The UN Sustainable Development Goals: Transforming Our World

Description

This course interrogates the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. These encompass contemporary global challenges such as responsible consumption and production, no poverty, clean water and climate action (challenges whose emergence is introduced in GG1010 Creating the Anthropocene). Drawing upon Human and Physical Geography perspectives, a ‘strong’ interpretation of sustainability, one where social and economic dimensions fundamentally rely on ecological foundations, underpins the course. This course interrogates, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing upon perspectives from Human and Physical Geography, space, place, people and the environment, contemporary global challenges that have arisen during the Anthropocene (introduced in GG1010 Creating the Anthropocene) and which have prompted the development of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are examined. The course structure is based on the three levels of the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s ‘wedding cake’ model of Sustainable Development (biosphere, society and economy), to present a ‘strong’ interpretation of sustainability, one where social and economic dimensions fundamentally rely on ecological foundations. No prior knowledge is assumed. Through a combination of lectures and small group teaching students will engage with the following thematic content: Principles of Sustainable Development. The Biosphere - managing the physical environment. Aligned in particular with Sustainable Development Goals 6, 13, 14 and 15, topics include: Life below Water - marine pollution and acidification, sustainable marine resource management, conservation of marine environments; Clean water and sanitation - managing water resources, pollution mitigation; Life on land - soil degradation, natural hazards, effects of sea level rise and Climate action - climate science, climate monitoring, mitigation and adaptation. Society - topics of concern to human societies. Aligned in particular with Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, 8, 16 and 11, topics include: No poverty - international development, global perspectives on population and resources; food security; Good health and wellbeing - health inequalities; Decent work and economic growth - patterns and process of unemployment and underemployment; rural and regional development; Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – refugees, geopolitics and different scales of governance; and Sustainable cities and communities - urban (re)development, gentrification, sustainable transport, enabling community action. Economy – integrating perspectives from human and physical geography. Aligned in particular with Sustainable Development Goals 7, 9, 10 and 12, topics includes: Responsible consumption and production - natural resource distribution, extractive industries, primary industries, pro-environmental behaviour and behaviour change; Reduced inequalities - structural inequalities at the global ,regional and local scales and gender equality; Aff