One of the critical questions in modern society is how to manage processes of economic and social development so that we can make sustainable improvements in human welfare without destroying the environmental resource base on which all life depends. Current patterns of population growth, industrial development, urbanisation, and the use and consumption of resources are resulting in environmental changes on all scales, from the local to the global. Major issues include pollution, soil erosion and desertification, loss of biodiversity, ozone depletion and global warming. Although such environmental changes manifest themselves as physical problems, the processes which drive the changes are economic, social and political. Therefore, any attempts to manage the use of environmental resources to achieve more sustainable forms of development have to begin with a clear understanding of the socio-economic processes involved. The BSc Environment and Development and BSc Environmental Policy with Economics degree programmes offer an inter-disciplinary social science approach to environmental matters. It is increasingly recognised that environmental problems cannot be divorced from challenges to human well-being and development. Understanding and addressing issues such as human-induced climate change and global biodiversity depletion must take into account the uneven production and distribution of ecological and social harm. Indeed, social science scholars have usefully questioned how 'environmental' problems are defined and analysed. Who benefits and who loses from environmental projects and practices? Similarly, the negative outcomes of some environmental projects have led many to question how such projects are economically justified and implemented. These two environmental degrees enable students to benefit from the excellent reputation of the School within both the fields of environmental and, respectively, development studies and economics, challenging students to interrogate pressing real-world problems and proposed solutions. Exposed to state-of-the-art knowledge through research-informed teaching, students learn both about conceptual and applied aspects of environmental problems. Such teaching is designed to develop graduates with analytical and critical competencies for employment or graduate study in environmental policy and studies. Above all, the degrees equip students to critically analyse environmental policies on the basis of rigorous social science. Recent graduates have gone on to work in all areas of environmental policy and economics at the local, national and international level, whether in the public sector for government departments and agencies, in the private sector for industry and environmental/management consultancies or in the NGO sector for pressure groups and think tanks. Recent graduates have also gone on to further study at graduate level.

The BSc degrees in Environment and Development and in Environmental Policy with Economics differ from most university environment programmes as they focus on the subject from a social science rather than a natural science perspective. This focus reflects the strengths of LSE research in understanding the social causes of problems and making evidence-based recommendations to address them. Our teaching emphasises the fact that the majority of environmental problems arise from human actions and decisions, and that all environmental management schemes seek to achieve objectives defined by humans within constraints imposed by political and economic systems. You will be taught by a team of very experienced researchers with acknowledged expertise in environmental and ecological economics, environmental policy and planning, business and the environment, development studies, environmental geography, environmental hazards and environmental risk management and natural resources management. You will also have the opportunity to take courses outside the Department and participate in the lively academic culture of the School through the public lecture series. In this way, students gain exposure to leading scholars and practitioners across the social sciences, as well as prominent public figures.