When it comes to integrating transitional ideas with economic modelling and urban planning, there’s few more experienced than Mark Swilling. His past experience in urban planning and sustainable city development complement his current roles, including a Professorship at Stellenbosch University and Academic Director of the Sustainability Institute in the Lynedoch EcoVillage, creating a wealth of knowledge, expertise and passion.

He has recently added to his extensive published works with a new book, co authored with Eve Annecke, Just Transitions: Explorations of Sustainability in an Unfair World (United Nations University Press, 2012). Mark and Eve, co-founders of the Lynedoch Eco Village in South Africa, will be sharing their expertise at the Necessary Transition 2012 conference in September. Mark spoke with us briefly on the book, sustainability education and the focus of his keynote address.

Q. The book Just Transitions gives so much information about the interrelation of sustainability and equity. Of this vast topic, what will you focus on in your keynote speech in September?

My main message is that an unjust transition is distinctly possible. This would involve making a transition to a low-carbon economy in ways that leave intact the global structures of economic power that are responsible for the poverty and inequalities we have today. It is essential that we recognise that the transition we are going through creates opportunities for innovation that go way beyond mitigating the effects of carbon emissions. Unfortunately, the carbon agenda is about limits, whereas what is needed is a wider green economy agenda about potential and opportunities for innovation.

Q. What are the opportunities and threats (if any) for including sustainable development and equality teachings into current curriculums? From your experience, what knowledge do students have about sustainable development from previous experience before attending the Sustainability Institute?

Our experience has been a pleasant one because Stellenbosch University, from the Vice-Chancellor downwards, has been highly supportive of our endeavours. We have active involvements from academics from different departments and the number of applications far exceeds what we can admit into the programme. To be sure, the majority of students enter into a postgraduate programme with a very poor – or even highly problematic – understanding of sustainable development. For example, climate change is simplistically equated with global warming and therefore less rain, whereas in fact it is about greater climate variability and unpredictability. Sustainable development is often seen as just about economic growth without downturns. Our challenge, therefore, is to make sure that each module is delivered in a way that assumes very little, but is taught in a way that challenges people to think at the level of a masters programme.

Q. The Sustainability Institute gives students more than a typical classroom style education. Can you explain how the Sustainability Institute differs from other educational facilities and how this benefits students?

Students come to study at the Sustainability Institute which is, in turn, located within a functioning EcoVillage where all sorts of experiments are taking place with building systems, farming systems, youth development programmes, early childhood development and community building. It is a socially mixed community that is commercially viable, i.e. unsubsidised. This gives students a real living and working context for their educational work. The first hour of each day is spent working on the farm or in the gardens, or cleaning the buildings. Our day is 8.00am to 5.30pm, with group work in the afternoons for 2 hours. So we combine lectures, discussion learning, group work and presentations and community work into a rich pedagogic mix that can be really transformative for the students.