BSc (Hons) — 2025 entry Environment and Sustainability

This module introduces students to the concept of sustainable development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the indicators adopted to measure progress toward fulfilling the goals. The module introduces students to the concept of system thinking and explores how system thinking is connected to sustainable development. It also introduces students to the use of academic literature and academic referencing.

This module introduces basic macro and micro economic theory. Students are then introduced to environmental economics - the allocation of environmental resources under conditions of scarcity and market failure. The module also introduces students to ecological economics – that is an economics grounded in ecological realities - and situates these in the context of current debates about economics and sustainable development.   This module builds on the concepts of national development, economic and social progress, and economic welfare which were covered in the An Unequal Planet module and strengthens students’ understanding of how the economy functions and interacts with the environment.   This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to really focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges.

This module introduces students to global environmental change from a systems perspective. It brings together physical science and social science perspectives to analyse the dynamic interactions of the Earth’s integrated systems – the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. It introduces students to the concept of a “safe operating space” for humanity. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates deep learning by allowing the student to focus on the module content.

This module examines different approaches to defining and assessing inequality and poverty, global stratification and international development processes. Different theories of national development are considered along with processes such as migration, globalisation, international aid and investment. The module also looks at inequality within the UK. Greater equality is fundamental to achieving sustainable development. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to really focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges.

This module explores the experience of environments and communities undergoing regeneration. It examines the evolving way land is used by a society over time.  The module includes case studies of urban and rural regeneration schemes in the UK. It reviews policies, planning mechanisms and practices which shape regeneration processes. The module includes a five day residential field trip in southern England and/or Wales. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges.

This module introduces students to the use of remote sensing data and geographical information systems to support the analysis of the natural and built environment. Remote sensing techniques allow the derivation of a wide range of spatial data while geographical information systems provide the tools for analysing spatial data.  This module introduces the theory and practice of geographical information systems and remote sensing, providing practical training in the use of geographical information systems. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to really focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges. GIS skills and techniques learnt in this module may be used in subsequent modules such as the Sustainable housing and communities: Multi-national project, and the Dissertation by extending the range of data students can use to support their analyses in these modules.

This module introduces students to the concept of inter-disciplinarity and research methods used to understand human societies and their interaction with the environment. Via a series of sustainability related case studies, students are introduced to a range of research methods such as semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant and non-participant observation. Students can use research methods learnt in this module in subsequent modules and their dissertation for data gathering and data analysis.   In addition to learning about and applying a range of research methods in this module, students are introduced to the broader process of planning and conducting research, and the issues which need to be considered when planning data collection for research. This includes consideration of research ethics when doing field work and data collection to ensure the welfare of research subjects. It also includes consideration of intercultural differences when planning and conducting social research to ensure that any data collected is representative of the wider population.  As part of digital skills development, students are taught the importance of adopting good data management practices in order to compile with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules.   Towards the end of the module the concept of interdisciplinarity, which was introduced at the start of the module, is reassessed as students consider the practical implications of working across disciplines, such as dealing with different disciplinary perspectives and epistemological frameworks, disciplinary-specific use of language, and the referencing systems used by different disciplines. As part of this focus on interdisciplinarity, students will be introduced to the concept of developing a learning and continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio. Students will be encouraged to start creating a CPD portfolio which can be continuously expanded and updated as they progress through the BSc degree and then during professional careers. This portfolio can include formative and summative assessments and short reflections on these assessments from across the spectrum of modules taken, as well as other learning activities, such as site visits, short training courses, workshops and conferences attended. After graduation this portfolio can continue to be updated and expanded to include all CPD and professional work activities and be used to demonstrate achieving the requirements for full membership of professional bodies such as the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment or the Institution of Environmental Sciences, and Chartered Environmentalist  or Chartered Scientist status.

This module provides an overview of global climate change and its impact on human societies and the environment. The science underpinning our understanding of climate change is reviewed along with the policy responses adopted by governments, corporations, non-governmental organisations, and individuals. While the issue of climate change was briefly examined as one of the SDGs (Climate Action) in the Sustainable Development Goals and Indicators module, this module explores the issue of climate change in much greater depth, examining climate science, the impacts of climate change on societies, and the policy response to climate change. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to really focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges.

This module will require students to engage and refine key skills developed in the first year of their degree and to apply those skills at a more advanced level. The key skills include legal research (including using digital research tools), case reading, critical thinking and analysis, precision in the use of language, effective and accurate communication, and time management. This course aims to develop a knowledge of the principles of environmental law together with a critical awareness of societal context, legal policy, enforcement and jurisprudential issues which shape this area of law. It will enable students to grasp the key characteristics of environmental law in action. They will be able to handle complex problems of pollution of the environment involving corporate and private interests. The contextual relationship between national environmental law, international law and European Union law will be understood.  They will also have an understanding of the issues for the protection of the environment in developing countries

This module builds on Understanding sustainability:  Methods, tools and skills 1 and further develops students’ knowledge and experience of the research methods used to gain understanding of human society and its interaction with the environment. Via a case study approach, students are introduced to a range of research methods including surveys and questionnaire design. Students will gain experience in designing, collecting, producing, and analysing their own research data on case studies relating to sustainable development. The questionnaires students design will be required to demonstrate research ethics and other considerations, such as potential cultural differences amongst research subjects and compilance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules as introduced in the Understanding sustainability:  Methods, tools and skills 1 module. This module introduces students to quantitative data analysis and the use of SPSS and R. Students can use research methods learnt in this module in subsequent modules and their dissertation for data gathering and data analysis.

This module explores environmental impact methodologies, legislation, processes, and practices. This module is crafted to enhance students' understanding of various environmental assessment types including environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, and sustainability reporting, through a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical applications. Students will collect ground data and assess the existing data on air, water, and noise pollution, and identify areas of high environmental stress through spatial and temporal data for real-world environmental problem-solving. The module aims to equip students with the skills necessary to conduct detailed environmental assessments and develop effective sustainability strategies, making use of cutting-edge technology to analyse and mitigate human impacts on the environment. This course is vital for those aspiring to careers in environmental planning, policy making, and conservation, providing students with the tools to make data-driven decisions and recommendations.

This module examines the relationship between the media and sustainability and the environment. The media does not simply present the global challenges humans face when implementing sustainable development but actively shapes public understanding of sustainable development and motivation for change through its presentation of key issues. With environment and sustainability increasingly politicised, it is important to critically reflect on the role played by the media in shaping public understanding of sustainability science. The media is increasingly fragmented as people now draw upon a diverse range of media sources for information on contemporary events and issues. Sustainability practitioners need an understanding of how different forms of media work. Some sustainability careers depend upon effective use of social media for raising public awareness and campaigning purposes. In this module students will plan a hypothetical social media campaign on a sustainability related case study or issue.

Consumption is not only essential for survival but is an integral part of everyday life important for individual and group identity, relationships and the performance of social practices. However, the environmental and social consequences of the scale of contemporary consumption cannot be ignored. This module introduces students to a range of theoretical approaches which they apply to understand everyday consumption (of food, clothes, household objects, technology and energy) sociologically. It encourages them to locate their own consumption within its global environmental and social consequences, and to think critically about pathways to more sustainable modes of consumption.

The form of globalisation that has characterised the international system over the post-Cold War era, a phenomenon that both drives and is driven by international institutions, treaties and regimes, is seemingly reducing the capacity of nation-states to respond to pressures emanating from the international economic and security environment. Economic challenges, including the recent global recession, require intimate cross-border cooperation (at the regional and global level); climate change presents a threat that requires urgent global-cooperation (be it between local authorities and cities in different national contexts, or at the national level), and public health continues to have drastic impacts on economy, development, and wellbeing that reach beyond individual states. Furthermore, the end of the Cold War has ushered in a host of new security challenges that states are unable to tackle on an individual basis, from preventing and dealing with the consequences of state failure, international terrorism and crime, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. A key question that the module will examine is the extent to which these challenges are leading to a shift away from an international system characterized by the notion of state sovereignty and the control of policy development and implementation by the central political authority of the nation-state, to a diffusion of power and competencies, both ‘horizontally’, to private actors such as NGOs and Transnational Corporations, and ‘vertically’, downwards to the regional level and upwards to international organisations. The module will critically assess the analytical leverage that can be attained to these questions through the application of diverse perspectives within IR theories, covering not only realist, liberal, and constructivist schools of thought, but also critical approaches such as Marxism and post-structuralism. It will also focus on approaches drawn from political science theory, notably the literatures on multi-level governance, public policy theories,  and the ‘new’ institutionalism. In the course students will tackle a number of contemporary debates on international organisations that are central to public debate - the meaning and forms of international organisations, issues of authority, power and legitimacy; how states and non-state actors (particularly NGOs and business) have shaped the nature and scope of international cooperation and the effects that participation in international institutions upon policy-making, styles of governance and institutional configuration at the national and sub-national levels. We will also examine not only the role of hegemonic powers, in particular the impact of the United States over the post-war and post-Cold War eras, but also the implications of the rise of new powers such as China and India upon international organisations. The module will then examine relevant case studies: environmental governance; global health governance; the WTO and the governance of international trade; the IMF, World Bank and the governance of finance and development; the United Nations and security governance. The module will conclude by assessing the implications of the growth of international organisations for the role of the state as a national and international actor.

This module brings students together from the University of Surrey and a foreign university to tackle an environment or sustainability problem. Students will discuss, investigate and analyse the problem through an interdisciplinary approach in a multi-national project team.

This module is centred on a week-long field trip which explores the product life cycle of some case study consumer products which are followed from cradle to grave - ie. field or mine, to the factory, to the retailer, to the consumer and then disposal back to the environment. Drawing on insights gained during the field trip, students critically reflect on the extent to which life cycle thinking and circular economy approaches can increase the sustainability of consumption.

What is international order in the twenty first century? A few short decades have transformed the planet in ways that are only just being understood. A satellite image of the sky at night reveals coastal mega¿cities and inland urban corridors of unprecedented size and scope: new global city networks, mega-city regions and urban corridors have emerged that bring into question traditional state-centric notions of global politics. Alongside and through these urban patterns run other large technical systems: huge materially integrated physical structures: transport systems, supply chains, air travel networks, submarine Internet cables, satellites, research labs. Onto these systems now map planetary-scaled technologies of computation, generating a new mega-structure comprising smart grids, cloud computing platforms, and sensor nets. This is world order in the twenty first century. Conflict over these infrastructures is part of geopolitical competition and international order building today. This module builds on cutting edge social theory to introduce students to new ideas about how political order is built at multiple scales. It examines the ways in which China is using infrastructure investment to reshape the Eurasian political and economic order via its Belt and Road Initiative, and how the EU and the US are responding. It examines how global city networks are setting their own global governance agendas, often in parallel to states. It offers new perspectives on the infrastructural dark matter that holds international orders together, and allows them to endure across time and space.

This module introduces students to the concept of sustainable development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the indicators adopted to measure progress toward fulfilling the goals. The module introduces students to the concept of system thinking and explores how system thinking is connected to sustainable development. It also introduces students to the use of academic literature and academic referencing.

This module introduces basic macro and micro economic theory. Students are then introduced to environmental economics - the allocation of environmental resources under conditions of scarcity and market failure. The module also introduces students to ecological economics – that is an economics grounded in ecological realities - and situates these in the context of current debates about economics and sustainable development.   This module builds on the concepts of national development, economic and social progress, and economic welfare which were covered in the An Unequal Planet module and strengthens students’ understanding of how the economy functions and interacts with the environment.   This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to really focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges.

This module introduces students to global environmental change from a systems perspective. It brings together physical science and social science perspectives to analyse the dynamic interactions of the Earth’s integrated systems – the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. It introduces students to the concept of a “safe operating space” for humanity. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates deep learning by allowing the student to focus on the module content.

This module examines different approaches to defining and assessing inequality and poverty, global stratification and international development processes. Different theories of national development are considered along with processes such as migration, globalisation, international aid and investment. The module also looks at inequality within the UK. Greater equality is fundamental to achieving sustainable development. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to really focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges.

This module explores the experience of environments and communities undergoing regeneration. It examines the evolving way land is used by a society over time.  The module includes case studies of urban and rural regeneration schemes in the UK. It reviews policies, planning mechanisms and practices which shape regeneration processes. The module includes a five day residential field trip in southern England and/or Wales. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges.

This module introduces students to the use of remote sensing data and geographical information systems to support the analysis of the natural and built environment. Remote sensing techniques allow the derivation of a wide range of spatial data while geographical information systems provide the tools for analysing spatial data.  This module introduces the theory and practice of geographical information systems and remote sensing, providing practical training in the use of geographical information systems. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to really focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges. GIS skills and techniques learnt in this module may be used in subsequent modules such as the Sustainable housing and communities: Multi-national project, and the Dissertation by extending the range of data students can use to support their analyses in these modules.

This module introduces students to the concept of inter-disciplinarity and research methods used to understand human societies and their interaction with the environment. Via a series of sustainability related case studies, students are introduced to a range of research methods such as semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and participant and non-participant observation. Students can use research methods learnt in this module in subsequent modules and their dissertation for data gathering and data analysis.   In addition to learning about and applying a range of research methods in this module, students are introduced to the broader process of planning and conducting research, and the issues which need to be considered when planning data collection for research. This includes consideration of research ethics when doing field work and data collection to ensure the welfare of research subjects. It also includes consideration of intercultural differences when planning and conducting social research to ensure that any data collected is representative of the wider population.  As part of digital skills development, students are taught the importance of adopting good data management practices in order to compile with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules.   Towards the end of the module the concept of interdisciplinarity, which was introduced at the start of the module, is reassessed as students consider the practical implications of working across disciplines, such as dealing with different disciplinary perspectives and epistemological frameworks, disciplinary-specific use of language, and the referencing systems used by different disciplines. As part of this focus on interdisciplinarity, students will be introduced to the concept of developing a learning and continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio. Students will be encouraged to start creating a CPD portfolio which can be continuously expanded and updated as they progress through the BSc degree and then during professional careers. This portfolio can include formative and summative assessments and short reflections on these assessments from across the spectrum of modules taken, as well as other learning activities, such as site visits, short training courses, workshops and conferences attended. After graduation this portfolio can continue to be updated and expanded to include all CPD and professional work activities and be used to demonstrate achieving the requirements for full membership of professional bodies such as the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment or the Institution of Environmental Sciences, and Chartered Environmentalist  or Chartered Scientist status.

This module provides an overview of global climate change and its impact on human societies and the environment. The science underpinning our understanding of climate change is reviewed along with the policy responses adopted by governments, corporations, non-governmental organisations, and individuals. While the issue of climate change was briefly examined as one of the SDGs (Climate Action) in the Sustainable Development Goals and Indicators module, this module explores the issue of climate change in much greater depth, examining climate science, the impacts of climate change on societies, and the policy response to climate change. This module is taught on an intensive basis, with classes running over a three / four week period. This intensive teaching format facilitates learning by allowing the student to really focus on the module content. It also assists with cohort development as students work closely together on collaborative tasks that develop their understanding of sustainable development challenges.

This module will require students to engage and refine key skills developed in the first year of their degree and to apply those skills at a more advanced level. The key skills include legal research (including using digital research tools), case reading, critical thinking and analysis, precision in the use of language, effective and accurate communication, and time management. This course aims to develop a knowledge of the principles of environmental law together with a critical awareness of societal context, legal policy, enforcement and jurisprudential issues which shape this area of law. It will enable students to grasp the key characteristics of environmental law in action. They will be able to handle complex problems of pollution of the environment involving corporate and private interests. The contextual relationship between national environmental law, international law and European Union law will be understood.  They will also have an understanding of the issues for the protection of the environment in developing countries

This module builds on Understanding sustainability:  Methods, tools and skills 1 and further develops students’ knowledge and experience of the research methods used to gain understanding of human society and its interaction with the environment. Via a case study approach, students are introduced to a range of research methods including surveys and questionnaire design. Students will gain experience in designing, collecting, producing, and analysing their own research data on case studies relating to sustainable development. The questionnaires students design will be required to demonstrate research ethics and other considerations, such as potential cultural differences amongst research subjects and compilance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules as introduced in the Understanding sustainability:  Methods, tools and skills 1 module. This module introduces students to quantitative data analysis and the use of SPSS and R. Students can use research methods learnt in this module in subsequent modules and their dissertation for data gathering and data analysis.

This module explores environmental impact methodologies, legislation, processes, and practices. This module is crafted to enhance students' understanding of various environmental assessment types including environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, and sustainability reporting, through a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical applications. Students will collect ground data and assess the existing data on air, water, and noise pollution, and identify areas of high environmental stress through spatial and temporal data for real-world environmental problem-solving. The module aims to equip students with the skills necessary to conduct detailed environmental assessments and develop effective sustainability strategies, making use of cutting-edge technology to analyse and mitigate human impacts on the environment. This course is vital for those aspiring to careers in environmental planning, policy making, and conservation, providing students with the tools to make data-driven decisions and recommendations.

This module examines the relationship between the media and sustainability and the environment. The media does not simply present the global challenges humans face when implementing sustainable development but actively shapes public understanding of sustainable development and motivation for change through its presentation of key issues. With environment and sustainability increasingly politicised, it is important to critically reflect on the role played by the media in shaping public understanding of sustainability science. The media is increasingly fragmented as people now draw upon a diverse range of media sources for information on contemporary events and issues. Sustainability practitioners need an understanding of how different forms of media work. Some sustainability careers depend upon effective use of social media for raising public awareness and campaigning purposes. In this module students will plan a hypothetical social media campaign on a sustainability related case study or issue.

Consumption is not only essential for survival but is an integral part of everyday life important for individual and group identity, relationships and the performance of social practices. However, the environmental and social consequences of the scale of contemporary consumption cannot be ignored. This module introduces students to a range of theoretical approaches which they apply to understand everyday consumption (of food, clothes, household objects, technology and energy) sociologically. It encourages them to locate their own consumption within its global environmental and social consequences, and to think critically about pathways to more sustainable modes of consumption.

The form of globalisation that has characterised the international system over the post-Cold War era, a phenomenon that both drives and is driven by international institutions, treaties and regimes, is seemingly reducing the capacity of nation-states to respond to pressures emanating from the international economic and security environment. Economic challenges, including the recent global recession, require intimate cross-border cooperation (at the regional and global level); climate change presents a threat that requires urgent global-cooperation (be it between local authorities and cities in different national contexts, or at the national level), and public health continues to have drastic impacts on economy, development, and wellbeing that reach beyond individual states. Furthermore, the end of the Cold War has ushered in a host of new security challenges that states are unable to tackle on an individual basis, from preventing and dealing with the consequences of state failure, international terrorism and crime, as well as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. A key question that the module will examine is the extent to which these challenges are leading to a shift away from an international system characterized by the notion of state sovereignty and the control of policy development and implementation by the central political authority of the nation-state, to a diffusion of power and competencies, both ‘horizontally’, to private actors such as NGOs and Transnational Corporations, and ‘vertically’, downwards to the regional level and upwards to international organisations. The module will critically assess the analytical leverage that can be attained to these questions through the application of diverse perspectives within IR theories, covering not only realist, liberal, and constructivist schools of thought, but also critical approaches such as Marxism and post-structuralism. It will also focus on approaches drawn from political science theory, notably the literatures on multi-level governance, public policy theories,  and the ‘new’ institutionalism. In the course students will tackle a number of contemporary debates on international organisations that are central to public debate - the meaning and forms of international organisations, issues of authority, power and legitimacy; how states and non-state actors (particularly NGOs and business) have shaped the nature and scope of international cooperation and the effects that participation in international institutions upon policy-making, styles of governance and institutional configuration at the national and sub-national levels. We will also examine not only the role of hegemonic powers, in particular the impact of the United States over the post-war and post-Cold War eras, but also the implications of the rise of new powers such as China and India upon international organisations. The module will then examine relevant case studies: environmental governance; global health governance; the WTO and the governance of international trade; the IMF, World Bank and the governance of finance and development; the United Nations and security governance. The module will conclude by assessing the implications of the growth of international organisations for the role of the state as a national and international actor.

This module brings students together from the University of Surrey and a foreign university to tackle an environment or sustainability problem. Students will discuss, investigate and analyse the problem through an interdisciplinary approach in a multi-national project team.

This module is centred on a week-long field trip which explores the product life cycle of some case study consumer products which are followed from cradle to grave - ie. field or mine, to the factory, to the retailer, to the consumer and then disposal back to the environment. Drawing on insights gained during the field trip, students critically reflect on the extent to which life cycle thinking and circular economy approaches can increase the sustainability of consumption.

What is international order in the twenty first century? A few short decades have transformed the planet in ways that are only just being understood. A satellite image of the sky at night reveals coastal mega¿cities and inland urban corridors of unprecedented size and scope: new global city networks, mega-city regions and urban corridors have emerged that bring into question traditional state-centric notions of global politics. Alongside and through these urban patterns run other large technical systems: huge materially integrated physical structures: transport systems, supply chains, air travel networks, submarine Internet cables, satellites, research labs. Onto these systems now map planetary-scaled technologies of computation, generating a new mega-structure comprising smart grids, cloud computing platforms, and sensor nets. This is world order in the twenty first century. Conflict over these infrastructures is part of geopolitical competition and international order building today. This module builds on cutting edge social theory to introduce students to new ideas about how political order is built at multiple scales. It examines the ways in which China is using infrastructure investment to reshape the Eurasian political and economic order via its Belt and Road Initiative, and how the EU and the US are responding. It examines how global city networks are setting their own global governance agendas, often in parallel to states. It offers new perspectives on the infrastructural dark matter that holds international orders together, and allows them to endure across time and space.