Approaches of sustainable development

Teacher(s)

Roman Philippe;

Language

French

Main themes

The course is divided into three parts: - historical and institutional underpinnings of sustainable development: origins, international treaties…; essential concepts (externalities, (non) renewable resources; ecological footprint, global change…); introduction to the environmental problems; - links with socioeconomic questions like : externalities, growth, (resource) productivity, enterprises choices, consumer behavior…; - some specific topics: economic instruments (ecotaxes, deposits, subsidies, pollution rights…); environment, resource productivity (factor 4) and employment; greenhouse effect and carbon tax…

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	The main objective of this course is to understand the concept of sustainable development and it's implications on the social and economic dimensions of the society. And the end of the course, the student is supposed to be able to: - establish links between a sustainable development approach and some basic concepts or approaches proposed by economics (growth, employment, international trade ), sociology (social cohesion, poverty, quality of life ) or political science (democracy, participation ); - understand the institutional and political questions related to sustainable development (Rio Conference, Kyoto protocol, national and local sustainable development plans ); - apprehend globally the economic, social, environmental, cultural and institutional dimensions of human development.

Content

✓ To familiarise students with ecological thought in its complexity and its different currents and to understand its multiple roots.
✓ To specify the different theoretical, ethical and political aspects of the ecological question, the tensions it expresses and the socio-economic, political and cultural actors who produce discourses and develop practices around this question.
✓ To provide reference points for linking elements of analysis from the currents of ecological thought with current economic and social issues.

Teaching methods

The courses will be mainly face-to-face, with the possibility of distance learning if conditions so require.
Ex cathedra lectures are planned, but a great deal of importance is attached to interaction with and between students.
Readings are given to deepen certain points of the programme and fuel discussion.
Details of the arrangements are given on the course's Moodle site and/or in the teaching contract.

Evaluation methods

Students are assessed face-to-face (or by distance learning if conditions so require) on the basis of :

• a written examination ;
• or possibly another method that will be communicated to students if conditions so require.

Details of the arrangements are given on the course's Moodle site and/or in the teaching contract.

Online resources

Course materials and information can be found on the course Moodle site and/or in the course contract.

Bibliography

Des textes d'auteurs et autrices classiques seront communiqués en début de cours et tout au long de celui-ci, ainsi que des ouvrages de référence sur divers aspects de la pensée écologique. Une attention particulière sera donnée à l'accessibilité (en ligne notamment) des textes.

Faculty or entity

OPES