The course was held March –August, 2025 at Hanken School of Economics (Finland), Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics at Umeå University (Sweden) and online
There is an urgent need to find ways of abandoning fossil fuels and transitioning away from polluting energy sources to address the climate emergency. Yet, the pressing question is: what will this transition look like? The current political and corporate response to the climate emergency follows narratives of “Green Transitions,” shifting the economy from polluting energy sources and practices to what is promised to be more sustainable, environmentally friendly technologies and business models.
Course content
This course examines key theoretical assumptions and dimensions of green transitions from a critical and cross-disciplinary perspective. It integrates central theories of sustainability governance and responsible management with international and historical contexts, including extractivism, colonialism, environmental justice, and environmental conflicts. A primary focus of the course is on applying these theories to the societal-business nexus within the Nordic context. Featuring key online lectures by renowned scholars in these fields, the course aims to provide theoretical insights into current socio-ecological crises, fostering innovative visions of alternative and regenerative futures. In addition to the development of theoretical approaches of research, the course seeks to develop novel pedagogical approaches on how to learn from/with local voices about the contested terrain of green transitions and/or alternatives aiming for regeneration.
Key learning objectives
After completing the course, the student will be able to:
- Summarize key theoretical debates about sustainability governance and responsible management within the cross-disciplinary field of green transitions and its alternatives
- Contribute with critical reflections on the impacts of green transitions/alternatives on sustainability governance and responsible management in the Nordic context
- Produce novel pedagogical approaches on how to do participatory action research/teaching with communities outside the university context.
Collaboration
This course is organized in collaboration with the Umeå Transformation Research Initiative.
