Course syllabus for Sustainable development

Ergonomics TD (MTT010) Design and human factors (MMF273) or similar courses.

The course aims for giving an understanding for the complex relations that influence environmental adaption, of products and services, seen from a cycle-of-life perspective, which includes product development, manufacturing, consumption, transport and destruction. The course aims to introduce different methods and tools for sustainable product development.

• Explain the concept of sustainable development based on the dimensions; social, ecological and economic sustainability with perspectives such as critical sustainability problems in the world, linked to eg population increase, poverty, climate impact, ecosystem services etc. As well as show understanding of the complexity that affects whether human needs can be met within the limits of the environment.
• Manage and structure major overall issues in sustainable development by identifying and delimiting manageable sub-problems based on the engineer's intended influence area.
• From a system perspective, perform qualitative sustainability analyzes at the product level and propose measures for a product.
• Explain some different driving forces and barriers on the company / organizational level to improve the products and services' sustainability impact.
• Describe the content and use of current methods and tools for strategic sustainability work at different levels.
• Explain how assessment of the environmental impact takes place in relation to sustainable development.
• Describe how attitudes, norms and habits can constitute obstacles or driving forces for sustainable development at the individual, organizational and social levels.
• Apply problem solving as well as critical and creative thinking in a group with the purpose of combining industrial design with social aspects, ecology and economics in the design / product development process.
• Reflect on their professional role and their professional responsibility, as well as their role as citizen in relation to sustainable development and its different dimensions..
• Separate facts from values, identify ethical dilemmas and be able to apply and discuss ethical balancing principles, and argue for different aspects and positions in connection with sustainable production.
• Have shown understanding in handling complex sustainability problems when prioritizing measures at both system level and level of detail to demonstrate a holistic approach.

The course is divided into three parallel main tracks that deal with sustainable development from different perspectives and at different levels; system / social, corporate and individual level. The parallel tracks are divided into four stages:

1. Complexity and connection. Here, general sustainability issues are discussed (wicked problems such as population increase, climate impact, etc.). Important problems that exist around the human impact on ecosystems are defined.
2. What we can do. Strategies for sustainable development at different levels and priorities. Driving forces and obstacles for different strategies, discussion about conflicts between actors and levels.
3. How we can do it. Practical methods / tools for improving the sustainability performance of products (and services). Example. The natural step four system conditions, Cradle to Cradle and life cycle analysis (screening) and others.
4. How it turned out. Here is a major application project that is carried out as group work during the course, presented. In the project, methods and tools that have been presented during the course will be applied. An individual change task is also reported here. The course is then summarized.

• The reading list is "Okala Practitioner-Integrating Ecological Design" by P. White, L. St.Pierre, S. Belletire. 

• Other course literature will be announced no later than 12 weeks before the course starts. Supplementary materials such as additional articles will also be made available on the web site in Canvas.

Examination in the form of approved assignments, laboratory sessions and workshops, seminars, and presentations. Mandatory attendance and active participation are required for presentations, seminars, and laboratory sessions/workshops as well as tutorials. Attendance is also required at mandatory lectures.
Grading scale: Fail, Pass.