The course aims at introducing postgraduate students to the theoretical approach of sustainable development (concepts and content) as a triptych-based system: Society – Environment – Economics as well as analyzing policies developed specifically in the context of the European Sustainable Development Strategy. Emphasis is also placed on the economic tools of the policies concerned and on the new approaches and practices being developed in European countries.

The general abilities that the student should have acquired in the course are:

• Adaptation to new situations
• Independent work
• Collective work
• Exercising criticism and self-criticism
• Promoting free, creative and inductive thinking through the analysis of sustainable development plans
• Working in an international environment.

The course consists of 13 lectures covering the following topics:

Lecture 1: The relationship between society and the environment and the pillars of sustainable development (social, ecological, cultural and economic dimension)

Lecture 2: Principles of sustainability: from uncontrolled growth to sustainable development. Analysis of the Limits to Growth, “Limits to Growth” (Meadows et al., 1972)

Lecture 3: The model of endogenous technological development: ‘endogenous growth models’, (Romer: 1986, Lucas: 1988)

Lecture 4: The Evolutionary Growth Model: ‘evolutionary growth models’, (Nelson & Winter: 1982, Corning: 1995)

Lecture 5: The Modern Fundamental Principles of Sustainable Development (December 2003, 2010)

Lectures 6 & 7: Establishing the Necessity of Sustainability as a ‘New’ Development Model Internationally and at European Union Level: Brundtland Report (1987), Rio International Conference (1992), Maastricht Treaty (1992), Amsterdam (1997) , Johannesburg International Conference (2002), et al.

Lecture 8: EU Policies and Procedures for Sustainable Development (Lisbon Strategy, EU Sustainable Development Strategy, Cardiff Process)

Lecture 9: Sustainable Development in Greece: Institutional Framework and Action Plan

Lecture 10: The Financial “Tools” of Sustainable Development Policy: Immediate financial tools such as environmental taxes and charges, fees, environmental subsidies, environmental agreements.

Lecture 11: The financial “tools” of sustainable development policy: Indirect intervention tools such as environmental liability system, product certification measures (eco-label etc.), eco-management and control mechanism (EMAS)

Lecture 12: Alternative economy practices (alternative economy): the challenges.

Lecture 13: Methods for identifying and measuring sustainable development: international experience.

The course evaluation process includes:

• An individual work concerning sustainable development plan (40%)
• Oral presentation of the individual work with Power Point (30%)
• Written examination at the end of the semester (30%).

The above assessment process gives to the students the opportunity to deal with the course during the semester and thus to be in time prepared for the oral presentation of their work as well as for the written examination at the end of the semester.

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