Course Content (Syllabus)
Introduction – Principles of sustainability: History and definitions, Population growth and development limits, The “sustainability triangle” and main dilemmas, Intergenerational and intragenerational justice issues, Distribution of resources and sustainability, Global governance.
Natural resources and sustainability: Environmental pressures with focus on the role of energy, Climate change, the role of vegetation, Biodiversity, Water quality, Sustainability in the urban environment.
Sustainability and development: Characteristics of sustainable development, Globalisation impacts, Ecological Footprint, Ecoperformance and dematerialisation, Shift to a “Green” economy, Sustainability and corporate responsibility, Sustainability assessment techniques: The DPSIR framework, sustainability indicators.
Air pollution: Source-receptor relationships in different scales, From emission to exposure and its impacts. Protocols and associated regulations. Cost allocation for pollution control schemes.
Air pollution reduction: Pollution control and mitigation, Waste gas treatment for gaseous and particulate pollutants, CO2 emission reduction.
Sustainability in energy production: Conventional sources, renewable sources, International environment and the situation of Greece.
Sustainability in energy consumption: Buildings, Transport.
Product end-of-life approaches: Reuse and recycling, energy utilization, Reverse logistics issues.
Lifecycle analysis: General approach of LCA, Indicator design through LCA, LCA in transport: Well-to-wheel.
Environmental management tools: ISO, EMAS, Eco Label. Integrated product policy: The consumer’s role, Successful examples. Risk assessment and management: Risk and decision making, Risk quantification.
Additional bibliography for study
1. Meadows Donella, Randers Jorgen, Meadows Dennis. “Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update, Chelsea Green Publishing, 2004.
2. Ellen M. van Bueren (Editor), Hein van Bohemen (Editor), Laure Itard (Editor), Henk Visscher (Editor), Sustainable Urban Environments: Ecosystem Approach, Springer; 2012 edition.
3. GEA Writing team, Global Energy Assessment: Toward a Sustainable Future, Cambridge University Press, 2012.