Environmental Management

Course summary

It is an interdisciplinary subject, bespoke to the IB, that can only be taken at Standard Level. The vision of the department is closely aligned with the IB learner values. Students will learn to evaluate actions taken to tackle environmental issues based on underlying value systems: ecocentrism, anthropocentrism and technocentrism. Tackling climate change, habitat loss, pollution, soil degradation and water scarcity are challenges facing all of humanity and these threats are shaping political decisions and legislation that affect all of our lives. We aim to provide students with the knowledge and tools so that they can evaluate lifestyle and policy decisions that try to tackle these environmental issues. Environmental Systems and Societies is a two-year course that can only be taken as a standard-level option. It is an interdisciplinary subject which can count as an option choice in either Individuals and Societies (Group 3 of the IB Diploma) or the Sciences (Group 4 of the IB Diploma). Students study eight units which are assessed by a final examination and complete an internal assessment (IA) project on a topic of their choice. The topics we study are: Topic 1 – The Foundations of ESS Topic 2 – Ecosystems and Ecology Topic 3 – Biodiversity and Conservation Topic 4 – Water and Aquatic Food Production Systems Topic 5 – Soil and Terrestrial Food Production Systems Topic 6 – Atmospheric Systems and Societies Topic 7 – Climate Change and Energy Production Topic 8 – Human Systems and Resource Use