B1056 - Towards Sustainability. Moving from Theory to Practice through Reformed Decision-Making

Learning outcomes

Despite having been set up as an international and universal agenda for prosperity, inclusion and peace in 2015, sustainable development is still lacking the necessary political attention for boosting its implementation. One of key reasons for the insufficient progress in achieving the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda is improper decision-making by public and private organisations alike. Decision-making must be reformed to encompass the sustainability criterion at its core. Practically, it means that each new project, policy or financing has to be assessed on whether it can lead simultaneously to a prosperous economy, an inclusive society and a protected ecosystem. The course will aim to develop both theoretical and practical understanding of adapting the way to take decisions at state, public and private organisations' level. It will principally focus on the paradigm change set by the European Green Deal which aims at transforming the EU into a climate neutral society by 2050. More specifically, it will address key drivers of sustainability transformative processes such as circular economy, comprehensive food systems and sustainable consumption. The course will offer a concrete response to the need to adapt the skills of tomorrow's managers to the new reality of integrated and comprehensive decision- and policy-making. University students from all faculties shall benefit from this course which shall set the vision of a society which has the obligation to consider development from a wider perspective than simply economic and has to nurture the values it attaches to its economic, social and environmental prosperity.

Course contents

The course will focus on what has become in a few years from now the main preoccupation of the youth: i.e. climate protection. Achieving all the necessary transformations to protect future generations against the climate emergency will imply resorting to a wide range of policy drivers and measures, that go well beyond the traditional means taken by decision-makers in the areas of energy and transport.

When adopting its flagship initiative on the European Green Deal in December 2019, the European Commission set the scene of a vast transformation involving structural policy adaptations in the following areas: energy, transport, building, agriculture and fishery, food, environment and biodiversity, industry and circular economy, financing, R&D etc. By doing so, the European Commission argued that the European Green Deal was the EU response to the 2030 Sustainable Development (SD) Agenda.

The course will assess the relevance of the European Green Deal to implement the changes called upon by the 2030 SD Agenda. It will analyse in detail the main components of the European Green Deal with a particular focus on the participatory approaches mandated by the SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals) as they are strongly demanded by the youth.

The content of the course will be as follows:

- Introduction to the SD concept, history of development, EU steps towards SD

- 2030 SD Agenda

- European Green Deal: objectives, drivers and barriers, implementation so far

- Specific focus on three main Green Deal components: the Farm-to-Fork strategy, the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, Sustainable Consumption

- Next steps: governance of the Green Deal, next European Commission

- Applying the Green deal at the national/regional/local level: streamlining decision-making, galvanising all forces of civil society, monitoring and adapting, etc.

As a function of the interests of the class, some new contents could be added to what precedes. 

Readings/Bibliography

BOOK (reading not essential)

Author: Eric Ponthieu

Title: The climate crisis, democracy and governance

Publisher: Springer

ISBN: 978-3-030-58127-5 (e-book)

Link: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-58127-5

WEBLINKS

The UN 2030 SD Agenda

https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E

European Green Deal:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?qid=1576150542719&uri=COM%3A2019%3A640%3AFIN

Farm to Fork strategy

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0381

The EU Climate Pact

https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/european-green-deal/european-climate-pact_en

The EU Circular Economy Action Plan

https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/circular-economy-action-plan_en

 

Teaching methods

The on-site course will be delivered through a mix of theoretical and practical cases requiring an active participation of students. Interactive sessions will be programmed, in particular on subject matters where the cultural, ethical and societal dimensions do often collide. The teacher not being the only holder of relevant knowledge, students' inputs will be stimulated through various means.

The last class will be on-line and will offer students to critically comment on what they learned and the shortcomings of the EU regarding the SD implementation.

Assessment methods

The final assessment will be based on the following criteria:

- class participation (30%)

- personal feedback to be provided during the last on-line class (see above) (20%)

- written examination in the form of a 3-page thesis to be submitted to the teacher by the date of the last class (50%)

Written exam (12-16 June) only for those students having not submitted their thesis by the deadline.

Mark range:

• 18-19: knowledge of a very limited number of topics covered in the course and analytical skills that emerge only with the help of the teacher, expressed in an overall correct language;
• 20-24: knowledge of a limited number of topics covered in the course and ability to autonomous analysis only on purely executive matters, expression in correct language;
• 25-29: good knowledge of a large number of topics covered in the course, ability to make independent choices of critical analysis, mastery of specific terminology;
• 30-30 cum laude: excellent knowledge of the topics covered in the course, ability to make autonomous choices of critical analysis and connection, full mastery of specific terminology and ability to argue and self-reflection.

Teaching tools

The teacher will use ppt slides.

Office hours

See the website of Eric Herve H Ponthieu