Best Online Courses in Sustainability Studies 2019

Global experts advise that in order to stir humanity towards sustainability, we need to re-design everything, from our homes to our food, energy, transport and economic systems. This transformation needs to occur on a grand scale and take into consideration people, planet and livelihoods to arrive at a holistic balance as we humbly endeavour to redesign human presence on Earth.

So, what does it mean to re-design everything?

Rooted in Gaia Education’s international experience in community design education and sustainable systems thinking over more than ten years, we offer you this short course that highlights what is possible, what is being done, and what remains to be done, to transform society, while addressing the most pressing issues of our times. Designing for Sustainability invites a cross-generational process of critical thinking, the exploration of innovative solutions and social entrepreneurship, and is inspired by what Thich Nhat Hanh has called ‘interbeing’ – the connection we share with all living things.... [-]

Energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, increases social equity and an environment that allows the world to thrive. Development is not possible without energy and sustainable development is not possible without sustainable energy.

This online programme will give a comprehensive overview of renewable energy as a means to enable sustainable development at a global scale. It will present the case for how renewable energies represent both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity.

The programme supports the UN Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SE4ALL), which aims to provide universal access to modern energy services, and double the worldwide rate of improvement in energy efficiency and the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Energy underpins all of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which this course is also closely aligned with.... [-]

We need to learn to question our basic assumptions and learn to ask deeper questions that help us to transcend and include multiple perspectives if we hope to steer humanity towards an uncertain future with wisdom, foresight, and precaution.

The Worldview dimension invites you to become more conscious of how your own worldview and value system affect your perceived needs and the way you might propose and design solutions in any given situation.

This dimension can be taken as a stand-alone programme or as the starting point for our 10-month online Design For Sustainability course. The cost of this dimension is £350 GBP. The course, which includes an orientation period, lasts for eight weeks. We suggest you dedicate a minimum of 10 hours a week to the course, in order to receive maximum benefit from it.... [-]

Never has there been a better time and a more urgent need to create a more resilient and participatory future by turning our attention to the redesign of our economic systems. If you feel stuck or uncertain about what you can do and want to take part in this redesign, our e-learning programme is for you.

An increasing amount of people know that our current economic system is no longer sustainable, yet awareness of viable alternatives is spreading slowly. Our aim is to give you a better understanding of those alternatives and the true meaning of economy and wealth. Participants will learn about existing systems and tools that are useful and will explore what it might take to re-design those that have proven dysfunctional.... [-]

Do you want to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem?

Do you want to learn to create elegant solutions carefully adapted to the biocultural uniqueness of place?

If you do, then becoming an ecological designer is for you.

The Ecological dimension of Gaia Education’s online course will give you the skills to become an ecological designer and create self-regenerating sustainable settlements.

World leaders have set the target of achieving three extraordinary things in the next 15 years:

The 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development could get these things done. In all countries. For all people.... [-]

Are you looking to consciously reinvent cooperative and harmonious ways of living and working together?

If so, how do we design for group development, leadership, conflict resolution, decision-making, creativity, social justice, and communication?

Join Gaia Education’s Social Design for Sustainability course and learn practical effective ways to create the change we all seek. Our distinct programme is your chance to learn about the different ways to participate in this (r)evolutionary shift in paradigms.

Our aim is to give you a better understanding of the true meaning of social equity and participatory action and to enable participants to apply transformative tools that align us with more resilient social systems. Our relationship with others is too dear to let it default on old domineering paradigms.... [-]

Climate change. Income inequality. Social injustice. These are just three of the big problems of our time. In Sustainable Business Strategy, you will learn how businesses can thrive and grow while simultaneously playing a major role in solving some of these big problems. You will also learn how you as an individual can make a difference.

Through interactive online case studies with leading companies such as Walmart and Unilever, you will learn why purpose-driven firms perform well, and how they can kickstart the wheel of change. You will examine different business models and gain an understanding of the broader landscape including the role of government, investors, and customers. Whether you are just getting started in your career or are already an established professional, you will walk away from Sustainable Business Strategy with the ability to:... [-]

Learn the principles, process design, and troubleshooting techniques for anaerobic wastewater treatment and get the full potentials of your anaerobic high-rate reactor.

Anaerobic wastewater treatment is the most energy-efficient technology for treating wastewater. With minimal energy requirement and the conversion of organic pollutants into energy-rich biogas, there's a double energy gain! This course addresses the fundamental principles, the microbial and physicochemical aspects, reactor technology and current and future applications.

The course presents state-of-the-art technology, focusing on sludge bed reactor systems. It also introduces the diagnostic tools used to determine the reasons for any sub-optimal performance. Sometimes anaerobic reactors suffer from sudden failures. In this course, you will learn how to perform a diagnosis on the anaerobic reactor and evaluate why failures are experienced and decide what remedial action is required to restore the full potential benefit of the anaerobic system.... [-]

Sharpen your business proposition by learning how to systematically integrate values (such as sustainability, safety, equity and privacy) into the design of new technologies or products in your organization. This will ensure a strategic win-win outcome for both society and your business.

Investing in and adopting Design for Values can benefit your organization in multiple ways:

Learn skills and tools needed to analyze 'deep' uncertainties, to anticipate change and to design adaptation pathways for large-scale and long-term interventions in infrastructure and water management systems.

Recent events show the vulnerability of infrastructure to unexpected or difficult-to-predict events. Flood security is frequently threatened and returns on investment in infrastructure are vulnerable to shifts in climate change, to financial crises, to disruptive innovations or to trend-breaks.

In support of this new and systematic approach to long-term planning, researchers from TU Delft and the Deltares Institute in the Netherlands, have developed tools with which to:... [-]