Sustainability Assessment and Management tools (2025/2026: Periode 2)

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Cursusdoel

Please note: the information in the course manual is binding.
The objectives of this course are to introduce students to a variety of tools and approaches to assess, manage and improve the sustainability impact of products and production processes. After completion of the course, the students:
  • have insight in the most important (research) methods and tools to assess and manage the sustainability impact of products, production processes and services;
  • know strong and weak points of each tool and understand the level of uncertainty in using them;
  • can critically interpret studies that are carried out using these tools and are able to carry out basic calculations themselves.

Vakinhoudelijk

The course will focus on the sustainability of projects and products and the production processes of firms. In order to (re-)design and manage sustainability impact, you first need to understand and be able to assess what the main impacts are and where they occur over the entire life cycle. About two-thirds of the course will therefore focus on tools to assess the environmental (and to a limited extent social and economic) impact of projects, products, and production processes with the main focus on quantitative life cycle assessment (LCA) tools. These include:
  • Environmental area: attributional LCA, consequential LCA, carbon footprinting
  • Economic area: life cycle costing (LCC)
  • Social area: Social-LCA and social hotspot analysis
  • Integrated assessment: Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA)
In 3-4 lectures, a general introduction and explanation of concepts in LCA such as functional unit, different ways of allocation and the difference between attributional & consequential LCA will be provided. For students who have followed the bachelor course 'Life Cycle Assessment', there will be overlap with the theory and concepts covered on LCA in this course. Also, one or two concrete case studies on how LCAs are carried out, interpreted, and used by firms will be presented. Two tutorials will provide hands-on experience with calculations in LCA and carbon footprint, a third tutorial will provide experience with quantifying the life cycle cost and environmental impact of a circular economy product strategy. Also, two half-day LCA computer practicals will be held to introduce the students to the LCA software SimaPro. Next to LCA in the environmental area, LCA methodologies in the economic area (Life Cycle Costing: LCC) and social area (Social LCA: S-LCA) will be introduced. Integrated Assessment approaches covered to evaluate the (potential) impact of location and time-specific projects or policies during lectures will include an introduction to Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), and Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA).

In the remaining third of the course, the students will gain knowledge on concepts of how products and production processes can be managed and improved. This will include an introduction to concepts such as a circular economy (CE), cradle-to-cradle (C2C), and cleaner production. The course mainly aims to provide an overview of the state of the art of current tools in use. A secondary aim is to highlight ongoing trends in academia and the further development and expansion of existing concepts, such as the development of social and socio-economic LCA.

Academic skills:
  • Comprehending (and to a limited extent applying) the scientific concepts and tools taught in the course
  • Understanding and critically reviewing scientific articles, including a review of an existing LCA study and writing a concise review paper
  • Making a factsheet
  • Developing and presenting a critical evaluation of a green(washing) claim

Werkvormen

Lectures by UU staff and guest speakers
Toelichting

Lectures will be both by UU staff and guest lecturers from companies (previously we had e.g. Circle Economy, Shell, Royal Haskoning CO2 performance ladder, Desso and Interface).

Voorbereiding

You should prepare for lectures by reading the literature provided on Blackboard in advance.

(Poster) presentation
Toelichting

Two presentations: - Poster presentation - Greenwashing claims presentation

Bijdrage

Each group has to give two presentations. All members should actively contribute to the presentations.

Tutorials & practicals
Bijdrage

You will perform a critical review of an existing LCA study (see assessment) in groups of 3-4 persons. You are expected to meet with your group on your own to discuss the assignment and prepare the paper. All group members are expected to contribute equally to the assignment.

Toetsing

Eindresultaat

Verplicht | Weging 1% | ECTS 7,5

The assessment will be carried out by means of a written, closed-book exam (50% of the final grade). The other 50% will be covered by group assignments. Each group will analyze and critically review an existing LCA study. The deliverables that will be assessed are a paper with your critical review (30%) and a poster presentation where you present the LCA study and your review to your peers (10%). The remaining 10% will be for the presentation of the assignment Sustainability Impact Strategy.

Ingangseisen en voorkennis

Ingangseisen

Je moet inschreven staan voor een van de volgende opleidingen:

  • Water Science and Management
  • Innovation Sciences
  • Sustainable Business and Innovation
  • Sustainable Development

Voorkennis

• Basic background of natural science and calculation skills. • For SBI students: Understanding and Assessing Technologies for Sustainability (GEO4-2608)

Voorkennis kan worden opgedaan met

Following the Bachelor course on Life Cycle Assessment (GEO3-2124)

Voertalen

  • Engels

Cursusmomenten

Gerelateerde studies

Tentamens

Er is geen tentamenrooster beschikbaar voor deze cursus

Verplicht materiaal

  • READER
    The reader will be available digitally on blackboard. No hardcopy will be provided.
  • ARTIKELEN
    List of scientific articles on Blackboard

Aanbevolen materiaal

Er is geen informatie over de aanbevolen literatuur bekend

Coördinator

dr. R. Hoefnagels r.hoefnagels@uu.nl

Docenten

dr. B.C. Corona Bellostas b.c.coronabellostas@uu.nl
prof. dr. H.M. Junginger H.M.Junginger@uu.nl

Inschrijving

Let op: deze cursus is niet toegankelijk voor studenten van andere faculteiten, bijvakkers mogen zich dus niet inschrijven.

Inschrijving
Van maandag 15 september 2025 tot en met vrijdag 26 september 2025

Na-inschrijving
Van maandag 20 oktober 2025 tot en met dinsdag 21 oktober 2025

Inschrijving niet geopend
Permanente link naar de cursuspagina
Laat in de Cursus-Catalogus zien