CEMS2105 Assessing and Managing Sustainability Impacts of Business (6 cr)

The aim of this course is to introduce the students to the principles and methodologies of assessing and managing sustainability impacts of businesses. The course introduces principles of industrial ecology and systems thinking and discusses sustainability impacts cause by economic activities on both systemic and organisational levels. We discuss concepts, terminology and legal aspects related to the assessment of sustainability impacts and introduce methodologies of impact assessments, especially life cycle impact assessment. We will also discuss the current issues and challenges related to assessment and management of sustainability impacts.

Connection to UN Sustainable development goals

By increasing understanding and offering tools for assessing and evaluating sustainability impacts, this course supports specifically UN Sustainable Development Goals 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and 12 Responsible Production and Consumption, as well as Goals 3 Good Health and Well-being, 6 Clean Water and Sanitation, 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, 13 Climate Action, 14 Life Below Water, and 15 Life on Land. Assessment of sustainability impacts encourages companies to adopt sustainable practices and promotes sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. Environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, significantly reducing their release to air, water and soil, minimizes their adverse impacts on human health and the environment.

On successful completion of the course, the students will be able to:

• recognise the variety of environmental and sustainability impacts caused by economic activities
• identify the material and energy flows related to an organisation’s products and services
• apply life cycle approaches on evaluating and managing the environmental and sustainability impacts resulting from provisioning products and services
• explain the importance and recognize the potential weaknesses of life cycle thinking
• evaluate the suitability of different tools and methods to quantify and compare the environmental impacts of products and services

Lectures, excursion, computer demonstrations, written assignment(s)

CEMA2330 Introduction to Responsible Business

Learning materials are assigned during the course.