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102-0307-01L 5 Credits MSC D-BAUG

Advanced Environmental, Social and Economic Assessments

Lecturers & Examiners: Dr. Arthur Elias Braunschweig, Prof. Dr. Stephan Pfister

VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-03 00:08:08

Abstract

This course deepens students' knowledge of environmental, economic, and social assessment methodologies and their various applications.

Objective

This course has the aim of deepening students' knowledge of the environmental, economic and social assessment methodologies and their various applications. In particular, students completing the course should have the - ability to judge the scientific quality and reliability of environmental assessment studies, the appropriateness of inventory data and modelling, and the adequacy of life cycle impact assessment models and factors - knowledge about the current state of the scientific discussion and new research developments - ability to properly plan, conduct and interpret environmental assessment studies In the course element "Implementation of Environmental and other Sustainability Goals", students will learn to - describe key sustainability problems of the current economic system and measuring units. - describe the management system of an organisation and how to develop a sustainability orientation - discuss approaches to measure environmental performance of an organisation, including 'organisational LCA' (Ecobalance) - explain the pros and cons of single score environmental assessment methods - demonstrate life cycle costing - interpret stakeholder relations of an organisation - (if time allows) describe sustainable supply chain management and stakeholder management

Content

Part I (Advanced Environmental Assessments) - Inventory database developments, transparency, data quality, data completeness, and data exchange formats, uncertainties - Software tools (MFA, LCA) - Allocation (multioutput processes and recycling) - Hybrid LCA methods. - Consequential and marginal analysis - Impact assessment of waterborne chemical emissions, sum parameters, mixture toxicity - Spatial differentiation in Life Cycle Assessment - Workplace and indoor exposure in Risk and Life Cycle Assessment - Subjectivity in environmental assessments - Multicriteria Decision Analysis - Case Studies Part II (Implementation of Environmental and other Sustainability Goals): - Sustainability problems of the current economic system and its measuring units; - The structure of a management system, and elements to integrate environmental management (ISO 14001) and social management (SA8000 as well as ISO 26000), especially into strategy development, planning, controlling and communication; - Sustainability Opportunities and Innovation - The concept of 'Continuous Improvement' - Life Cycle Costing, Life Cycle Management - environmental performance measurement of an organisation, including 'organisational LCA' (Ecobalance), based on practical examples of companies and new concepts - single score env. assessment methods (Swiss ecopoints) - stakeholder management and sustainability oriented communication - an intro into sustainability issues of supply chain management Students will get small excercises related to course issues.

Resources

Lecture Notes

Part I: Slides and background reading material will be available on lecture homepagePart II: Documents will be available on Ilias

Literature

Will be made available.

General Information

Language: English
Levels: MSC
Frequency: Yearly recurring

Examination

Type: session examination
Mode: oral 35 minutes

The oral exam lasts one hour in total. It consists of 30 min. individual, supervised preparation, and of 30 min. oral exam.Optional learning tasks in form of short exercises, distributed evenly over the semester, are offered. If 8 out of 10 exercises are solved in a meaningful and comprehensive way, a bonus of 0.25 grading points is added to the final course unit grade. This bonus expires as soon as the course is offered again.

Registration & Places

Priority: Registration for the course unit is only possible for the primary target group

Course Components

Type	Title	Time & Place	Hours
lecture with exercise	Advanced Environmental Assessments	No time listed	2 h weekly
lecture with exercise	Implementation of Environmental and Other Sustainability Goals	No time listed	21 h semesterly

Offered In

Environmental Engineering Master
- Majors
  - Major Urban Water Management
    - Ecological System Design
  - Major Resource Management
    - Ecological System Design
- Elective Modules (For all majors.)
  - EM: Ecological Systems Design (Elective Module for Majors "Environmental Technologies", "River and Hydraulic Engineering" and "Water Resources Management".)