Impact Assessment of Circular Economy (5cr)

Objectives (course unit)

The student is able to - apply life cycle assessment (LCA), carbon footprint and handprint calculations, as well as assessments of nature impacts - understand the significance of the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) initiating a significant expansion of ESG reporting requirements for companies. - apply environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA) in their field and utilise the tools used in these assessments. - utilise and develop circular economy metrics - understand the principles of assessing the impacts of land use and transport solutions.

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment will be conducted through a combination of individual assignments and collaborative workshops, designed to evaluate students’ understanding and application of circular economy concepts in real-world contexts. The evaluation will be carried out by two instructors, ensuring consistency, fairness, and multidimensional feedback. The assessment is based on clarity, accuracy, depth of analysis, relevance to objectives, and ability to apply tools and frameworks. Each assignment will be graded on a 0–5 scale using predefined rubrics aligned with learning objectives. Both teachers will review and discuss borderline or complex cases to ensure alignment.

Assessment scale

1-5

Teaching methods

The focus is in Problem-Based Learning (PBL). The content is sourced from the real-world problems that require multi-dimensional thinking.

Student workload

1 ECT equals with 27 study hours

Content scheduling

- Life cycle assessment (LCA) - Circular economy metrics (SFS-ISO 59004:2024) - CSRD & ESG Reporting as impact assessment tools - EIA & SIA applications (GIS tools and participatory mapping) - Land Use & Transport Impact Assessment

Completion alternatives

To be agreed with the teachers. Alike Master level course, done elsewhere with the applicable content (eRPL for LAB students).

Practical training and working life cooperation

Guest speaker(s) from industry to share real life challenges Stakeholder follow-ups and simulation