Sustainability Transitions University of Aberdeen

Overview

At a Glance

While societies and economies are embarking on complex transitions to more sustainable practices in order to mitigate climate change and address contemporary environmental challenges, there is a shortage of leaders with appropriate skills and knowledge to take this agenda forward and help make the world a more sustainable place. This programme addresses this gap and develops the sustainability leaders of tomorrow. 

Sustainable development – the balancing of environmental, economic and social goals – is the greatest challenge facing the planet today. The transitions to more sustainable forms of production and consumption which organisations, firms, and institutions, as well as entire communities, societies and economies need to undergo to mitigate climate change are, however, far from simple.

Apart from the shift from carbon-intensive systems to less environmentally destructive arrangements based on renewable sources of energy and greener practices, such transitions require corresponding changes in governance structures, institutional frameworks, legal regulations, public perception and consumption patterns.

Moreover, each industry and each community, region, and country faces challenges of a different kind, with the need to reconcile numerous conflicting objectives often remaining the most serious one. Never before has the world needed qualified professionals to lead transitions to sustainability more than now!

To provide students with a comprehensive understanding of what sustainability transitions entail, the programme covers a wide array of topics, addresses challenges faced by different sectors and utilises case studies drawn from different parts of the world – both more and less developed states.

Students are taught not only by academics, but also by experts in a range of fields, including energy transitions, coastal management, land management, tourism, and transport.

The Sustainability Transitions programme of the University of Aberdeen includes multiple field trips and visits to organisations that champion sustainable practices, which helps students to engage with government, industry and business.

Careers

Graduates of this programme will possess analytical, interdisciplinary and problem-solving skills that are in high demand from all employers, from the largest global corporations, supranational NGOs and national, regional and local governments, to small community-based organisations and sustainable businesses.