GSE825 Sustainable Development: Introductory Principles and Practices
About this Unit
Semester 1, 2008
Offered: D1 - Day; First Half-Year (Block mode delivery)
Convenor: Wendy Goldstein
Prerequisites/corequisites: None
Credit Points: 4
Unit Description
This unit examines the origins, issues, policies, and processes of sustainable development (SD). It introduces students to the global and national debates surrounding SD and engages them in a process of identifying how its principles are interpreted in practice. It involves the students in the analysis of the ideological and value bases of SD and critical appraisal of the policy approaches that are emerging.
Rationale for the unit
Sustainability has become a part of the discourse and action in the work place whether corporate, NGO or government. This unit provides context and fundamental understanding for the sustainable development programs and contributes to building the program's change management approach to sustainability developed through the four core units. The unit helps environmental managers and planners understand the international roots of sustainability and its influence on national policy. The unit assists students to understand and develop a position about the concept and to recognize the basis of the many different perceptions of sustainable development.
Core or optional unit in Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development;core unit in Master of Sustainable Development; Optional unit in other Diploma and Masters GSE programs
Teaching Staff
Convenor: Wendy Goldstein
Classes
Classes are held in room E8A 386 over six days, with an introductory evening session. Assignment tutorial sessions will be arranged at times to be advised by students.
| Date | Time | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 29 February | 6:30pm - 9:30pm | Introduction to Course Themes |
| Saturday 1 March | 10:00am - 5:00pm | Workshop Session 1 |
| Friday 14 March | 10:00am - 5:00pm | Workshop Session 2 |
| Sunday 16 March | 10:00am - 5:00pm | Workshop Session 3 |
| Friday 28 March | 10:00am - 5:00pm | Workshop Session 4 |
| Friday 4 April | 10:00am - 5:00pm | Workshop Session 5 |
| Sunday 4 May | 10:00am - 5:00pm | Workshop Session 6 - Group presentations |
Unit web page
There is no web page for this unit.
Learning Outcomes
Through the successful completion of this unit the student will be able to:
Specialist outcomes
- Be able to conceptualise sustainable development
- Be aware of the importance and limitations of the concept of sustainable development
- Be able to demonstrate an effective grasp of the international literature relating to sustainable development
- Begin to understand the processes of change related to sustainable development
- Begin to understand the basis of governance for sustainable development
- Begin to understand how 'Major Groups' (including government agencies, indigenous peoples, women's groups, business and industry, NGOs, scientific and technological communities) are engaging with sustainable development issues
- Be aware of the principles of good practice in sustainable development
- Be able to engage in a critical appraisal of policy, programs, and actions for sustainable development
- Be able to contribute to sustainable development debates
Generic outcomes
- Develop ability to write cogent and clearly structured reports, addressing defined issues
- Develop self-management and collaboration skills
- Develop ability to work effectively as part of a multi disciplinary team
- Develop creative thinking skills to envision, create and discover
- Develop critical analysis skills to process, synthesize and evaluate
- Develop cultural understanding and respect at the professional level
- Develop a capacity for independent learning and inquiry
- Develop a sense of social, ethical and professional responsibility
Teaching and Learning Strategy
The sessions will consist of three main activities
- Short presentations
- Practical workshops in which students are asked to complete a task
- Discussion groups
Relationship between Assessment and Learning Outcomes
| Assessment | Description | Max. Length | Marks | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1(Groups of 2/3) | Presentation and analysis of sustainable development action through the eyes of an Agenda 21 Major Group related to CSD 16 | 250 words | 30% | April 4 |
| Assignment 2 | Critical review of progress in the area of SD from the perspective of a Major Group. | 2500 words | 30% | April 28 |
| Assignment 3 | Critical and comprehensive analysis of a sustainable development issue or initiative | 3000 words | 40% | May 19 |
Assignment Submission
Assignments must be submitted electronically by 5pm on the due date to the unit convenor. Please include a completed and signed coversheet. You can download an Assignment Cover Sheet
Required and Recommended Texts/Materials
Understanding Sustainable Development: Key Texts
Additional readings will be provided to enrolled students
Adams, W.M 2006 The Future of Sustainability Rethinking Environment and Development in the 21st century Report of the IUCN Renowned Thinkers Meeting, 29-31 January 2006 Gland IUCN
http://www.iucn.org/members/future_sustainability/
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia 2007 Sustainability for survival: creating a climate for change Inquiry into a sustainability charter House of Representatives Standing Committee on Environment and Heritage Canberra: House of Representatives Publishing Unit
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/environ/charter/report/fullreport.pdf
Submissions to the Inquiry
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/environ/charter/index.htm
Beder, S. (1997) Global Spin: The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism. Melbourne: Scribe Publications
Elkington, J. (2000) Cannibals with Forks: Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business Captstone Publishing.
Hargroves, K.C. Smith, M. H. (Eds) (2005) The Natural Advantage of Nations- Business Opportunities, Innovation, Governance in the 21st Century. London: Earthscan
Goldie, J. Douglas, B. Furnass, B. (eds) 2005. In Search of Sustainability. Chapter 1: http://www.publish.csiro.au/samples/ISOS_Sample.pdf
Hopwood, B. Mellor, M. O'Brien, G (2005) Sustainable Development: Mapping different Approaches, Sustainable Development, 13, 38-52
IISD Sustainable development timeline
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2007/sd_timeline_2007.pdf
IUCN, UNEP, WWF (1980) World Conservation Strategy: Living Resource Conservation for Sustainable Development IUCN: Gland Switzerland.
IUCN, UNEP, WWF (1991) Caring for the Earth: Enabling communities to care for their own environment IUCN, Gland Switzerland.
Keen, M. Brown,V.A. & Dyball, R. (2005) Social Learning in Environmental Management Towards a Sustainable Future London: Earthscan
Kohn, J., and Gowdy J. (2001) Sustainability in Action Edward Elgar Publishing.
Maser, C. (1997) Sustainable Community Development: Principles and ConceptsDelray Beach, Florida : St. Lucie Press, 1997.
Milbraith, L.W. (1989) Envisioning a Sustainable Society: learning our way out New York: SUNY Press
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD (1998) Towards Sustainable Development: environmental Indicators. Paris: OECD.
OCED 2001 Policies to enhance sustainable development Meeting of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/47/22/1869800.pdf
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment PCE 2004 See Change: Learning and education for sustainability Wellington:PCE
http://www.pce.govt.nz/reports/allreports/1_877274_56_9.shtml
Sutton, P. 2004 A Perspective on environmental sustainability? A paper for the Victorian Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability
http://www.ces.vic.gov.au/ces/wcmn301.nsf/childdocs/-441BB07721D61152CA256F250028C5FB?open
Swanson, D. and Pintér, L. 2004 Governance Structures for National Sustainable Development Strategies Study of Good Practice Examples, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
http://www.iisd.org/pdf/2006/measure_gov_structures.pdf
Redclift, M. (2005) Sustainable Development (1987-2005) An Oxymoron Comes of Age Sustainable Development, 13, 212-227 J.Wiley and Sons
Sneddon, C. Howarth, R. and Norgaard, R 2006 Analysis Sustainable development in a post-Brundtland world, Ecological Economics 57: 253- 268
UNCED. Agenda 21. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), United Nations General Assembly, New York. 1992.
UN. 1992. Agenda 21:
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/english/agenda21toc.htm
UN. 1997. Earth Summit+5:
http://www.un.org/esa/earthsummit/
UN. 2000. Millennium Development Goals:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
UN. 2002. Johannesburg Summit:
http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/
UN. 2005. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment:
http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx
Earth Charter:
http://www.earthcharter.org/
UNED. National Strategies for Sustainable Development:
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/es/nssd/default.htm
UNED. Road Map to Rio + 10:
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/roadmap/
Wolfgang Sachs (2000) Globalization and Sustainability Heinrich Boell Foundation Paper No. 5 Germany.
World Development Report 2008 Agriculture for Development
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWDR2008/Resources/WDR_00_book.pdf
World Commission on Environment and Development 1987 Our Common Future Oxford: Oxford University Press
http://habitat.igc.org/open-gates/wced-ocf.htm
Journals
Journal of Sustainable Development Wiley (available through Macquarie University Subscription)
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jhome/5346?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
Useful Websites
Agenda 21
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/agenda21text.htm
Earth Council
http://www.ecouncil.ac.cr/
Earth Summit on Sustainable Development 2002 (Stakeholder Forum)
http://www.earthsummit2002.org
International Institute for Sustainable Development
http://iisd1.iisd.ca/
Johannesburg Summit 2002 (official site)
http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/
National Strategies for Sustainable Development (UNED Site)
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/es/nssd/default.htm
Principles of sustainable development database
http://www.iisd.org/sd/principle.asp
Road Map to Rio + 10 (UNED Site)
http://www.earthsummit2002.org/roadmap/
Sustainable Development (European Foundation)
http://susdev.eurofound.ie
Sustainable Development International
http://www.sustdev.org/index.shtml
Stakeholder Forum
http://www.stakeholderforum.org/
Third World Network
http://www.twnside.org.sg/
UNED Forum
http://www.unedforum.org
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development CSD
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/
United Nations Sustainable Development – Major Groups
http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/mgroupsMain.htm
United Nations Development Programme
http://www.undp.org/
UN – World Summit 2005 (on Millennium Development Goals)
http://www.un.org/ga/59/hl60_plenarymeeting.html
Year Book of International Cooperation on Environment and Development
http://www.greenyearbook.org/
WEDO (Women's Environment and Development Organization)
http://www.wedo.org
World Business Council for Sustainable Development
http://www.wbcsd.org/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?MenuID=1
World Bank – (see World Development Report)
http://web.worldbank.org
Plagiarism
The University defines plagiarism in its rules: "Plagiarism involves using the work of another person and presenting it as one's own." Plagiarism is a serious breach of the University's rules and carries significant penalties. You must read the University's practices and procedures on plagiarism. These can be found in the Handbook of Postgraduate Studies or on the web at: http://www.student.mq.edu.au/plagiarism/
The policies and procedures explain what plagiarism is, how to avoid it, the procedures that will be taken in cases of suspected plagiarism, and the penalties if you are found guilty. Penalties may include a deduction of marks, failure in the unit, and/or referral to the University Discipline Committee.
The GSE recommends that students familiarise themselves with the information contained on the Georgetown University Honor Council website which discusses plagiarism in an easy to understand and comprehensive manner.
University Policy on Grading
Academic Senate has a set of guidelines on the distribution of grades across the range from fail to high distinction. Your final result will include one of these grades plus a standardised numerical grade (SNG).
On occasion your raw mark for a unit (i.e., the total of your marks for each assessment item) may not be the same as the SNG which you receive. Under the Senate guidelines, results may be scaled to ensure that there is a degree of comparability across the university, so that units with the same past performances of their students should achieve similar results.
It is important that you realise that the policy does not require that a minimum number of students are to be failed in any unit. In fact it does something like the opposite, in requiring examiners to explain their actions if more than 20% of students fail in a unit.
The process of scaling does not change the order of marks among students. A student who receives a higher raw mark than another will also receive a higher final scaled mark.
For an explanation of the policy see:
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/Guidelines2003.doc or
http://senate.mq.edu.au/rules/detailedguidelines.doc
Student Support Services
Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can be accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au.
Advice for Students with Disabilities/Health Conditions
The Equity Support Unit (ESU) provides support and assistance to students with a disability/health condition in aiming to ensure that they do not experience disadvantage in reaching their academic potential. Service provision is determined on a case-by-case basis following an assessment of a student's needs and the provision of supporting documentation. Service provision is also dependent on the availability of resources.
To register with ESU, download an Advice of Disability/Health Condition form from http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/academic-index.html. This form must be completed annually, irrespective of whether a disability/health condition is temporary, long-term or permanent. Students wishing to request support services from the ESU should make an appointment to see a Disability Advisor immediately after enrolling at Macquarie University.
Phone: (02) 9850 6494/7497
Fax: (02) 9850 6063
TTY: (02) 9850 6493
Email: equity@mq.edu.au
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