Shaping a Sustainable Future with Green Infrastructure
Develop your skills and understanding to manage Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services and lead for sustainability.
Duration
5 weeksWeekly study
3 hours
Shaping a Sustainable Future with Green Infrastructure
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Create sustainable environmental policies and shape tomorrow’s green communities
Professionals working with Green Infrastructure (GI) come from all sorts of backgrounds; ecology, economy, urban planning, and many others. To be effective in creating resilient places and working with the environment to combat climate change and biodiversity loss, they need to draw on all these areas. That’s exactly what this five-week course allows you to do.
Get to grips with green infrastructure and ecosystem services
The course begins with an introduction to green infrastructure and ecosystem services, including how these concepts relate to each other and their importance for effective environmental policy.
You’ll also get to reflect on the challenges GI and ecosystem services can help solve and learn to identify practical online tools for GI and ecosystem service management.
Make informed decisions and develop solutions for sustainability in rural and urban areas
Discover how to maximise benefits for people and nature, overcome governance issues, manage GI networks, collaborate with others to unlock funding, and ultimately make key decisions that lead to more sustainable living and more resilient places.
Learn from the experts at Grenoble Ecole de Management
Renowned business school Grenoble Ecole de Management, with its Chair for Inclusive Sustainability, is especially suited to deliver this course, thanks to the policy and integration expert leading content development, and to its affiliation with the LUIGI project.
The LUIGI project involves experts in varied fields from all the Alpine countries, coming together to develop understanding and methods on green infrastructure.
This project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Interreg Alpine Space programme.
Syllabus
Week 1
Introduction to working with Green Infrastructure
Welcome
Let's get started together with Green Infrastructure. An introductory definition, some information on the course structure, and off we go!
Why GI matters
Before diving into the details, let's take a moment to understand why GI is so important for human societies.
Week 2
What is a multifunctional GI network?
Fundamental ecological concepts
Ecosystems, biodiversity, ecosystem services, connectivity... what are they and why do they matter?
From ecosystem services to green infrastructure
Understand the link between ESS And GI through specific examples.
What makes a 'good' GI network: healthy condition, multifunctionality and connectivity
Maximising benefits derived from GI requires ecosystems that are well connected and in good condition. Let's see what it means in practice!
Questions of scale
Can a GI approach be implemented at any scale? Should you be concerned with other levels of GI management than your own? YES! Let's see together why.
End of Week 2 and further resources
Let's wrap up our week with a bit of reflection! (Photo (c) Jože Hladnik)
Week 3
Policy & Context
Building on from Weeks 1 & 2
A GI approach implemented through local policies can have a powerful impact. Let's explore what this looks like in practice.
Relevant EU policy and how they relate to GI
Take a look at how the European Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy and other key policies relate to green infrastructure!
The example of the Alpine Space
GI strategy at a macro-regional scale with the example from the Alps.
Week 4
GI Governance & Management - Part 1
Keys to understand GI governance
What is governance? How can we characterise and understand GI? How can you assess governance arrangements in your own area?
Important considerations for GI governance and management
Let's dive into understanding stakeholders, how to engage with them, and the two secret ingredients for good GI governance!
GI governance in practice
Practical examples from the LUIGI project to illustrate the key concepts from this week.
Week 5
GI Governance & Management - Part 2
Enhancing the economic aspects of GI for better funded and self-sustaining GI networks
GI markets, business models, marketing... What are the key challenges (and solutions!) to enhance the economic dimension of GI?
GI businesses in practice
Let's take a look at practical examples of businesses using GI and ESS.
Transferring knowledge and educating others about GI
Don't let this be the end! Pass on what you have learned to other people involved in GI management!
Wrapping it all up!
Two final exercises to make you reflect on what you have learned. Well done to you!
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of Green Infrastructure (GI) and Ecosystem Services (ESS)
- Explore how GI and ESS relate to and matter for your area of work/study and identify GI and ESS present in your area
- Reflect on the wider environmental policy context for GI and ESS (climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental injustice)
- Identify what practical tools and resources are available online for GI / ESS management
- Investigate how to identify and maximise benefits generated by GI/ESS and understand how to apply that knowledge to your area
- Explore where GI governance issues come from and how to overcome them by generating engagement and communicating on GI/ESS benefits
- Collaborate with stakeholders to unlock investments and resources for GI and GI network management
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone with an interest in green infrastructure management at any level, from local to transnational.
It will be especially useful for public administrators, policy-makers, private sector business owners, and charitable organisations.
Who will you learn with?
Political science, business, finance - I did a big tour before finding my passion for ecology. As a consultant for protected areas (for over 3 years) I bring a holistic vision and a fresh perspective!
PhD. Scientific Biodiversity officier at Grenoble-Alpes Metropole with a sound expertise on ecological connectivity issues in an international (european) context.
PHD in sociology and former consultant in research evaluation, i'm post-doctoral researcher at Grenoble Ecole de Management working on relations between residents and nature (Green infrastructure..)
Junior researcher @ Eurac Research, Bolzano (IT) working on Green Infrastracture and Nature-based Solutions. Background: Ecology and Climate Change.
Who developed the course?
Grenoble Ecole de Management
For the past 30 years, Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) has established itself in France and abroad as a leading business school through expertise in technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Interreg Alpine Space
The Alpine Space programme is a European transnational cooperation programme for the Alpine region. It provides a framework to facilitate the cooperation between economic, social and environmental key players in seven Alpine countries, as well as between various institutional levels such as: academia, administration, business and innovation sector, and policy making.
European Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) aims to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions. In 2021-2027 it will enable investments in a smarter, greener, more connected and more social Europe that is closer to its citizens.
Learning on FutureLearn
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- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
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Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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