B2148 - VALUTAZIONE DELLA SOSTENIBILITA' AMBIENTALE

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to: describe the concept of environmental sustainability; demonstrate knowledge of the principles of sustainable development and of the main tools for promoting and evaluating an ecologically sustainable development; use environmental indicators; apply practical environmental impact assessment skills to the impact identification; apply multi-criteria methods; identify and apply appropriate tools and techniques in support of ecologically sustainable management policy decisions.

Course contents

Sources and fate of the main air pollutants and greenhouse gases since cause of many important environmental impacts. Water pollution: causes and effects. Brief outline of waste management and circularity. 

Tools for monitoring environmental quality: 1) environmental indicators and indexes; 2) descriptive indicators and DPSIR framework; 3) performance indicators; 4) efficiency indicators; 5) policy-effectiveness indicators; 6) total welfare indicators.

Birth and evolution of the concept of Sustainable Development.

Tools for assessing the environmental sustainability: 1) Ecological Footprint and Biocapacity; 2) Carbon Footprint; 3) Water Footprint; 4) Health Risk Assessment (HRA).

 

Readings/Bibliography

The slides will be available after each lecture on the course website. The lecturer will highlight recommended reading (for example, a chapter or article) for each lecture. The following textbooks are recommended for clarification and/or deepening. 

Baird C., Cann M. 2013. Chimica ambientale. Ed. Zanichelli. CAPP. 1,2,4. CDD628.50154.BAIRC

Finzi G., Pirovano G., Volta M. 2001. Gli Inquinanti atmosferici. IN: Gestione della qualità dell’aria. Ed. McGraw-Hill, pp. 1-50. CDD363.73926FINZG

Schwedt G. 2007. The essential guide to environmental chemistry. Ed Wiley. CDD62850154SCHWG

Stahel W.R. 2019. Economia circolare per tutti. Edizioni Ambiente, Milano.

Wackernagel M., Beyers B. 2019. Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget. New Society Publishers.

Daly, H.E. 2022. Lo stato stazionario. L'economia dell'equilibrio biofisico e della crescita morale. Lu.Ce Edizione. 

Latouche, S. 2004. Degrowth Economics. Le Monde Diplomatique .

Pernigotti D. 2012. Carbon Footprint. Calcolare e comunicare l'impatto dei prodotti sul clima. Edizioni Ambiente, Milano.

Lanza A. 2006. LO SVILUPPO SOSTENIBILE. Il Mulino.

Bompan E., Brambilla I. 2021. Che cosa è l'economia circolare. Edizioni Ambiente, Milano.

 

Teaching methods

A variety of teaching tools will be used, which include lectures, practical sessions, case studies, guided discussions. Lecture will be used to transfer knowledge and highlight the key factors. Practical sessions will develop and reinforce practical application of course principles and tools. Analyses of case studies and guided discussions will be used to help students to analyse critically and appropriately apply environmental evaluation tools.  

Assessment methods

The exam is unified for the integrated course Sustainable Development: Principles and Methods (this teaching unit + the unit Anthropogenic Alterations, Monitoring and Management of Ecosystems).
The exam consists of a written and an oral component.
The written exam must be taken before the oral exam, and a passing grade in the written exam is required in order to access the oral exam.

Class and lab attendance is not used as an assessment criterion and has no direct impact on the final grade.
However, regular attendance, including the opportunity for direct interaction with the instructor, is considered beneficial for achieving a good level of preparation.

The written exam is administered on a computer and consists of a quiz with multiple-choice questions and calculation exercises.
The exam is conducted, corrected, and graded using the Esami on Line platform (https://eol.unibo.it ).
The questions in the written exam cover the full content of both teaching units that make up the integrated course.
In line with the learning objectives, the written exam is designed to assess both knowledge acquisition and skill development (the latter especially through numerical exercises).
Each correct answer is awarded 1 point (for multiple-choice questions and simple numerical exercises) or 2 points (for more complex numerical exercises).
Each blank or entirely incorrect answer is awarded 0 points.
Partial points may be awarded for incomplete or partially correct answers.
The maximum score, obtained by answering all questions completely and correctly, is 32.
The written exam is considered passed with a score of 18 or higher.

The written exam may be divided into two partial tests, which can only be taken during the lecture period (mid-term assessments). Both partial tests still cover content from both teaching units of the integrated course and, taken together, cover all topics of the integrated course.

The oral exam consists of 2–4 open-ended questions related to topics from both teaching units of the integrated course.
Questions address topics covered during the course and may also require the student to complete, clarify, elaborate on, or deepen the answers given in the written exam.
In line with the learning objectives, the oral exam is designed to assess both knowledge acquisition and skill development (the latter especially through revision of the numerical exercises from the written exam).
The maximum score for the oral exam is 32. The oral exam is considered passed with a score of 18 or higher.

Grading scale for the oral exam:

• 30–32: complete and accurate answers to all questions; clear and well-structured presentation using technically appropriate language; strong ability to make connections between different topics in the syllabus.

• 28–29: substantially complete answers with minor inaccuracies and/or slight deficiencies in presentation; good ability to make connections between different topics.

• 26–27: substantially complete answers with noticeable inaccuracies and/or relevant deficiencies in presentation; adequate ability to connect different topics.

• 24–25: incomplete or substantially inaccurate answers; confused presentation with limited command of language; the student nevertheless demonstrates at least superficial knowledge of all topics addressed.

• 18–23: incomplete or substantially inaccurate answers; confused presentation with poor language command; the student is unable to answer one or more of the topics addressed in the questions.

The final grade is the average of the scores obtained in the written and oral exams. The final assessment is expressed as a grade out of 30, with honors (cum laude) where applicable.

Teaching tools

Video projector.

 

Students who need compensatory tools for reasons related to disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD) can directly contact the Service for Students with Disabilities (disabilita@unibo.it) and the Service for Students with learning disabilities (dsa@unibo.it) to agree on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

Office hours

See the website of Serena Righi