Dr Debbie Bartlett, Principal Lecturer and Programme Leader MSc Environmental Conservation at the University of Greenwich, tells us how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) feature in her course. Will you pledge to NUS's #SDGTeachIn, too?
The SDGs and sustainable development provide the context for all the teaching on the MSc in Environmental Conservation that I lead at the University of Greenwich (SDG 5 is fundamental to our approach). Some are surprised at the breadth of this subject but as the free online short course, Exploring Environmental Conservation, shows, it includes topics from fashion to farming, woodland to waste management.
I�m currently teaching on Environmental Impact Assessment (SDGs 8, 9 & 11), Restoration Ecology (SDGs 3 & 6), Ecology of Coasts and Estuaries (SDGs 14 & 15), and I also contribute to the Environmental Law and Policy course (SDG 10 & 16).
Perhaps the most important course for teaching the SDGs is Principles and Practice of Environmental Conservation. This covers issues such as poverty and livelihoods (SDG 1, 2 & 8) and potential conflicts between development and environmental, climate and energy issues (SDG 7 & 13), as well as population and the impact on natural resources (SDG 12).
The adoption of the SDGs has not altered the topics we cover in the programme, which has always had the principles of sustainable development at its core, but they provide clear �hooks� for students to consider in their learning. It is important to avoid compartmentalisation and remember all the crossovers, synergies and links between them.
Get involved, and pledge to support the #SDGTeachIn!
"