SUSTAINABILITY 1: SUSTAINABILITY

The course is the first module of the Minor in Sustainability and provides its conceptual framework. Designed for students from different degree programmes, it aims to integrate knowledge acquired in their respective disciplines through a systems approach. The course explains how current understandings of sustainability derive from different ways of interpreting the relationship between human societies and nature. It also provides the tools needed to distinguish sustainability from sustainable development and to assess actions, policies and narratives critically, considering ecological limits and the relationships among the environment, society and the economy.

1. Knowledge and understanding. By the end of the course, students will be able to describe the development of the main ways of interpreting nature and distinguish among mechanistic and systems thinking. They will be able to define sustainability and sustainable development, explain the relationship among the biosphere, society and the economy, and understand the relevance of ecological limits.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding. Students will be able to analyse a text or case study, recognise its explicit and implicit assumptions, and identify relationships among the components of the system under consideration. They will be able to assess which conditions or dimensions of sustainability are met and which are not, supporting their assessment with the concepts examined during the course.
3. Making judgements. Students will be able to assess sustainability indicators, policies and narratives critically, distinguishing substantive applications of sustainability from merely rhetorical claims. They will be able to recognise limits, interdependencies, conflicts among objectives and overlooked consequences.
4. Communication skills. Students will be able to present and discuss a sustainability problem clearly and coherently, support their arguments and use the appropriate terminology.
5. Learning skills. Students will be able to consult sources from different disciplines and establish critical connections among them, developing an independent and interdisciplinary perspective.

No specific disciplinary knowledge is required. The general knowledge required for admission to the degree programme is sufficient.

1. Holistic and mechanistic thinking: conceptions of nature from antiquity to modern science.
2. The Scientific Revolution, reductionism and the conception of nature as a machine. The influence of mechanistic thinking on society, the modern economy and the idea of growth.
3. The limits of reductionism and the emergence of systems thinking. Relationships between parts and wholes, emergent properties, organisation, processes, networks and feedback.
4. The origin and development of sustainability: forest resource management, environmentalism, ecological economics, “Limits to Growth”, the Brundtland Report, the Rio Conference and the 2030 Agenda.
5. Sustainability and sustainable development. Relationships among the biosphere, society and the economy. Ecological limits, regeneration of renewable resources, use of non-renewable resources and the capacity of ecosystems to absorb waste and pollutants.
6. Dimensions, indicators and narratives of sustainability.
7. Biodiversity and sustainability: natural and human-induced extinctions, climate change, direct exploitation, invasive alien species, habitat loss and fragmentation, interaction networks and consequences for ecosystem functioning.
8. Case-study analysis, student presentations and a field trip.

There is no single reference textbook. Compulsory materials include the slides used during classes and a selection of scientific articles, institutional reports and book chapters made available on Moodle.

The main references used during the course include:
- D.H. Meadows et al., “The Limits to Growth”, Universe Books, 1972.
- World Commission on Environment and Development, “Our Common Future”, Oxford University Press, 1987.
- D.H. Meadows, “Thinking in Systems: A Primer”, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008.
- F. Capra and P.L. Luisi, “The Systems View of Life”, Cambridge University Press, 2014.

The sections to be studied and any supplementary readings will be specified during the course and on Moodle.

Assessment consists of a presentation delivered during the course and a final written examination.
The presentation accounts for 30% of the final grade. Students will examine a sustainability-related topic or case study and present it in class. Assessment will consider their ability to identify relationships among the components of the problem, use course concepts appropriately, construct a sound argument and communicate clearly.
The final written examination lasts 120 minutes and accounts for 70% of the final grade. Students will read and analyse a text, identifying which conditions, criteria or dimensions of sustainability are met and which are not. They will be required to justify their conclusions using relevant concepts from the course.
The examination assesses knowledge of the main concepts, the ability to apply them to a previously unexamined situation, independent judgement and the ability to develop a clear and coherent argument. The final grade is calculated by combining the two weighted assessments.

written

The instructor is responsible for ensuring the authenticity and originality of all examinations and coursework. In cases of suspected academic misconduct, an additional on-site assessment may be required during the exams, which may differ from the standard format.

18-22: sufficient but partial knowledge of the course content; identification of the most evident sustainability elements; mainly descriptive application of concepts; simple argumentation and terminology that is not always precise.
23-26: adequate knowledge of the course content; correct identification of the main sustainability conditions that are met or unmet; ability to establish relevant connections and support the assessment with a reasonable degree of independence.
27-29: sound and comprehensive knowledge; detailed analysis of relationships and interdependencies; recognition of limits, conflicts among objectives and less evident consequences; rigorous argumentation and appropriate terminology.
30-30 with honours: excellent command of the course content; ability to integrate different perspectives critically and apply systems thinking independently; original, precise and thorough analysis. Honours are awarded when the assessment demonstrates both full command of the content and an especially high level of independent judgement and critical elaboration.

The course combines interactive lectures, guided analysis of texts and case studies, class discussions, exercises in the systems-based interpretation of problems, student presentations and a field trip. The applied activities prepare students directly for the final examination by training them to recognise assumptions, relationships, limits and sustainability criteria in concrete situations. Slides, readings and other learning materials will be available on Moodle.

Instructions concerning the presentation, the field trip and the required materials will be provided during the course and published on Moodle.

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development