Course syllabus
KBT140 Global chemical sustainability lp3 VT20 (7.5 hp)
A detailed course PM can be found as a pdf document published under Modules - Course information.
The course is offered by the department of Technology Management and Economics
Examiner
Magdalena Svanström
Course purpose
This course provides the students with an understanding of the effects on sustainability of the actions of an engineer and means to identify appropriate changes and to assess changes.
Schedule
See details in the course PM, published under Modules - Course information.
Course literature
See details in the course PM, published under Modules - Course information.
Course design
The course deals with incentives for sustainable development in chemical and chemical engineering industry and with tools and strategies to achieve it. The course has a starting point in how natural systems function and includes the connections to the social and economic dimensions. It deals with efforts to solve sustainability problems on regional and global arenas, major sustainability challenges in industry, and tools and methods for identifying change needs and possible solutions. The course is broad but has a particular focus on process industry related issues, on chemistry and chemicals, on regional and international concerns and efforts, and on the environmental dimension of sustainable development.
Some central concepts are: Sustainable development, Planetary boundaries, Precautionary principle, Life cycle perspective, Industrial ecology (eco-efficiency, dematerialization/transmaterialization), Industrial symbiosis, Systems thinking, Wicked systems, Human well-being, Environmental worldviews
Tools that are practiced include: Stakeholder analysis, Stakeholder dialogue, Multicriteria analysis, Backcasting
Details on the different lectures, exercises or other course activities are found in the course PM, published under Modules - Course information.
Learning objectives and syllabus
Learning objectives:
- Give an overview of the function and state of the natural systems on Earth, with more detailed explanations for issues relating to chemistry and chemicals
- Explain how the human society, including chemical and chemical engineering industry, affects and depends on natural systems
- Describe relevant international and regional policy work on environment and sustainable development
- Apply an assessment procedure for comparing different technologies with respect to sustainability, also including long-term considerations
- Identify appropriate tools and formulate appropriate strategies for sustainable technology development in different contexts
- Describe the importance of including different stakeholders and perspectives in discussions on sustainable technology development
Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen.
Examination form
Examination: Your learning is assessed in different ways in this course. You collect scores by means of your participation or your performance in different activities. Maximum is 100 points and to pass the course you have to reach a minimum combined score of 50 points from different activities in the course (grade 3 from 50p, grade 4 from 70p and grade 5 from 85p). Points can be achieved by participating in different exercises during the course and in a group project, as well as in the written examination in the end of the course.
Scoring system (maximum points for the different activities):
*Basic concepts quiz 6p *Sustainable Development Goals exercise 3p
*Planetary boundaries assignment 2p *Green chemistry exercise 3p
*Precautionary principle assignment 2p *Stakeholder analysis exercise 3p
*Environmental worldview assignment 2p *Multicriteria analysis exercise 3p
*Stakeholder dialogue exercise 3p *Backcasting using principles exercise 3p
*Bonus activity 2p *Scenario planning exercise 3p
*Written examination 50p *Project presentation and report 15p
To get any points at all from the written examination you must get at least 40% of the total examination score (i.e., at least 20p). The written examination is a closed-book exam (you cannot bring the course material), but you can bring a non-technical dictionary if you wish. Calculators are not allowed (and not needed). Answers are to be written in English.
Course summary:
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