Introduction to Sustainable Development

Keuzevak in Maastricht. The concept of sustainable development is critically important, because many of the key policy challenges facing the planet require a central focus on sustainability and development.

Instelling: Maastricht Graduate School of Governance / Maastricht University / International Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable development (ICIS)
Periode: 5

Voor wie:
Students from the Master of Public Policy

Beschrijving:
“Concern for our ecological (and social) environment emerged in the early 1960s and was followed by a wide range of developments and milestones like the U.N. conference in Stockholm (1972), the publication of the Brundtland report (1987), the U.N. Conference in Rio (1992) and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (2002).

Today it is acknowledged that achieving sustainable development at the global scale is one of the greatest challenges for the 21st century. However, sustainable development means different things to different people. The most frequently quoted definition is from the report Our Common Future (the Brundtland Report): “”Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”” But many other definitions and interpretations can be found in existing literature.

The concept of sustainable development is critically important, because many of the key policy challenges facing the planet require a central focus on sustainability and development. Sustainable development requires an understanding that inaction has consequences and that we must find innovative ways to deal with the important economic, social and ecological trade-offs involved.

This course gives an introduction to the concept of sustainable development, the different perspectives involved and its implications for policymaking. During the course, students will:

– discuss the contested meaning of sustainable development from a variety of perspectives, including the difference between ‘sustainable development’ and ‘sustainability’,

– explore the historical timeline of important developments and milestones related to sustainable development (incl. important international conferences),

– improve their understanding of the ecological-economic interface,

– identify the most important aspects of social sustainability (including intergenerational and intragenerational equity),

– identify the different perspectives on how to achieve a sustainable future,

– explore the climate change problem and the most important dilemma’s in climate change policy”

Website:
www.governance.unimaas.nl/ / www.icis.unimaas.nl

Contactgegevens:
Dr. Maud Huynen, M.Huynen[at]icis.unimaas.nl, 043-3884840