Development and Delivery of a Sustainable Development …
473
Table 1 Scenarios used in group activities in relation to the sustainable development goals (SDGs)
that they cover
Link(s) to SDGs
Scenario
All SDGs
Mock international SDG summit whereby each group
represents a country or organization; identifies SDG
priorities and synergies; negotiates trade-offs
Variable focus, e.g. SDGs 7, 8, 9 and 10 Groups identify a suitable geographical area for a
sustainability-related project, such as a wind farm or
community well
SDG 12
Groups act as consultants to develop a strategy to
reduce single-use plastic for one of four client
organisations
SDGs 9, 12 and 16
Mock tribunal of a proposed airport expansion against
a fictitious UK sustainable development law
SDGs 1, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 16
A participatory budgeting exercise set in one of six
city-based environmental projects, considering the
priorities of marginalized groups
Any SDG can serve as the focus
Developing a proposal for a mobile app to be used in
a country in the Global South, and the presentation of
a funding pitch based on this
The student groups also conduct a group project over the course of the teaching
block. In this, they apply the ideas and concepts learnt online and the skills learnt
in the workshops to study a specific sustainable development challenge and produce
a brief for a fictitious client, critically exploring the underlying issues and potential
strategies moving forward. They are expected to use ideas and concepts from at
least three of the five interdisciplinary themed blocks. Students have a choice of four
projects each time the unit runs and have some flexibility in how they interpret the
brief. Example challenges used so far include:
• Approaches to decarbonising transport in a city by 2030.
• Approaches to reducing emissions associated with meat consumption in a given
country.
• Advice to a large food manufacturing company subject to a boycott over palm oil
use.
• Advice for a city or region in the Global South suffering from poor access to fresh
water.
Challenges can be reused or changed each year, to match the interests of students
and adapt to emerging issues.
473
Table 1 Scenarios used in group activities in relation to the sustainable development goals (SDGs)
that they cover
Link(s) to SDGs
Scenario
All SDGs
Mock international SDG summit whereby each group
represents a country or organization; identifies SDG
priorities and synergies; negotiates trade-offs
Variable focus, e.g. SDGs 7, 8, 9 and 10 Groups identify a suitable geographical area for a
sustainability-related project, such as a wind farm or
community well
SDG 12
Groups act as consultants to develop a strategy to
reduce single-use plastic for one of four client
organisations
SDGs 9, 12 and 16
Mock tribunal of a proposed airport expansion against
a fictitious UK sustainable development law
SDGs 1, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 16
A participatory budgeting exercise set in one of six
city-based environmental projects, considering the
priorities of marginalized groups
Any SDG can serve as the focus
Developing a proposal for a mobile app to be used in
a country in the Global South, and the presentation of
a funding pitch based on this
The student groups also conduct a group project over the course of the teaching
block. In this, they apply the ideas and concepts learnt online and the skills learnt
in the workshops to study a specific sustainable development challenge and produce
a brief for a fictitious client, critically exploring the underlying issues and potential
strategies moving forward. They are expected to use ideas and concepts from at
least three of the five interdisciplinary themed blocks. Students have a choice of four
projects each time the unit runs and have some flexibility in how they interpret the
brief. Example challenges used so far include:
• Approaches to decarbonising transport in a city by 2030.
• Approaches to reducing emissions associated with meat consumption in a given
country.
• Advice to a large food manufacturing company subject to a boycott over palm oil
use.
• Advice for a city or region in the Global South suffering from poor access to fresh
water.
Challenges can be reused or changed each year, to match the interests of students
and adapt to emerging issues.