Sustainable development is the most urgent challenge facing humanity. Its fundamental question is: How can the world economy continue to develop in a way that is socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable? This course provides a broad overview of the interactions between the economy and our environment and humanity, from the constraints of finite resources, to the activities that drive climate change, to equality for all.
Join us for this introduction to the tenets of sustainable development, developed by experts on the latest in the social, policy and physical sciences.
Overview
Syllabus
- Week 1: What is Sustainable Development?
- Introduction to the course
- Video Lectures
- Week 1 Quiz
- Week 2: Economic Development – How We Measure It, How It Varies Around the World
- Video Lectures
- Week 3: A Short History of Economic Development
- Video Lectures
- Week 3 Quiz
- Week 4: Why Did Some Countries Advance While Others Remained in Poverty?
- Video Lectures
- Week 4 Quiz
- Week 5: The MDGs and the End of Extreme Poverty
- Video Lectures
- Week 6: Growth within Planetary Boundaries
- Video Lectures
- Week 7: Human Rights and Gender Equality
- Video Lectures
- Week 8: Education
- Video Lectures
- Week 9: Universal Health Coverage
- Video Lectures
- Week 10: Sustainable Food Supply and the End of Hunger
- Video Lectures
- Week 11: Sustainable Cities
- Video Lectures
- Week 12: Curbing Climate Change
- Video Lecture
- Week 13: Saving Biodiversity
- Video Lectures
- Week 14: The Proposal for Sustainable Development Goals at RIO+20
- Video Lectures
- Final Exam
Taught by
Jeffrey D. Sachs
