municipalities), regional (ex.: CWEDD), federal (ex. : CIDD, CFDD), common (ex.: EU, European Council) and world institutions (ex.: PNUD, PNUE) entrusted to elaborate implementation strategies of sustainable development politics (development of indicators of sustainable development (iSD), elaboration of plans (PEDD, PFDD); great world conferences (RIO and the Agenda 21, KYOTO and Conferences about the reduction of greenhouse effect gases ); interactions between scientists and the political deciders (IPCC )

Content and teaching methods

The lecture is organised in two parts : the first part is an introduction to public strategies for sustainable development ; it is provided by the professors. The second part is a set of conferences provided by external contributors, experts in specific areas related to the selected topic (varying from year to year). Examples of selected topics : food, biodiversity, climate change, GMO, energy, water.
Part I Introduction (4 X 1h30)
1. Sustainable development milestones
2. Economic tools for sustainable development strategies
3. Politic analysis of public strategies for sustainable development and politic science.
4. Sciences and politics interface and the role of the expert - the case of climate strategies.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Evaluation : Writing or oral evaluation, especially about a work of synthesis, invidually made, or made in group;

Course materials : Texts and conferences.