Teaching plan for the course unit

 

 
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General information

 

Course unit name: Sustainable Development: Ecology, Economy and Society

Course unit code: 366208

Academic year: 2025-2026

Coordinator: Federico Demaria Griffone

Department: Department of Economic History, Institutions and Policy and World Economy

Credits: 6

Single program: S

More information enllaç

 

 

Prior considerations

 

Since the 1970s, researchers across the economic, social and natural sciences have sought to formulate new approaches to questions of economic development in response to growing environmental and social challenges—now increasingly framed as the problems of sustainable development. This one-semester course offers an introduction to sustainable development, drawing particularly on insights from the transdisciplinary fields of ecological economics and political ecology.

 

Ecological economics is based on the premise that the economic system is embedded within a social system, which in turn exists within a finite global ecosystem. It seeks to advance our understanding of the interdependencies among these three systems in pursuit of the mutual well-being of people and nature.

Political ecology examines the relationships between political, economic and social factors in the shaping of environmental outcomes. It views every ecological issue as being inherently political. Politics concerns itself with the distribution of power and resources within a given group, community and society, both within and across generations. Political ecology sits at the confluence of ecologically rooted social sciences and the principles of political economy.

How can ecological sustainability, social equity and economic development be tackled simultaneously? This interdisciplinary course introduces students to a political economy of the environment and development. It critically examines ecological sustainability and discusses its relationship with equity and economic development. Sustainability transitions are discussed from both micro- and macroeconomic perspectives. The course considers actions for a more sustainable world undertaken at multiple scales, both local and global, and by diverse actors, including nation states, international organizations, civil society and the private sector.

The course is taught in English.

 

 

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 150

 

Face-to-face and/or online activities

60
 

-  Lecture with practical component

Face-to-face

  

30
 

-  Document study

Face-to-face

  

30

Supervised project

40

Independent learning

50

 

 

Competences / Learning outcomes to be gained during study

 

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Commitment to ethical practice (critical and self-critical capabilities/capacity to demonstrate attitudes consistent with accepted notions of ethical practice).
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Concern for sustainability (capacity to assess the social and environmental impact of actions taken in a particular setting/capacity to adopt integrated and systemic approaches).
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Communication skills (capacity to understand and produce spoken and written Catalan, Spanish and a third language, including the comprehension and use of specialized terminology/capacity to research and integrate information in these languages).
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To recognize diversity.
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To be ethical and to recognize fundamental rights.
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To take decisions and solve problems.
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To identify and evaluate the basic concepts of social inequalities, social differences, social capital and power.
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To act in a globalized environment. This competence involves the following: - To analyse markets and international organizations. - To assess the importance and consequences of the development of organizations' functional areas and their globalization strategies. - To identify and assess public and private actions aimed at facilitating the incorporation of organizations into a globalized environment. - To understand the implications of government policies aimed at encouraging competitiveness and the internationalization of companies.
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To analyse the transformations and evolution of contemporary societies and to make proposals in relation to their probable, possible and desirable futures.
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  • To develop a critical ability to analyse economic theories and models. This competence involves the following: - To critically analyse and assess the economic behaviour of individuals and the way they make decisions. - To analyse the aggregate behaviour in an economy and its implications. - To empirically compare the suitability of theoretical models for a specific economic area.
  • Ability to work in a team (capacity to collaborate with others and contribute to a common project, capacity to work in cross-disciplinary and multicultural teams).

 

 

Learning objectives

 

Referring to knowledge

Since the 1970s, researchers across the economic, social and natural sciences have sought to formulate new approaches to questions of economic development in response to growing environmental and social challenges—now increasingly framed as the problems of sustainable development. This one-semester course offers an introduction to sustainable development, drawing particularly on insights from the transdisciplinary field of ecological economics. Ecological economics is based on the premise that the economic system is embedded within a social system, which in turn exists within a finite global ecosystem. It seeks to advance our understanding of the interdependencies among these three systems in pursuit of the mutual well-being of people and nature. The course has the following learning objectives:

 

Referring to knowledge

  • Understand and compare different approaches to defining, measuring, and achieving sustainable development, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Have an appreciation of the relationship between economic activity and its environmental and social impacts.
  • Be critical consumers of current economic theories and pathways, such as green growth and the circular economy.
  • Understand post-growth approaches to sustainable development, including degrowth, steady-state economics and Doughnut economics.
  • Develop the ability to propose policy solutions to interrelated environmental, social and economic problems.


Referring to abilities, skills
  • Develop the capacity to seek out and integrate new knowledge and perspectives.
  • Analyse and synthesize knowledge, and apply this knowledge in practical contexts.
  • Strengthen critical thinking and skills of self-reflection.
  • Apply a whole system approach to complex problem-solving.
  • Enhance written and oral communication skills.

 

 

Teaching blocks

 

1. What is sustainable development?

2. Key concepts linking economy, society and environment

3. Social and biophysical limits to economic growth

4. Pro-growth vs. post-growth perspectives on sustainable development

5. Political ecology: how can ecological sustainability, social equity and economic development be tackled simultaneously?

6. Current topics and case studies

 

 

Teaching methods and general organization

 

The course is structured around principles of active learning. It consists of lectures, which briefly introduce the topic to be studied each week, and seminars, which explore the subject in greater depth. Students are expected to prepare in advance for the seminars by studying a variety of materials, including textbook chapters, academic articles, reports, podcasts and videos. Seminars are highly interactive and require students to work together in small groups to discuss the assigned materials, respond to questions, carry out exercises, and debate and present their ideas. A high degree of level of preparation and student engagement is required.

 

 

Official assessment of learning outcomes

 

Students must obtain a minimum final grade of 5 to pass the subject. In line with participatory and collaborative learning methodologies, continuous assessment students are required to attend at least 80% of course sessions.

Continuous assessment is based on three components, tailored to the structure and dynamics of each academic year. These are communicated in advance via the Virtual Campus:

  • An individual exercise, worth 25% of the final grade.
  • A group assignment, worth 25% of the final grade.
  • A final written examination assessing key concepts taught on the course, worth 50% of the final grade. A minimum score of 5 out of 10 on the final exam is required in order to pass the course.

 

Examination-based assessment

Students who are unable to participate in the continuous assessment process may opt to sit a single final examination covering the key concepts taught on the course.

Repeat assessment

Students who do not pass the subject are entitled to a repeat assessment on the date set by the Academic Council. This assessment consists of an examination similar in content and format to that of the single assessment.

If any changes in teaching methodology affect the assessment of specific groups or components of the course, the above procedures may be adapted accordingly. Updated information will be published on the Virtual Campus at the beginning of the course.

 

 

Reading and study resources

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Book

Alió, M.A., Perxacs, H., Tello, E. (2020). Què hi ha darrere la crisi ambiental? Aportacions a l’ecologia social. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona Edicions

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Raworth, K. (2018). La economía rosquilla. 7 maneras de pensar la economía del siglo XXI. Barcelona: Paidós.

  Compulsory core reading for the course

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Kate Raworth (2017) "Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist". Random House

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Kallis, G., Paulson, S., D’Alisa, G., Demaria, F. (2022) A favor del decrecimiento. Barcelona, España: Icaria Editorial.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Patel, R., Moore, J. W. (2018). A history of the world in seven cheap things: A guide to capitalism, nature, and the future of the planet. London and New York: Verso

Versiķ en línia (2017)  Enllaç

Gibson-Graham, J.K., Jenny Cameron, Stephen Healy (2017). Retomemos la economía: una guía ética para transformar nuestras comunidades. Bogotá: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.

Recurs electrōnic extern  Enllaç

Kallis, G., Paulson, S., D’Alisa, G., Demaria, F. (2020) Decrecimiento. Vocabulario para una nueva era. Barcelona: Icaria.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Martínez Alier, J.; Roca Jusmet, J. (2013). Economía ecológica y política ambiental. México:Fondo de     Cultura Económica

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Pérez Orozco, A. (2014) Subversión feminista de la economía: aportes para un debate sobre el conflicto capital-vida. Madrid: Traficantes de Sueños. 

Versiķ en línia (2019)  Enllaç

Roelvink, G., St. Martin, G., Gibson-Graham, J. K. (2015). Making other worlds possible: Performing diverse economies. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Catāleg UB  Enllaç

Demaria, F., Vico, D., and Fernández, L.(2025) Contested Waste: Environmental conflicts and waste picker resistance in the Global South. Routledge, Studies in Political Ecology. Abingdon, UK: Routledge

https://www.routledge.com/Contested-Waste-Environmental-conflicts-and-waste-picker-resistance-in-the-Global-South/Demaria-Vico-Gabard/p/book/9781032742816?srsltid=AfmBOopfjn-ebM06ku1H8Lq7a3jfzuNgdhUiHf1dyQEU3VyX3XF7g4Au  Enllaç

Article

Dearing, J.A., Wang, R, Zhang, K,. et al. (2014). Safe and just operating spaces for regional social-ecological Systems. Global Environmental Change 28, 227-238.

D’Alessandro, S., Cieplinski, A.; Distefano, T., et al. (2020). Feasible alternatives to green growth. Nature Sustainability 3, 329–335

Hajer, M., Nilsson, M., Raworth, K., et al. (2015). Beyond Cockpit-ism: Four Insights to Enhance the Transformative Potential of the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainability 7(2), 1651-1660

O’Neill, D.W., Fanning, A.L., Lamb, W.F., et al. (2018). A good life for all within planetary boundaries. Nature Sustainability 1, 88–95.

Raworth, K. (2017b). A Doughnut for the Anthropocene: humanity’s compass in the 21st century. The Lancet Planetary Health 1(2).

Steffen, W., Richardson, K., Rockström, J., et al. (2015). Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science 347(6223), 1259855