NWI-FMT032
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment
Course infoSchedule
Course moduleNWI-FMT032
Credits (ECTS)6
Category04 (Expert)
Language of instructionEnglish
Offered byRadboud University; Faculty of Science; Institute for Science, Innovation and Society;
Lecturer(s)
PreviousNext 1
Lecturer
T. Hennequin, MSc
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
M.K. van der Hulst
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
dr. R. van Zelm
Other course modules lecturer
Examiner
dr. R. van Zelm
Other course modules lecturer
Coordinator
dr. R. van Zelm
Other course modules lecturer
Academic year2021
Period
KW2  (08/11/2021 to 30/01/2022)
Starting block
KW2
Course mode
full-time
Remarks-
Registration using OSIRISYes
Course open to students from other facultiesYes
Pre-registrationNo
Waiting listNo
Placement procedure-
Aims
The learning objectives represent the endpoints for the course and are formulated as main competences, and sub-competences:
Main competences
  • You understand the concepts and methods that are used to assess the life cycle assessment of products and services.
  • You are able to select and interpret relevant data from scientific research and to use these data to quantify the environmental pressure of human activities.
Sub-competences
  1. You have insight in the structure of environmental life cycle assessment and are able to identify its strong and weak points
  2. You are able to conceptually develop and interpret a life-cycle inventory model
  3. You are able to analyse an environmental problem via a cause-effect chain and quantify the impacts
  4. You are able to identify, quantify, and analyse uncertainties in life cycle impact assessment models.
  5. You are able to interpret the results of life cycle assessment methods
Content
Sustainable production and consumption is the use of goods and services, while minimizing the use of natural resources, toxic materials and emissions of waste and pollutants over the life cycle. The challenge is to improve the overall environmental performance of products throughout their life-cycle, to boost the demand for better products and production technologies and to help consumers in making informed choices. All products cause environmental degradation in some way, whether from their manufacturing, use or disposal. The life-cycle of a product covers all the areas from the extraction of natural resources, through their design, manufacture, assembly, marketing, distribution, sale and use to their eventual disposal as waste.
The environmental assessment of production and consumption of products and services can be done applying the life cycle assessment methodology. This course will provide insights into this methodology, from inventory and impact assessment modeling, to uncertainty assessment and finally a full case study will be performed.

Instructional Modes
  • Lecture
  • Presentation
  • Tutorial
Level

Presumed foreknowledge

Test information
The course is concluded with a written closed book exam, which will be graded. All course components and learning materials are part of the examination material, thus including the student manual, reader, self-tuition assignments, work group assignments, (guest) lectures and tutorials. The exam focuses on insight obtained in the subject matter and appliance of knowledge and skills. It is tested whether the student achieved the learning objectives of the different course components. A grade of at least 5.5 for the written exam is required to pass the course.In addition, there will be a project work that will be graded and counts for half of the final grade. A grade of at least 5.5 for this work is required to pass the course.
Specifics

Required materials
Professional texts
Manual can be downloaded from Brightspace, (links to) texts and other necessary reading can also be downloaded from Brightspace.

Instructional modes
Course
Attendance MandatoryYes

Tests
Exam
Test weight1
Test typeExam
OpportunitiesBlock KW2, Block KW3

Project
Test weight1
Test typeProject
OpportunitiesBlock KW2, Block KW3