Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE LAS1068

 
TITLE Sustainable Development: Understanding the ifs and the buts

 
UM LEVEL I - Introductory Level

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences

 
DESCRIPTION Environmental protection has become mainstream in technology, economy and legislation. Today, all sectors struggle between continuous growth and development versus negative environmental decline. Environmental protection is no longer the subject of ‘new-age’ academics or radical environmentalists but has taken a central role in a range of topics. Therefore, understanding its pillars is necessary to understand this role and what their implementation entails.

Participants of this unit will learn about the pillars of sustainable development and their role within policy making. The unit will commence with an examination of the market functions and concepts like externalities, market failure and tragedy of commons. Examples will be drawn from the environmental situation in general with particular focus on waste generation and the implications that its management has from an economic, environmental and social perspective.

The unit will also adopt a historical perspective to sustainable development. Milestones like the Stockholm declaration, the 1987 Brundtland Report, the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro etc., will be discussed together with the influence they left on international and local environmental law and policies. Political ideologies and the present population dynamics will also be explored.

Finally, the current policies and legislations in place, which aim to create a balance between economics and environmental protection, will be examined. Concepts like circular economy, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other possible initiatives will be discussed. The unit will take both a Maltese and international perspective.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding
By the end of the Unit the student will be able to:

a. Describe the pillars of sustainable development;
b. Distinguish between different environmental principles;
c. Identify concepts like market failure, externalities and tragedy of commons;
d. Describe the challenges Malta faces from an environmental perspective and in view of its geography with particular focus on waste generation and management.

2. Skills
By the end of the Unit the student will be able to:

a. Describe economic dynamics and how they contribute to market failure and ultimately environmental quality;
b. Trace the historical background of environmental protection and specifically sustainable development;
c. Compare the role of legislation and market instruments in the promotion of concepts like circular economy.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Baker, S. (2006). Sustainable development. (Routledge introductions to environment series). Routledge.
Nováček, P. (2011). Sustainable development. Palacký University.
Burningham, D., & Davies, J. (2004). Environmental economics (3rd ed., Studies in economics and business). Heinemann.
Hanley, N., Shogren, J., & White, B. (2001). Introduction to environmental economics. Oxford U.P.
Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change. (2014) Waste Management Plan for the Maltese Islands. A resource management approach. 201 - 2020. Retrieved from
https://msdec.gov.mt/en/decc/Pages/environment/waste.aspx
Environment and Resource Authority. (2018). State of the Environment Report 2018. Retrieved from: https://era.org.mt/en/Pages/State-of-the-Environment-Report.aspx
Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Climate Change. Single-use plastic products strategy for Malta. Rethink Plastic. 2020 – 2030.
Retrieved from https://eracms.gov.mt/en/Documents/SUP%20Strategy%20-%20Public%20Consultation%20-%20Final.pdf

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture and Fieldwork

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S Margaret Camilleri Fenech

 

 
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It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit