Basics of sustainable development (1 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

The student • understands climate change and its impacts on the global environment and societies • can analyse the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss and its effects • is able to assess the state of democracy, social polarisation, and the development of crises in different parts of the world, and identify their impact on sustainable development • is familiar with key ethical theories and can apply them to the resolution of wicked problems • is able to develop their own ethical thinking and justify their ethical decisions in the context of sustainability challenges • can analyse ethical questions in complex and unpredictable situations. • understands the significance of ecological, social, and economic sustainability and can apply this knowledge in practical contexts. • is familiar with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and can explain their global relevance • is able to focus on selected key goals and analyse their implementation and related challenges • can evaluate the current state of progress toward the goals and propose improvements. • understands the importance of individual and group-level competences in achieving sustainability and is able to develop their own personal and teamwork skills to promote sustainable development • can apply the Inner Development Goals framework to practical situations to enhance sustainability and evaluate its impact.

Content (course unit)

Sustainability Challenges • Climate change • Biodiversity loss • The state of democracy • Social polarisation • Conflicts Ethical Theories and Sustainable Development • Ethical frameworks and personal ethical thinking in addressing wicked problems Dimensions of Sustainable Development • Ecological • Social (including cultural) • Economic UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) • Overview of the SDGs • Focus on key goals (climate action, reducing inequality, sustainable infrastructure, economic growth) • Challenges related to the SDGs and the current status of their implementation Inner Development Goals (IDGs) • Individual and group-level competences for achieving sustainability

Prerequisites (course unit)

no pre-requisites

Location and time

Self-paced online course 1 August 2025 – 31 May 2026

Exam schedules

Each quiz can be completed once. All quizzes are open for the entire course duration.

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment: Pass / Fail. To pass the course, students must score at least 60%.

Assessment scale

Hyväksytty/Hylätty

Teaching methods

Pre-recorded Lectures Lecture Materials Independent Study Mini Quizzes Final Exam

Learning materials

All materials are available in the course’s Moodle workspace.

Student workload

Estimated workload: - Online lectures and reviewing materials: 7 hours - Mini quizzes: 3 hours - Reading reports and completing independent tasks: 14 hours - Final exam: 3 hours

Content scheduling

Course content: - Sustainability challenges - Ethical theories and sustainable development - Dimensions of sustainability - UN Sustainable Development Goals - Inner Development Goals - Metropolia’s Sustainability Report and Sitra’s Nature Footprint of Finns report