If the history of the Earth was one year long, humans would have existed for less than an hour - and consumed over a quarter of Earth's natural resources in less than a second. To avoid a Malthusian crisis, the growth and expansion of human civilisation over the past century cannot continue in the same way. Society must change in order to ensure that the needs of the present can be met for all, without compromising the ability for future generations to meet their needs; to be sustainable over the long term. The climate crisis is but one aspect of this: we need to ensure our long term food production, energy supply, and resource consumption; that over the long terms, people will have housing to live, water to drink, and a transport network that works to efficiently get around. This module, part of the Professional Diploma in Climate Adaption and Sustainability, will introduce the concept of sustainability, examining where limits to space, infrastructure, and resources may cause problems as populations continue to grow, and exploring practical options to plan for a more sustainable future.

Using a series of contemporary case studies, this module explores sustainability from a variety of environmental and societal (social, cultural and economic) contexts. Topics to be covered include sustainability in transport, planning, tourism, services, and resources; as well as ensuring equality as part of sustainability, considering gender, sexuality, race, and disability, all from a geographic perspective. Examples will be used to consider how best to adopt more sustainable approaches from a practical perspective.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: 1. Describe and explain the concept of sustainability in environmental and societal (social, cultural and economic) contexts 2. Assess the sustainability of particular areas, services, or sectors 3. Evaluate the sustainability of new plans or initiatives 4. Identify and propose measures to increase sustainability in particular areas, services, or sectors

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: 5. Demonstrate an appreciation of the importance of inclusion in approaches to sustainability

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This module will be delivered through a combination of lectures, case studies, tutorials, digital geography exercises, and self directed learning. Students will develop the skills to analyse readings, improve their capacity for critical assessment, and communicate their own work in written and digital form. Case studies for the module will include recently published research. Digital geography exercises will include active use of data from current or recently published research, challenging students to apply their discipline knowledge to real world circumstances, including appreciation of social and corporate responsibility.