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Unit of study_
SUST5005: Law, Policy and Sustainability
2025 unit information
This unit examines how policy-makers engage with and implement policies and legal requirements for regulating ecologically sustainable development. Meeting the needs of a growing global population while at the same time maintaining the health of the environment, which provides the life support system for humanity, is the central policy challenge of the 21st century. Key sustainability challenges include: avoiding dangerous climate change, safeguarding biological diversity, providing food security, coping with resource scarcity, and promoting green technology including low-carbon energy generation. These issues provide acute challenges for governments given that they cut across a range of policy areas, and require long-term planning rather than short-term decision-making. The unit examines how policy-makers at international, national and sub-national scales consider and respond to sustainability issues. Students will be introduced to: the role of analysis (economic, legal, political, scientific and social etc) in providing an evidence base for decisions; the variety of instruments and institutions available for policy delivery; how the lobbying process influences policy determination; and effectiveness of policy design and implementation. The unit also examines how decision-making is influenced by stakeholders, including industry, nongovernmental organisations and citizens. It will be seen that sustainability policy design and implementation in the real world involves reconciling competing agendas and interests, and that trade-offs are often made that may strengthen or weaken the effectiveness of sustainability policies. Offered through the Sydney Law School, this unit introduces students to the legal imperatives (both international and national) which inform and mandate policy choices.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Science Faculty |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Understand, at an overview level, broad environmental issues such as avoiding dangerous climate change, safeguarding biological diversity, providing food security, coping with resource scarcity, and promoting green technology including low-carbon energy generation.
- LO2. Understand how policy-makers engage with and implement laws and policies relating to ecologically sustainable development; and how decision-making is influenced by stakeholders including industry, non-governmental organisations and citizens.
- LO3. Understand that these issues provide acute challenges for governments given that they cut across a range of policy areas, and require long-term planning rather than short-term decision-making. Understand, at overview level, how policy-makers at international, national and sub-national scales consider and respond to sustainability issues.
- LO4. Understand, at introductory level, the role of analysis (scientific, economic, social and political etc) in providing an evidence base for decisions; the variety of instruments and institutions available for policy delivery; how the lobbying process influences policy determination; and effectiveness of policy design and implementation.
- LO5. Understand that sustainability policy design and implementation in the real world involves reconciling competing agendas and interests, and that trade-offs are often made that may strengthen or weaken the effectiveness of sustainability policies.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Block mode | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
Important enrolment information
Additional advice
This unit of study involves essay-writing. Academic writing skills equivalent to HSC Advanced English or significant consultation via the Writing Hub is assumed.
