Sustainable Development

Course code: IRS380/IRS680

Term and year: Fall 2025

Day and time: Wednesday 11:15 – 14:00

Instructor: Nikola Adamovská

Instructor contact: nikola.adamovska@aauni.edu

Consultation hours: Friday 9:00 – 10:00 (Teams), Wednesday before class (in-person)

 

Credits US/ECTS	3/6	Level	Advanced
Length	14 weeks	Pre-requisite
Contact hours	42 hours	Course type	BA Required/Elective MA Elective

1.    Course Description

Sustainable Development has become a commonplace term and a major reference point in global as well as national politics of most countries. The overarching 2015 global framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) committed the UN member states, international organizations as well as NGOs, businesses, and other stakeholders to implement their strategies and cohere their activities/policies along 17 broad areas ranging from poverty, inequalities to environment, peace and good governance.

The course introduces the concept of sustainable development at different geographical scales (local, national and international). To better understand the origins, goals and challenges of sustainable development, the course begins with an analysis of the concept of sustainable development from a historical and economic perspective and continues with current global climate governance and the international climate regime, ending with local applications and practical examples.

The aim of this course is two-fold. First, to develop the theoretical and knowledge foundation on the concept of sustainable development and to acquire an empirical understanding of the emerging global challenges for sustainable environmental and societal governance systems. Second, to understand the basic concept of Sustainable Development (SD) within the environmental, social and economic dimensions. This course takes an interdisciplinary approach, bringing together international relations, environmental politics, and environmental economics to discover the potential and obstacles of the concept of sustainable development. The aim is to provide a learning environment that will encourage students to think critically about the adopted climate measures and possible circumstances for the future development of global and local climate governance.

2.    Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

●      Demonstrate a structured understanding of the concept(s) of sustainable development in the context of international relations, the EU and global politics, including practical approaches by key stakeholders, that enable using the knowledge gained in a range of professional settings

●      Demonstrate an awareness of the concept of sustainable development and its evolution over time

●      Demonstrate knowledge of the selected key thematic areas and an understanding of the dynamics and linkages between these areas

●      Critically reflect on the challenges of the international climate change regime, international negotiations, national policy-making and approaches to climate change by businesses or individuals

●      Critically evaluate the contemporary political/media climate change discourse and analyze how it manifests itself in the various sustainable development themes and key issues addressed in the course

●      Have a greater insight into practical solutions to global challenges and be able to link concepts to local, national and EU policies

3.    Reading Material

Required Materials

 

●      Brennan, A., & Lo, N. (2002). Environmental ethics.

●      Carvalho, A. (2008). The challenges of communicating climate change.

●      Keck, M. E., & Sikkink, K. (1998). Activists beyond borders: Advocacy networks in international politics. Cornell University Press. (p. 136 – 142; p. 163 - 175)

●      Solow, R. M. (1991). Sustainability: an economist's perspective.

●      Redclift, M. (2005). Sustainable development (1987–2005): an oxymoron comes of age. Sustainable development, 13(4), 212-227.

●      Kreilhuber, A., & Kariuki, A. (2020). Environmental rule of law in the context of sustainable development. Georgetown Environmental Law Review, 32, 591–598.

●      Dryzek, J. S. (2017). The meanings of life for non-state actors in climate politics. Environmental Politics, 26(4), 789–799. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2017.1321724

●      Rootes, C. (1999). Environmental movements: From the local to the global. Environmental Politics, 8(1), 1-12.

●      Tallberg, J., Bäckstrand, K., & Scholte, J. A. (Eds.). (2018). Legitimacy in global governance: Sources, processes, and consequences. Oxford University Press.

●      Ungar, S. (2000). Knowledge, ignorance and the popular culture: climate change versus the ozone hole. Public Understanding of Science, 9(3), 297.

●      United Nations Global Compact (2017). Making Global Goals Local Business: A New Era for Responsible Business.

 

Recommended Materials

 

●      Bell, S., McGillivray, D., & Pedersen, O. (2013). Environmental law. Oxford University Press.

●      Brundtland, G. H. (1987). Our common future. Oxford University Press. New York.

●      Deese, B. (2017). Paris is not Burning: Why the Climate Change Agreement Will Survive Trump. Foreign affairs, 96(4), 83-92.

●      Giddings, B., Hopwood, B., & O'brien, G. (2002). Environment, economy and society: fitting them together into sustainable development. Sustainable development. 10(4). 187-196.

●      Kari, M. N. (2011). Living in Denial: Climate Change, Emotions, and Everyday Life. The MIT Press.

●      Le Blanc, D. (2015). Towards Integration at Last? The Sustainable Development Goals as a Network of Targets. UN DESA Working Paper.

●      Overseas Development Institute. (2017). Migration and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Executive Summary.

●      Woodward, A., & Porter, J.R. (2016). Food, Hunger, Health and Climate Change. The Lancet, 387(10031), 1886-1887

4.    Teaching methodology

 

This course combines lecture and seminar styles of teaching. Although the course aims primarily to provide students with a theoretical foundation, applicable knowledge of the subject studied and practical experience of the lecturer, the active participation of students is more than welcome. Various study materials are discussed in the lectures, ranging from book chapters, articles, videos, podcasts to social media content.

In most classes, students will give a short presentation (Assignment 4) on a topic from a list announced in the first class. Ideas for projects (Assignment 3) that students will work on in small groups during the semester will also be discussed in the first class. Weeks 12 and 13 are dedicated to group presentations.

The course is particularly suitable for those who want to uplift their knowledge and analytical skills for further study and for those who are interested in the environmental agenda from a global and local perspective.

 

5.    Course Schedule

Date	Class Agenda
Session 1 (Sept 3)	Topic: Introduction to the course Description: The general course description, explanations of the course assignments, an overview of the required literature and other study materials. Reading: Assignments/deadlines: Selection from the topics for class presentations and group divisions for the semestrial projects. Deadline 10thSeptember.
Session 2 (Sept 10)	Topic: Economics and Ethics; Sustainable Development in Economic Theories Description: The main objective is to unfold how different economic theories relate to the concept of sustainable development and the ways in which this concept has been reflected throughout history. Reading: Solow, R. M. (1991). Sustainability: an economist's perspective. https://users.manchester.edu/Facstaff/SSNaragon/Online/texts/425/Solow%20(1991),%20Sustainability.pdf Assignments/deadlines:
Session 3 (Sept 17)	Topic: The Story of Sustainable Development: The Concept, Its Historical Overview and Current Practice; SDGs Description: The evolution of sustainability and what it means for a conceptualization of sustainable development. The United Nations, sustainable development, and the path to the SGDs. SDGs overview, goals, and targets. Reading: Redclift, M. (2005). Sustainable development (1987–2005): an oxymoron comes of age. Sustainable development, 13(4), 212-227. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/sd.281 Assignments/deadlines:
Session 4 (Sept 24)	Topic: Environmental Philosophy; Green Political Thoughts Description: A deeper understanding of ecologism, and environmentalism. The interlinkage of environmental politics and ethical dilemmas. Reading: Brennan, A., & Lo, N. (2002). Environmental ethics. Chapter 4 https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-environmental/#EnvEthPol
Session 5 (Oct 1)	Topic: Environmental Movements; Green Parties; Climate Activism Description: What is an environmental movement? We will look at the nature and forms of social mobilisations, their cross-national spread and their relationship to political parties, protest politics and climate activism. Reading: Rootes, C. (1999). Environmental movements: From the local to the global. Environmental Politics, 8(1), 1-12. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09644019908414435 Keck, M. E., & Sikkink, K. (1998). Activists beyond borders: Advocacy networks in international politics. Cornell University Press. (p. 136 – 142; p. 163 - 175) https://www.ysk-books.com/app/books/Activists%20Beyond%20Borders:%20Advocacy%20Networks%20in%20International%20Politics.pdf Assignments/deadlines:
Session 6 (Oct 8)	Topic: International Climate Regime; Global Climate Governance Description: When and why the international climate regime, defined as social institutions consisting of mutually agreed principles, norms, rules and other processes, emerged and how it relates to global climate governance. Reading: Tallberg, J., Bäckstrand, K., & Scholte, J. A. (Eds.). (2018). Legitimacy in global governance: Sources, processes, and consequences. Oxford University Press. https://www.hhs.se/contentassets/8cc13839a336458d861449b2c5833386/legitimacy-program-1.pdf Assignments/deadlines:
Session 7 (Oct 15)	Topic: Climate Migration Description: Climate-induced migration and displacement, climate stressors, environmental migrants and how environmental law and policies address it.   Reading: The New York Times, & Lustgarten, A. (2020). The great climate migration. New York Times Magazine. https://pulitzercenter.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/jEu86t17dIVE7rPSH1JU9CYyVvZ8EZZKIfTzWyIVFCXzLHT62m.pdf Assignments/deadlines:
Session 8 (Oct 22)	Topic: Environmental law Description: Regulatory frameworks for environmental law at EU and international level. Enforcement and compliance (Environmental Liability Directive, water and waste laws). Reading: Kreilhuber, A., & Kariuki, A. (2020). Environmental rule of law in the context of sustainable development. Georgetown Environmental Law Review, 32, 591–598. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/environmental-law-review/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2020/08/GT-GELR200021.pdf Assignments/deadlines:
Session 9 (Nov 5)	Topic: Multilevel and Local response to Climate Change Description: The increasing involvement of the sub-national level in global climate governance. Hybrid multilateralism as a new framework for climate orchestration. Reading: Dryzek, J. S. (2017). The meanings of life for non-state actors in climate politics. Environmental Politics, 26(4), 789–799. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2017.1321724 Assignments/deadlines:
	Mid-Term Break
Session 10 (Nov 12)	Topic: The Challenges of Communicating the Climate Crisis Description: The right framing of the message, Knowledge-Ignorance paradox, Attention economy, and Greenwashing practices. Reading: Carvalho, A. (2008). The challenges of communicating climate change. https://core.ac.uk/download/55630027.pdf Ungar, S. (2000). Knowledge, ignorance and the popular culture: climate change versus the ozone hole. Public Understanding of Science, 9(3), 297. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228596613_Knowledge_Ignorance_and_the_Popular_Culture_Climate_Change_Versus_the_Ozone_Hole Assignments/deadlines:
Session 11 (Nov 19)	Topic: Social Business' Approach to Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR, ESG) Description: The integration of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria within corporate strategies, how these frameworks contribute to SDGs. Reading: United Nations Global Compact (2017). Making Global Goals Local Business: A New Era for Responsible Business Assignments/deadlines:
Session 12 (Nov 26)	Topic: Team Presentations, Discussion and Reflection Description: Reading: Assignments/deadlines:
Session 13 (Dec 3)	Topic: Team Presentations, Discussion and Reflection, Reflection of Main Takeaways, Course Review and Evaluation Description: Reading: Assignments/deadlines:
Session 14 (Dec 10)	Topic: Final Exam Description: Reading: Assignments/deadlines:

6.    Course Requirements and Assessment (with estimated workloads)

Assignment	Workload (hours)	Weight in Final Grade	Evaluated Course Specific Learning Outcomes	Evaluated Institutional Learning Outcomes*
Class Participation	42	10%	⦁ a structured understanding of the concept(s) of sustainable development in the context of international relations, the EU and global politics, including practical approaches by key stakeholders, that enable using the knowledge gained in a range of professional settings ⦁ an awareness of the concept of sustainable development and its evolution over time	3
Activity in class	23	15%	⦁ a critical evaluation of the contemporary political/media climate change discourse and how it manifests itself in the various sustainable development themes and key issues addressed in the course	1
Group activity	35	30%	a greater insight into practical solutions to global challenges and be able to link concepts to local, national and EU policies	3
Presentation	10	10%	a knowledge of the selected key thematic areas and an understanding of the dynamics and linkages between these areas	2
Exam	40	35%	a critical reflection on the challenges of the international climate change regime, international negotiations, national policy making and approaches to climate change by business or individuals	1
TOTAL	150	100%

*1 = Critical Thinking; 2 = Effective Communication; 3 = Effective and Responsible Action

 

7.    Detailed description of the assignments

 

Assignment 1: Class Participation

In each class (Session 2 – 11), we will discuss the assigned readings; it is therefore essential for students to familiarize themselves with the texts. Students will be assessed on their correct understanding, active discussion and critical thinking.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
understanding	40 %
active discussion	40 %
critical evaluation	20 %

Assignment 2: Activity in class

In each class (Session 2 – 11), we will look and analyze some news from media concerning the environmental politics, sustainable development and climate change. Students will be assessed on their critical evaluation and active discussion.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
active discussion	50 %
critical evaluation	50 %

Assignment 3: Group activity

At the beginning of the semester, students will be divided into groups. A group project will contain sustainability ideas for a green university. The assessment will be divided into four parts: comprehensiveness, meaning how the project is related to the course's overall aim. Also, the applicability and feasibility of the ideas with regard to the legal framework and how the project outcome is communicated to the public will be considered. The ppt and other supportive materials should be sent to the email: Nikola.Adamovska@aauni.edu and upload it to the NEO LMS one day before the presentation. Master students are required to summarize the outcome into a final paper of 1800 to 2400 words using sources discussed in classes and upload it to the NEO LMS.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
comprehensiveness	25 %
applicability	25 %
feasibility	25 %
communication	25 %

 

Assignment 4: Presentation

A short presentation on the SDGs will be delivered by each student during sessions 3 – 10. Selection from the topics will be possible until 10^th September. The presentation should not be longer than 10 slides and up to 15 minutes. The ppt and other supportive materials should be sent to the email: Nikola.Adamovska@aauni.edu and uploaded it to the NEO LMS.

one day before the presentation. 

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
accuracy	40 %
comprehensiveness	40 %
critical evaluation	20 %

Assignment 5: Final Exam

The last lesson is devoted to the final test. The test will contain 30 questions (multiple choice and open-ended) and cover the material discussed in class.

 

Assessment breakdown

Assessed area	Percentage
correctness	70 %
understanding	30 %

 

8.    General Requirements and School Policies

General requirements

All coursework is governed by AAU’s academic rules. Students are expected to be familiar with the academic rules in the Academic Codex and Student Handbook and to maintain the highest standards of honesty and academic integrity in their work.

Electronic communication and submission

The university and instructors shall only use students’ university email address for communication, with additional communication via NEO LMS or Microsoft Teams.

Students sending e-mail to an instructor shall clearly state the course code and the topic in the subject heading, for example, “COM101-1 Mid-term Exam. Question”.

All electronic submissions are through NEO LMS. No substantial pieces of writing (especially take-home exams and essays) can be submitted outside of NEO LMS.

Attendance

Attendance, i.e., presence in class in real-time, at AAU courses is default mandatory; however, it is not graded as such. (Grades may be impacted by missed assignments or lack of participation.) Still, students must attend at least two thirds of classes to complete the course. If they do not meet this condition and most of their absences are excused, they will be administratively withdrawn from the course. If they do not meet this condition and most of their absences are not excused, they will receive a grade of “FW” (Failure to Withdraw). Students may also be marked absent if they miss a significant part of a class (for example by arriving late or leaving early).

Absence excuse and make-up options

Should a student be absent from classes for relevant reasons (illness, serious family matters), and the student wishes to request that the absence be excused, the student should submit an Absence Excuse Request Form supplemented with documents providing reasons for the absence to the Dean of Students within one week of the absence. If possible, it is recommended the instructor be informed of the absence in advance. Should a student be absent during the add/drop period due to a change in registration this will be an excused absence if s/he submits an Absence Excuse Request Form along with the finalized add/drop form.

Students whose absence has been excused by the Dean of Students are entitled to make up assignments and exams provided their nature allows. Assignments missed due to unexcused absences which cannot be made up, may result in a decreased or failing grade as specified in the syllabus.

 Students are responsible for contacting their instructor within one week of the date the absence was excused to arrange for make-up options.

Late work: No late submissions will be accepted – please follow the deadlines.

Electronic devices

Electronic devices (e.g. phones, tablets, laptops) may be used only for class-related activities (taking notes, looking up related information, etc.). Any other use will result in the student being marked absent and/or being expelled from the class. No electronic devices may be used during tests or exams unless required by the exam format and the instructor.

Eating is not allowed during classes.

Cheating and disruptive behavior

If a student engages in disruptive conduct unsuitable for a classroom environment, the instructor may require the student to withdraw from the room for the duration of the class and shall report the behavior to the student’s Dean.

Students engaging in behavior which is suggestive of cheating will, at a minimum, be warned. In the case of continued misconduct, the student will fail the exam or assignment and be expelled from the exam or class.

Plagiarism and Academic Tutoring Center

Plagiarism is “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work.” (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd Edition, Random House, New York, 1993)

Turnitin’s White Paper ‘The Plagiarism Spectrum’ (available at http://go.turnitin.com/paper/plagiarism-spectrum) identifies 10 types of plagiarism ordered from most to least severe:

1.      CLONE: An act of submitting another’s work, word-for-word, as one’s own.

2.      CTRL-C: A written piece that contains significant portions of text from a single source without alterations.

3.      FIND–REPLACE: The act of changing key words and phrases but retaining the essential content of the source in a paper.

4.      REMIX: An act of paraphrasing from other sources and making the content fit together seamlessly.

5.      RECYCLE: The act of borrowing generously from one’s own previous work without citation; To self-plagiarize.

6.      HYBRID: The act of combining perfectly cited sources with copied passages—without citation—in one paper.

7.      MASHUP: A paper that represents a mix of copied material from several different sources without proper citation.

8.      404 ERROR: A written piece that includes citations to non-existent or inaccurate information about sources

9.      AGGREGATOR: The “Aggregator” includes proper citation, but the paper contains almost no original work.

10.     RE-TWEET: This paper includes proper citation, but relies too closely on the text’s original wording and/or structure.

 

At minimum, plagiarism from types 1 through 8 will result in a failing grade for the assignment and shall be reported to the student’s Dean. The Dean may initiate a disciplinary procedure pursuant to the Academic Codex. Allegations of bought papers and intentional or consistent plagiarism always entail disciplinary hearing and may result in expulsion from AAU.

If unsure about technical aspects of writing, and to improve their academic writing, students are encouraged to consult with the tutors of the AAU Academic Tutoring Center. For more information and/or to book a tutor, please contact the ATC at: http://atc.simplybook.me/sheduler/manage/event/1/.

Course accessibility and inclusion

Students with disabilities should contact the Dean of Students to discuss reasonable accommodations. Academic accommodations are not retroactive.

Students who will be absent from course activities due to religious holidays may seek reasonable accommodations by contacting the Dean of Students in writing within the first two weeks of the term. All requests must include specific dates for which the student requests accommodations.

9.    Grading Scale

Letter Grade	Percentage*	Description
A	95–100	Excellent performance. The student has shown originality and displayed an exceptional grasp of the material and a deep analytical understanding of the subject.
A–	90–94
B+	87–89	Good performance. The student has mastered the material, understands the subject well and has shown some originality of thought and/or considerable effort.
B	83–86
B–	80–82
C+	77–79	Fair performance. The student has acquired an acceptable understanding of the material and essential subject matter of the course, but has not succeeded in translating this understanding into consistently creative or original work.
C	73–76
C–	70–72
D+	65–69	Poor. The student has shown some understanding of the material and subject matter covered during the course. The student’s work, however, has not shown enough effort or understanding to allow for a passing grade in School Required Courses. It does qualify as a passing mark for the General College Courses and Electives.
D	60–64
F	0–59	Fail. The student has not succeeded in mastering the subject matter covered in the course.

* Decimals should be rounded to the nearest whole number.

 

Prepared by: Nikola Adamovská

Date: 28.8.2025

 

Approved by: George Hays

Date: 28.8.2025