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Sustainable Consumption and Health
  • Level Professional
  • Duration 14 hours
  • Course by University of Michigan
  • Offered by

About

This course is an introductory and foundational course on sustainable consumption and health. In the first part of this course, we briefly review definitions of sustainability and the relationship between the three dimensions of sustainability and the UN-Environment Sustainable Environment Goals (SDGs), target and indicators. We then look at frameworks, indicators and footprint requirements to adequately measure sustainability, offering the opportunity to the participants to assess their own carbon and environmental footprint and make recommendation on how to reduce it. We then address the theme of sustainable consumption, looking at our main domains of consumption and at the key conditions to reach sustainable consumption and avoid rebounds effects that tend to reduce the benefits of increased product efficiency. We finally look at "what is good enough" for a given product or activity, in relationship with absolute sustainability and planetary boundaries. In the second part focusing on health, we will first identify the main factors affecting health, define DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) as a key metric to measure health burden, and use the rich information made available by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD). We will then use the GBD visualization tool to quantify and compare the respective burdens associated with 70 risks factors and numerous disease causes, in every country of the world and even at the state level for the US. We finally analyze the health impact associated with global trade, evaluating the fraction of the health impacts due to fine particulate in Asia, that are induced by Western consumption.

Modules

Welcome to the Course!

    • 2 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Your Interests and Expectations

2 Videos

  • Meet Your Instructors
  • Course Introduction

2 Readings

  • Course Syllabus & Roadmap
  • Pre-Survey

Defining and Measuring Sustainability

    • 2 Videos
    • 4 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • DPSIR Framework Practice

2 Discussions

  • Reflecting on the SDGs
  • Connecting SDGs and the Sustainability Pillars

2 Videos

  • How Do We Define Sustainability?
  • How Do We Measure Sustainability?

4 Readings

  • Week 1 Slides
  • Exploration of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Activity: Aligning SDGs to Sustainability Pillars
  • DPSIR Framework Applied to Water Use

Personal Footprint and Main Consumption Domains

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Knowledge Check: Sustainable Consumption
  • Week 1 Assessment

1 Discussions

  • Reflecting on My Personal Footprint Activity

3 Videos

  • Sustainable Consumption - Part A
  • Sustainable Consumption - Part B
  • Sustainable Consumption - Part C

1 Readings

  • Activity: My Personal Footprint

Sustainable Consumption, Costs, and Rebounds Effects

    • 5 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Knowledge Check: Impacts, Costs, and Trends

1 Discussions

  • Reflecting on Impacts vs. Costs

5 Videos

  • Environmental Impacts and Costs - Part A
  • Environmental Impacts and Costs - Part B
  • Rebounds Effect
  • Decoupling Growth and GHG Emissions - Part A
  • Decoupling Growth and GHG Emissions - Part B

3 Readings

  • Week 2 Slides
  • Activity: Impacts vs. Costs
  • (Optional)Luderer et al. 2019 and UNECE, 2016

Absolute Sustainability

    • 3 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Knowedge check absolute sustainability practice - protein example
  • Week 2 Assessment

3 Videos

  • Concept Definition - What is good enough?
  • Planetary Boundaries - What are they?
  • Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment

1 Readings

  • Absolute Sustainability Practice

The Global Burden of Disease

    • 4 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
    • 4 Assignment
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4 Assignment

  • Activity: Ranking of Global Burden of Disease Risk Factors
  • Knowledge Check: Global Burden of Disease
  • Activity: Exploring the Global Burden of Disease Visualization
  • Knowledge Check: Findings and Limitations of the GBD

2 Discussions

  • Reflection on the Ranking of GBD Risk Factors
  • GBD Calculation Check-In

4 Videos

  • Main Factors Impacting Health
  • Introduction to the Global Burden of Disease (Part A) - Purpose of the GBD
  • Introduction to the Global Burden of Disease (Part B) - Metrics and main results
  • Interesting Findings and Limitations of the GBD: Which Impacts are Missing?

3 Readings

  • Week 3 Slides
  • Knowledge Check: GBD Review
  • (Optional) GBD Readings

Health Impacts of Global Trade

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Assignment
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2 Assignment

  • Knowledge Check - Global Trade
  • Week 3 Assessment

2 Videos

  • Global Trade - Part A
  • Global Trade - Part B

1 Readings

  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Particulate Matter (PM) Primer

Action Plan Final Assessment

    • 2 Readings
    • 1 PeerReview
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1 Peer Review

  • Action Plan: Toward Sustainability

2 Readings

  • Introduction to Develop an Action Plan Task
  • Post-Course Survey

Auto Summary

Discover the essential principles of sustainable consumption and health in this comprehensive course designed for professionals in the health and fitness domain. Led by Coursera, this course offers an in-depth exploration of sustainability, its definitions, and its connections to the UN-Environment Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). You'll gain the tools to measure your carbon and environmental footprint and make impactful changes to reduce it. The first segment delves into sustainable consumption, examining major consumption domains and strategies to achieve sustainable practices while avoiding rebound effects. You'll learn to evaluate what constitutes "good enough" for products and activities in relation to absolute sustainability and planetary boundaries. Transitioning to the health-focused portion, the course identifies key health factors and introduces the DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) metric for assessing health burdens. Utilizing the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) tool, you'll quantify and compare health risks and disease causes worldwide, including state-level data for the US. Additionally, you'll analyze the health impacts of global trade and the specific burden caused by fine particulate matter in Asia due to Western consumption. Spanning 840 minutes, this professional-level course offers a starter subscription option, making it accessible and valuable for those looking to enhance their understanding of sustainable practices and their health implications. Ideal for health and fitness enthusiasts or professionals eager to integrate sustainability into their work, this course equips you with the knowledge and skills to make a meaningful difference in both personal and global health contexts.

Olivier Jolliet
Instructor

Olivier Jolliet