C8791 - CERTIFICAZIONE AMBIENTALE, LCA E VALUTAZIONE DELLA SOSTENIBILITÀ

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will understand the applied aspects of environmental chemistry and the theoretical-practical bases for using tools to assess the environmental impact of reactions, chemical products, and industrial processes, such as Life Cycle Assessment. They will acquire fundamental knowledge concerning the environmental certification of a company (management systems) and a product, within the framework of relevant international and national regulations. Additionally, they will understand the fundamental concepts related to sustainability assessment, concerning socio-economic aspects and chemical risk.

Course contents

Prerequisites: Knowledge of the main concepts of environmental chemistry.

Program:

Introduction to the European Union's policies on environmental management of companies. Definitions of Environmental Management System and environmental policy. Methods and types of environmental system certification: ISO 14001 and EMAS, similarities and differences. The certification process. Ecological labels, environmental footprints (carbon and water footprint, EU environmental footprint), and Green Public Procurement. Strategy for Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) and Best Available Techniques (BAT). Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). Description of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. Phases of the LCA methodology. Case studies on the application of LCA to chemical processes and products. Introduction to the European Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework for chemicals and materials, including aspects related to risk assessment (intrinsic, production phase, use phase, and end of life), Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA), and environmental Life Cycle Costing (eLCC).

The course will include exercises on the LCA methodology.

Readings/Bibliography

Texts, Books, and Monographs:

• G. L. Baldo, M. Marino, S. Rossi, "Analisi del Ciclo di Vita LCA. Gli strumenti per la progettazione sostenibile di materiale, prodotti e processi", 2008, Edizioni Ambiente
  
• M.A. Curran, Life Cycle Assessment Handbook, Wiley-VCH, 2012.
• W. Klöpffer, B. Grahl, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) - A Guide to Best Practice, Wiley-VCH, 2014.
  
• O. Jolliet, M. Saadé-Sbeih, S. Shaked, A. Jolliet, P. Crettaz, Environmental Life Cycle Assessment, CRC Press, 2016.
  
• M. Z. Hauschild, R. K. Rosenbaum, S. Irving Olsen (Eds.), "Life Cycle Assessment. Theory and Practice", Springer, 2018.
  
• S. Maranghi, C. Brondi, “Life Cycle Assessment in the Chemical Product Chain: Challenges, Methodological Approaches and Applications», Springer, 2020.
• F. Cavani, G. Centi, M. Di Serio, I. Rossetti, A. Salvini, G. Strukul, “Fondamenti di chimica industriale, Materie prime - Prodotti - Processi – Sostenibilità”, Zanichelli, 2022.
• Life Cycle Assessment, D. Cespi, M.A. Curran, Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, Germany, 2026, pp. 1 – 34.
• Colin Baird, Michael Cann, Chimica ambientale, Zanichelli, Ed 2013 (versione inglese "Environmental Chemistry", Freeman, Ed 2012 o successive)
  
• Alfredo Scialò, "La Valutazione di Impatto Ambientale (VIA) dopo il d.lgs. 104/2017", Maggioli editore, 2017.
• Environmental Management in the Chemical Industry, D. Cespi, L. Jourdan, F. Jonckheere, U. Geffarth, J. Busson, Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Weinheim, Wiley-VCH GmbH, 2024, pp. 1 – 33.

Teaching methods

The course is delivered through theoretical lectures, in-depth studies of application case studies, and group exercises in a computer lab.

Additionally, there may be in-depth lessons given by experts in specific fields.

Regular attendance at lectures is essential for developing a thorough understanding of the topics covered, as well as their interrelationships and environmental implications. All course content is presented and discussed during lectures. The teaching materials made available to students serve as a guide for study and should be supplemented with lecture notes and, where appropriate, with the textbooks listed in the "Readings/Bibliography" section.

Given the nature of the activities and the teaching methods employed, participation in this course is conditional upon the prior completion by all students of Modules 1 and 2 of the mandatory Health and Safety Training for Study Environments, provided through e-learning.

Assessment methods

The exam will be oral, with a grade expressed in thirtieths, and will aim to verify the achievement of the main learning objectives.

In order to take the exam, it is necessary to enrol through "Alma Esami", in observance of the established deadlines. Those who fail to enrol by the scheduled date are required to promptly notify the problem to the Teachers in charge (and in any case before the official closure of the enrolment lists). It is up to the teacher to admit, or not, the student to take the exam.

Students with specific learning disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities are encouraged to contact the University's dedicated support office in advance (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ). The office will propose any appropriate accommodations for the students concerned. Such accommodations must be submitted to the course instructor for approval at least 15 days in advance. The instructor will assess their suitability in relation to the intended learning outcomes of the course.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is prohibited in all assessment activities. Any use of AI constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

Teaching tools

The course is delivered with the aid of digital presentation tools for displaying texts and images.

The lecture slides, together with supplementary technical materials (e.g., scientific articles, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), etc.), are made available to students through the University's Virtuale platform (https://virtuale.unibo.it).

Digital tools will be used to conduct literature searches and to demonstrate examples of computational software.

Office hours

See the website of Daniele Cespi