Introduction to Environmental Management

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Objectives

1. Understand the sustainability concept at a global and local level;
2. Know the main international recommendations concerning the mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and its connections to environmental management;
3. Apply the concepts of natural based solutions to water conservation and the concept of circular economy to waste management;
4. Understand the connection between society and ecosystems, and the precautionary principle in Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC Directive) and in the Environmental Impact Assessment methodology;
5. Improve oral and write skills, as well as critical analysis.

Program

Modulo 1 – Sustainable Development
1.1. Our common future, report of Brundtland (1987)
1.2. The Sustainable Development Goals 2030, of United Nations. The national and regional approach to the SDG 2030
1.3. Progress assessment in 2020
1.4. Practical assignment

Module 2 – Climate Change
2.1. Framework and evolution
2.2. O Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
2.3. Mitigation and adaptation
2.4. Calculating the Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GGE)
2.5. Carbon sequestration in land and maritime habitats
2.6. The carbon market
2.7. Practical assignment

Module 3 – Environmental management and sustainable development
3.1. Introduction
3.1.1. Historical evolution of environmental degradation and main issues at global level
3.1.2. The environmental situation in Europe, Portugal and Azores
3.2. Circular economy
3.2.1 From waste management to materials management
3.2.2 The GGE from waste management operations
3.3. The ecosystem services for water management – nature based solutions
3.3.1. The source water quality and the tap water quality
3.3.2. The precautionary principle and the transition for sustainable development
3.3.3 Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC Directive)
3.4. European Green Deal
3.4.1. Its scope and objectives until 2030 and 2050
3.4.2. European Green Deal local handbook
3.5. Critical review of a paper

Module 4 – Environmental Impact Assessment
4.1. Framework and evolution
4.2. National law for Environmental Impact Assessment
4.3. Practical assignment

Teaching Methodologies

The oral presentation may be in Portuguese, English or Spanish. During the course unit's contact hours, the teacher will use written presentations in English, but will speak predominantly in Portuguese.

In addition to presenting the topics that make up the syllabus, active participation by students will also be encouraged through reading, writing and discussion activities on the syllabus’stopics. These activities also aim to guide the student's independent study, which should be focused on answering a question/problem formulated in class, to be developed in group work for assessment.

Bibliography

WCED (1987). Our Common Future. World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford University Press. Oxford.
United Nations General Assembly (2015). A/R/ 70/1- Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
WWAP (World Water Assessment Program) (2012). The United Nations World Water Development Report 4: Managing Water under Uncertainty and Risk. Paris, UNESCO.
WWAP (United Nations World Water Assessment Program)/UN-Water. 2018. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2018: Nature-Based Solutions for Water. Paris, UNESCO.
OECD iLibrary (2019). Measuring distance to the SDG targets – Portugal (Relatório). Acedido em:
https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/a8caf3fa-en/1/2/2/28/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/a8caf3fa-en&_csp_=1c51c432b7a7683f5a0142ba189c0c39&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType=book

Artigos recomendados durante as aulas / Websites recomendados:
https://www.eea.europa.eu/
https://www.unenvironment.org/
https://zero.ong/
https://www.apambiente.pt/
https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal/delivering-european-green-deal_en

Code

0106036

ECTS Credits

6

Classes

  • Teóricas - 30 hours
  • Teórico-Práticas - 30 hours

Evaluation Methodology

  • Frequency: 50%
  • Three assignments completed throughout the semester: 50%