Studium Generale Sustainability How to make a contribution? Frankfurt, SS 2012

Studium Generale Sustainability - WS 2011/122 SS 2012 Agenda Background and Definition Content Instructors Learning Goals Team Project Topics Evaluation Field Trips

Studium Generale Sustainability - WS 2011/123 SS 2012 Introduction Just a decade ago, the term “sustainable” or “green” strategy evoked visions of fringe environmentalism and a high cost for minimal good. More recently, there's been a large shift in perception, an awakening of social consciousness, and a realization that a strategy good for the world can also be good for the bottom line.

Studium Generale Sustainability - WS 2011/124 SS 2012 Background and Definition The Goal: establish policies for sustainable development. Accordingly, most definitions of sustainability draw on the principles of the Brundtland Commission: “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (WCED, 1987: 8). The simplest and most fundamental defintion is: "the capacity to endure." In 1987 the Brundtland Commission was created to address growing concern "about the accelerating deterioration of the human environment and natural resources and the consequences of that deterioration for economic and social development.

Studium Generale Sustainability - WS 2011/125 SS 2012 Course Content The module “Sustainability” will connect different aspects of the topic, from an economic perspective, e.g. sustainable strategy, marketing, and industrial production, as well as the environmental perspective, such as the use of renewable resources, protection of the environment, and sustainable architecture, as well as the social perspective including health management. Source: Johann Dréo, as cited in Belz (2011)

Studium Generale Sustainability - WS 2011/126 SS 2012 Instructors  Fb1 - Architecture, Civil Engineering, Geomatics Prof. Sebastian Fiedler  Fb2 - Computer Science and Engineerig Prof. Dr. Axel Blokesch  Fb3 - Business and Law Prof. Dr. Erika Graf

Studium Generale Sustainability - WS 2011/127 SS 2012 Learning Goals  Understand why the legacies of the twentieth century have created challenges for the society and the disciplines of architecture, energy, business, society and health.  Explain the basic concept and key principles of sustainability  Analyze how companies are coping with emerging concerns about sustainability (team projects).  Develop sustainable solutions to selected problems in that context.

Studium Generale Sustainability - WS 2011/128 SS 2012 Evaluation  Grading of the course will be based on a team project  Teams will comprise 4-6 students  Deliverables are a 30 minutes presentation of the group (including 10 min. for discussion) and a written paper of pages (5 pages per student) presentations must be in English, papers can be submitted in English or German.  Attendance is compulsory for the lectures and field trips (An attendance list will be kept.)

Studium Generale Sustainability - WS 2011/129 SS 2012 Field Trips The course will include field trips to study the implementation of sustainable policies and strategies of companies in the Frankfurt region. Last semester field trip destinations were 1. Deutsche Bank 2. KfW Bank 3. HSE Biogas Plant (subject to change)