Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Landscape Restoration
Land degradation is a widespread problem across the globe with serious consequences for the environment and all of society. Worsening land degradation caused by human activities is undermining the well-being of two-fifths of humanity, driving species extinctions and intensifying climate change. But there’s a huge potential for restoring landscapes: around two billion hectares of land, about two times the size of China, can be restored.
In this MOOC we focus on the potential of business model innovation for the challenge of large-scale landscape restoration. We take a partnership approach and make a bridge between ecology and economy. Learners get to design their own innovative business model for landscape restoration with 4 returns: return of natural capital, return of social capital, return of inspiration and return of financial capital. You move from ideation towards successful implementation. Each step is illustrated with three real-life cases of landscape restoration in Spain, Iceland and Portugal.
We highlight the following elements over a period of 8 weeks:
1. Vision Formulation
2. Systems Analysis
3. Stakeholder Analysis
4. Opportunity Analysis
5. Business Model Design
6. Solution Validation
7. Assessment & Monitoring
8. Reflection & Iteration
This MOOC provides you with a meaningful opportunity to start contributing to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/ ), which aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. Your participation is more relevant now than ever!
This MOOC builds on the MOOC "A Business Approach to Sustainable Landscape Restoration" but can also be followed as a stand-alone. In the first MOOC you get comprehensive knowledge of landscape degradation and landscape restoration from both the perspective of natural science and from an economics and management perspective. (https://www.coursera.org/learn/landscape-restoration-sustainable-development/home/welcome )
These MOOCs are designed by ENABLE, a consortium of: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Commonland, United Nations University Land Restoration Training Programme, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC-CEBAS), and Nova School of Business & Economics. ENABLE was co-funded by the Erasmus+-programme of the European Union.
Status: Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking
Status: Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development
Beginner·Course·40 hours
Featured reviews
MJ
5.0·Reviewed Aug 22, 2023
I was exposed to some concepts of financial and natural capital but most importantly got to understand the newer concepts of social and inspiration capital which I look forward to implementing.
JC
5.0·Reviewed Apr 5, 2021
It was not an easy journey as it was a new area of study, but it was a joyful learning experience throughout the course.
KS
5.0·Reviewed Sep 29, 2021
Very manageable assignments. Quizzes are fairly easy to pass.
RR
5.0·Reviewed Feb 14, 2022
It was indeed one of the best online courses that I attend. Never get bored! All the optional materials were definitely worth spending time on. I highly recommend this course!
All reviews
Showing: 18 of 18
All Learners
All Stars
Most Helpful
R
Rohitha Welihindage
5.0
·Reviewed May 31, 2021
The course content is very novel. Videos give a clear content
of the concept. It is very enjoyable. I learnt a lot of new skills such as
stakeholder analysis, three layers of the business model canvas (economic, social
and environment) etc. The content is very applicable for practitioners. However, the formation of groups for the
assignment is bit difficult as enrolments for the course is not fixed. Communication with team members also
difficult. So I completed the course individually but I believe, better results
can be achieved with group works.
T
Tom Lovett
3.0
·Reviewed Apr 23, 2019
The course material is superb. I learnt a lot about setting up business models to go hand in hand with sustainable landscape restoration. The system of working in groups is very effective and it was interesting to collaborate on a Bolivian based project. It is a great idea to set up the course on Slack to allow quality communication. However, the lack of involvement from the course coordinators was very disappointing. I expected them to lead discussions with all of the participants, or at least within the groups. Moreover, several times my group directly asked the coordinators questions but received no response.
A
Ade Brian Mustafa
2.0
·Reviewed Jun 9, 2020
It is very difficult to pass this course, because, I MUST WAITING FOR SOMEBODY just only to evaluate my assignment. It is full of uncertainty.
I wish that the evaluation in every week is not all by ESSAYS. Actually I already have done in April 2020 for all the assignment but need waiting until June for lucky, to get reviewed peers-by-peers for the essay.
Please, combine it with multiple choices with essay. That will better.
Thanks.
D
Dhirendra Krishna
5.0
·Reviewed Jul 8, 2020
I loved weekly exercises that forced one to think and draft. Reading exercises submitted by peers and giving remarks was very interesting, as it gave one a glimpse of land degradation problems in other parts of the world. The course was very well structured and this is the best learning I have had during the last 80 years.
A
Andrés Ulloa Sáez
5.0
·Reviewed May 27, 2023
I think what the Rotterdam School of Management of Erasmus University is doing through Coursera, is commendable and worthy of all recognition. All my thanks to those who have been behind this effort: to all the teachers of the course and to those who have participated in this magnificent initiative. Continue with this beautiful journey.
F
Federica Biondi
5.0
·Reviewed Oct 31, 2022
This course is incredibly well structured, includes a perfect balance of theory, real-life examples and practice. The materials (both written and visual) are of very high quality, the learning objectives clear and overall an inspiring and radically useful courc¡se. Well done and thanks!
M
Mark Joseph
5.0
·Reviewed Aug 22, 2023
I was exposed to some concepts of financial and natural capital but most importantly got to understand the newer concepts of social and inspiration capital which I look forward to implementing.
R
Reyhaneh Roohi
5.0
·Reviewed Feb 15, 2022
It was indeed one of the best online courses that I attend. Never get bored! All the optional materials were definitely worth spending time on. I highly recommend this course!
J
Jongpong Chiten
5.0
·Reviewed Apr 5, 2021
It was not an easy journey as it was a new area of study, but it was a joyful learning experience throughout the course.
K
Khairunnisaa' Bte Sharil
5.0
·Reviewed Sep 30, 2021
Very manageable assignments. Quizzes are fairly easy to pass.
