Explore UCD

UCD Home >

SPOL41120

Academic Year 2026/2027

Sustainable Futures and Public Policy (SPOL41120)

Subject:
Social Policy
College:
Social Sciences & Law
School:
Soc Pol, Soc Wrk & Soc Justice
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Orla Kelly
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This 10-credit graduate seminar explores the intersection of environmental sustainability, public policy, and social justice in a rapidly warming world. As ecological crises escalate, policymakers face the complex challenge of balancing economic, social, and environmental imperatives. SPOL41120 equips students with the analytical tools and theoretical frameworks necessary to understand, evaluate, and design policy interventions that foster sustainable and equitable futures.

The module begins by grounding students in foundational social science theories governing human-environment relations, planetary boundaries, and eco-social alternatives such as degrowth, the wellbeing economy, and real utopias.
Next, students examine the complexities of designing and implementing policy within multi-scalar, multi-actor systems. Crucially, the curriculum addresses the socio-political realities of climate action by analysing systemic barriers that impede progress, including state capture, climate obstruction, delay discourses, organised counter-movements, and the growing phenomenon of green backlash. Through this lens, students evaluate how to build public support, political acceptability, and social equity amid political resistance.

A core focus of the module is bridging the gap between theory and practice. Students will examine key sectoral transformations by applying critical policy frameworks to real-world case studies across the future of work, welfare state reform, food systems, energy transitions, geo-engineering, and transformative education.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

1. Gain a comprehensive grasp of the foundational social science theories governing human-environment relations, eco-social alternatives, and planetary boundaries.

2. Grasp the complexities of designing and implementing sustainable policy interventions within multi-scalar and multi-actor systems, including identifying dead-end pathways and evaluating effective policy capacities.

3. Identify the barriers to policy implementation, including climate obstruction, state capture, climate delay discourses, and organized counter-movements

4. Assess the socio-political drivers behind public resistance and the green backlash, and understand best practices for building public support, political acceptability, and social equity.

5. Understand the complex challenges facing policymakers in balancing economic, social, and environmental considerations in a rapidly warming world.

6. Develop the ability to move from the abstract to the practical by applying complex sociological and public policy theories to real-world case studies across key sectors including the future of work, welfare, food systems, energy transitions, welfare states, and education.

7. Advance facilitation, collaborative consensus-building, and communication skills necessary for policy advocacy and leadership

8. Build critical thinking skills through reflections, class presentations, personal learning processes, and peer learning.

Indicative Module Content:

I.Foundations
Week 1: Social science perspectives on human-environment relations
Week 2: Governance and policy-making in complex systems
Week 3: Policy acceptance and public engagement
Week 4: State capture and climate change denial and delay

II. Eco-Social Alternatives
Week 5: Green Growth, Degrowth and Post-growth
Week 6: Technology, Risks and Climate Intervention Technologies
Week 7: The Sharing and Circular Economy
Week 8: Study Week

III. Redesigning Institutions
Week 9: Transforming Education
Week 10: The Future of Work
Week 11: Sustainable Welfare
Week 12: Reimagining Food Systems

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Expert

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Expert

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Expert

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Expert

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Expert

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Proficient

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Proficient

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Expert

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Proficient

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Competent

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Expert

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Specified Learning Activities

76
Autonomous Student Learning

100
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Designed as an active, student-led seminar, the module emphasises real-time facilitation, collaborative consensus-building, and high-level academic communication. Once per trimester, students present to the class on a weekly theme. Presentations include an application of theoretical concepts to a real-world case study of their chosing followed by the facilitation of an inclass discussion.
Students are also asked to reflect on their presentations, learning outcomes and engagement in class discussions.
By reflecting on their own presentation and peer exchanges, students have the opportunity to challenge and refine perspectives, sharpen critical thinking and deepen understanding of the complexities inherent in governing amid escalating global environmental challenges.

Summary.
- Lectures with research-informed teaching
- Participative learning in class
- Active Learning through class discussion
- Task-based, enquiry & problem-based learning through group work
- Student presentations

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): 2000-word report reflecting on your competency development and learnings from student presentations. Week 12 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% Yes
60
 Yes
Group Work Assignment: Once in the trimester students in teams of four will present on the weekly theme and facilitate a class discussion Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
40
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - Autumn: All Weeks Tues 14:00 - 15:50
Print this page
Fill in the following details:
Enter the body of your query here.

From time to time UCD would like to send you further information that we feel, based on your enquiry, would be of interest to you.