N_BR_CEU Circular Economy and Sustainability

NEWTON University
winter 2023
Extent and Intensity
1/1. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: graded credit.
Teacher(s)
Ing. Bc. Petra Přibilová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Ing. Bc. Petra Přibilová, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Ing. Bc. Petra Přibilová, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
Ing. Bc. Petra Přibilová, Ph.D.
Centre for Economics – NEWTON University
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
The course is based on the principles of circular economy and sustainability. It focuses on understanding the complex causes of the need to transition to sustainable ways of production. Students will be introduced to the basics of current environmental challenges and their relationship to managerial decisions. Various methods of assessing the impact of products on the environment, such as the water or carbon footprint or the Life Cycle Assessment, are described. The characteristics of "greenwashing" are discussed within the subject, how to recognize them, including practical examples. Last but not least, a basic overview of legislation in the Czech and European Union and an introduction to the issue of ESG reporting is given. The aim of the subject is to provide graduates with the necessary basis for informed decision-making in the field of environmental protection and responsible business management, as well as in everyday life. Students will learn how to work with sources and data related to environmental responsibility and will practice implementing these skills as part of a semester assignment.
Syllabus
  • Lecture topics (lectures take place in two-hour blocks once every 2 weeks):
  • 1. Circular economy: meaning, concepts and principles
  • 2. Introduction to the environmental challenges of today
  • 3. Sustainability assessment methods (sustainable development audit, water footprint, ecological footprint, ...)
  • 4. LCA: Product life cycle assessment, eco-design
  • 5. Greenwashing
  • 6. ESG reporting and European legislation
  • Seminar topics (seminars take place in two-hour blocks once every 2 weeks):
  • 1. Assignment of the semester task, explanation of the issue, goals and methodology
  • 2. Environmental impacts (plastics, pollutants and ecological disasters)
  • 3. Processing of the ecological footprint
  • 4. LCA: a case study
  • 5. Greenwashing: a case study
  • 6. Presentation of the results of the semester assignment, discussion of the work results
Assessment methods
credit, exam 
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: Kombinované 0/10 hodin za semestr.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.newton.cz/course/nu/winter2023/N_BR_CEU