AD1GLS: Global Sustainability: Challenges and Prospects

Module code: AD1GLS

Module provider: School of Agriculture, Policy and Development

Credits: 20

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Nick Bardsley , email: n.o.bardsley@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Gillian Rose, email: g.rose@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): This module is only available to students in the School of Agriculture, Policy & Development. (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded: IN TAKING THIS MODULE YOU CANNOT TAKE AD1SPA AND TAKE AD2SPA (Compulsory)

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The world faces multiple ecological crisis, including climate change, biodiversity loss and soil erosion. This module examines such challenges, their drivers, their relationship to other social and economic issues, and potential responses.  

Its aims are: 

• To introduce students to key ecological and eco-social challenges of our time, their causes, proposals to address them and associated debate across several disciplines.  
• To enable students to trace the connections between these issues and content of other modules. 
• To advance the University’s citizenship agenda. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Outline the main features of contemporary environmental challenges and analyse them in terms of socio-economic drivers and consequences
2. Summarise contrasting viewpoints on causes of sustainability problems and responses
3. Bring to bear insights from a range of topics and disciplines on specific issues
4. Concisely articulate and justify their own perspective on key eco-social issues

Module content

The semester will consist of lectures covering key aspects of the sustainability predicament. This will include topics such as the meaning of sustainability / sustainable development, limits to growth debates, energy supply, climate change, waste, corporate social responsibility, environmental justice, and agricultural sustainability. In addition to this there will be instructor-led student-centred workshops conducted within degree cohort areas.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The lectures will incorporate student-centred and problem-based exercises. The case studies will consist of student-centred workshops, with structured input from academic staff.  These will take place over 6 weeks, giving students experience of researching a particular topic in depth. 

Study hours

At least 16 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.