The efficient management of our shared resources and the way we dispose of waste and pollutants are crucial to achieving responsible consumption and production. Encouraging industries, businesses and consumers to recycle and reduce waste is necessary, as is supporting consumers to move towards a more sustainable pattern of consumption. This forms the basis of SDG12: Responsible consumption and production, which includes the following targets:
- Substantially reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
- Reduce food waste along the supply chains, retail and consumer levels
- Ensure that people have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development.
Digital Technologies for Environmental Sustainability (in the Singapore context) is a hands on module which allows students to employ problem solving and prototyping skills using digital technologies to address the above targets. In addition to case studies of how the issue of Responsible consumption and production is tackled by various Singapore organizations, communities and businesses, they will also be exposed to design thinking, hardware and software prototyping, prototyping tools and technologies (IoT, Microcontrollers, App development, Artificial Intelligence) and will gain first hand experience in using these tools to prototype a solution to address a challenge statement around environmental sustainability.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand SDG12: Responsible consumption & production and how worldwide consumption & production uses natural environment and resources in a way that leaves a destructive impact on our planet.
- Understand the spectrum of digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) etc and how they can be used as tools to address challenges around responsible consumption and production.
- Apply the concepts of Design thinking and Business Model generation to develop and validate a product idea that uses innovative technologies to address sustainability related problems.
- Analyze the negative impacts of digital technologies and understand the innovations and initiatives that are being developed and implemented to address them
- Design and develop prototypes using digital technologies to address challenges of responsible consumption and production, especially in the Singapore and regional context.