Integrated Management Models: Environment
Code: 101843 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2502501 Prevention and Integral Safety and Security | OB | 3 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Carlos Martínez Gasol
- Email:
- Carles.Martinez@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
- Some groups entirely in English:
- No
- Some groups entirely in Catalan:
- Yes
- Some groups entirely in Spanish:
- Yes
Prerequisites
There are no requirements for this subject.
Objectives and Contextualisation
Introduction:
The environment and natural resources are a common good of all humanity, both current and future. For this reason, both the society in general and the companies in particular have to take responsibility for the impact that we cause on the environment. This principle must be extended to all organizations and especially those that, due to their activity, may have a negative impact on the environment.
At present, we have several tools for environmental management in companies, including environmental management systems (ISO 14.001, EMAS, etc.) and the ecological labeling of more respectful products and services, such as systems of responsibility and sustainable development. These tools, voluntary but of a public nature, are based on the principle of continuous improvement of environmental management.
The concept of an integrated environmental management system is intimately linked to that of environmental and quality auditing. This could be defined as 'an organizational structure, planning of activities, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes and resources to develop, implement, carry out and keep up to date the environmental policy of a company'. Moreover, policies and the economic context are driving private and public entities to implement circular economy strategies in order to get on the loop and be innovative in the new economic paradigm, where resources, products and services will have to last much longer within the system and consumption patterns will have to be much more responsible. The subject then will introduce the basic concepts and strategies of the circular economy as a tool for environmental management and business strategy.
This subject will present the basic tools for environmental management and introduce circular economy for organizations, both public and privat.
Objectives:
- Introduce general aspects about the environment and sustainable development.
- Describe the general concepts about organizational environmental management systems and products.
- Know the norm ISO 14001 and European eco-audits following the EMAS regulation.
- Apply different procedures necessary for the practical implementation of an environmental management and audit system based on specific cases.
- To introduce the concept and strategies of circular economy as a management tool for private and public companies.
- To enhance students’ critical thinking skills and proactive identification of environmental aspects which may be at risk within a company.
Competences
- Be able to communicate efficiently in English, both orally and in writing.
- Carry out analyses of preventative measures in the area of security.
- Identify the resources necessary to respond to management needs for prevention and integral security.
- Know how to communicate and transmit ideas and result efficiently in a professional and non-expert environment, both orally and in writing.
- Respond to problems applying knowledge to practice.
- Use the capacity for analysis and synthesis to solve problems.
- Work in institutional and interprofessional networks.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse the preventative interventions in matters of security, environment, quality and social corporate responsibility and identify the inherent risk factors.
- Be able to communicate efficiently in English, both orally and in writing.
- Identify the infrastructure, technology and resources necessary to respond to operations in prevention and integral security.
- Identify the resources necessary for managing security, the environment, quality and social corporate responsibility.
- Know how to communicate and transmit ideas and result efficiently in a professional and non-expert environment, both orally and in writing.
- Respond to problems applying knowledge to practice.
- Use the capacity for analysis and synthesis to solve problems.
- Work in institutional and interprofessional networks.
Content
Topic 1. Introduction to the environment and environmental management
Environment and sustainable development
Company and environment
Environmental strategy in the company
Environmental management instruments
Topic 2. Environmental management at the organization level
Basics
Motivations and advantages
Options to implement an SGA
Actors involved
Implementation stages
Economic evaluation
Topic 3. Product environmental management
Introduction
Ecodesign
Environmental communication (eco-labels)
Green buy
Topic 4. Introduction to the circular economy as a strategic management tool for businesses
Introduction to the concept of the circular economy
Legislative context: EU, Spain and Catalonia (Spain 2030 strategy plan, climate change and energy transition plans, etc.)
Principles and strategies of the circular economy (servitization, resource - residue, producers extended responsibility, repair, maintenance, ecodesign, etc.)
Case studies applied to private and public companies
Methodology
The theoretical classes in the classroom will combine the lectures, which will occupy most of the time, and the development and resolution of work exercises, usually individual or in pairs.
The practical classes in the classroom, divided into two groups, will consist of the development of exercises and group work, in which some of the concepts presented in the theoretical classes will be applied to practice. Subsequently a pooling will be carried out from which the corresponding academic conclusions were drawn.
The autonomous activities correspond to both the personal study and the resolution of the exercises and work proposed by the teacher. Each student should investigate documentation of topics related to the subject matter of study and personal consolidation work on what is exposed in class (scheduled readings, individual exercises). In addition, you should monitor and study different exercises and case studies.
The evaluation activities will evaluate the knowledge and competences acquired by the students, according to the criteria presented in the following section.
Tutorials with the faculty will be arranged by email.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Theoretical classes: Master Classes in group. Practical classes: Resolution of cases with the student's active participation | 44 | 1.76 | 6, 1, 4, 3 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Follow-up tutorials for group work: teacher supervision, Presentations in the classroom by the students. Debate and discussion around the exposed material. | 12 | 0.48 | 2, 5, 6, 1, 4, 3, 8, 7 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Resolution of practical cases: individual resolution of exercises proposed by the teacher. Group work: practical cases worked in groups. Personal study: personal work of knowledge consolidation, scheduled readings, etc. | 94 | 3.76 | 6, 1, 4, 3 |
Assessment
The course evaluation system is continuous, and minimum attendance of 80% is required in order to pass the subject. The minimum average grade to pass is a 5.
At the same time, in accordance with the regulations of the UAB "Without prejudice to other disciplinary measures that are deemed opportune, and in accordance with the current academic regulations," should the student carry out any irregularity that may lead to a Significant variation of the qualification of an evaluation act, this evaluation act will be classified with a 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that can be instructed. In case there are several irregularities in the evaluation acts of a same subject, the final grade of this subject will be 0 ". In all the documents to be delivered and exercises to be developed, the formal expression of the students will be valued, including editorial aspects, spelling and communicative ability.
Written and oral tests that allow to assess the knowledge acquired by the student (40%)
There will be a theoretical test type that equals 40% of the grade of the subject (incorrect answers punish). It is a requirement to take at least 4 in this exam to average the remaining marks of the subject (that is, for the student to obtain an 'evaluable' note).
Delivery of exercises and problems (40%)
Throughout the course, there will be a total of 5 practical classes, each of which will be evaluated with the delivery of an exercise and / or presentation in class. Each one of the practices is equivalent to 8% of the final grade. The different practical sessions correspond to:
- Practical 1. Initial environmental evaluation.
- Practice 2. Identification of environmental aspects.
- Practice 3. Environmental management program.
- Practice 4 Presentation practical exercise SGA (practices 1, 2 and 3).
- Practice 5. Case study review and essay in regards with circular economy.
At least it is a requirement to get an average mark of 4 out of the 5 practices.
Partial evaluation (20%)
During the subject, 4 individual tests (~ 10 minutes) will be carried out about the contents presented in previous sessions. These tests will count up to 20% of the mark (therefore, each of them will be worth 5%). If not submitted, mark will be considered as 0. There is no minimum mark.
If the exam, is a test exam, it could be:
- double alternative test.
- multiple choice test.
In both cases, successes score 1 point and errors penalize '1 / (a-1)', where 'a' is the number of alternatives.
If there is no justified cause (absence note must be submitted) and students cannot attend partial exams, they will not be recoverable and therefore marks will be considered as 0.
Contents of these exams are not discarted for the final exam.
Recovery final test:
The student who does not exceed the subject, that is, does not reach an average grade of 5 out of 10, or has obtained a "non-evaluable" (which are those cases that have not reached 4 in the " theoretical exam or the average mark of the practices), may be submitted to the final exam of the total of the subject. This exam will consist of an evaluation test to which all the contents of the subject will be revalued. The mark obtained in this exam will be the mark of the subject.
The use of a laptop in classrooms will be allowed in certain sessions (the teacher will inform when its use is possible and / or recommended).
If you do not pass the subject in accordance with the aforementioned criteria (continuous assessment), you can do a recovery test on the scheduled date in the schedule, and that will cover all the contents of the program (theory and practise)
To participate in the recovery students must have been previously evaluated in a set of activities, the weight of which is equivalent to a minimum of two thirds of the total grade of the subject. However, the qualification that will appear on the student's file is of a maximum of 5-Approved.
Students who need to change an evaluation date must submit the application by filling in the document that will be found in the EPSI Tutorials moodle.
Tests / exams may be written and / or oral at the discretion of the teaching staff.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written and oral tests | 40% | 0 | 0 | 1, 4, 3 |
| Exercises and problems | 60% | 0 | 0 | 2, 5, 6, 1, 4, 3, 8, 7 |
Bibliography
Generalidad de Cataluña (2000). Guía práctica para la implantación de un sistema de gestión ambiental. Manuales de ecogestión 2. Barcelona.
Hillary R (2002). ISO 14001: Experiencias y casos prácticos. AENOR: Madrid.
Lamprecht, JL (1997) ISO 14000. Directrices para la Implantación de un Sistema de Gestión Medioambiental. AENOR. Madrid.
Kirchherr J. et al. 2017. Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 127, 221-232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.09.005.
Kowszyk, Y., & Maher, R. (2018). Estudios de caso sobre modelos de Economía Circular e integración de los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible en estrategias empresariales en la UE y ALC. Hamburgo: Fundación EU-LAC.
Morató, J., Tollin, N., Jiménez, L., Villanueva, B., Plà, M., Betancourth, C., ... & Pérez, E. (2017). Situación y evolución de la economía circular en España. Fundación COTEC para la Innovación: Madrid, Spain.
Gema Durán Romero, Empresa y Medio ambiente, políticas de gestión ambiental, Ed. Pirámide. ISBN: 878-84-368-2012-4.
Marta Arévalo Contreras y Alfonso Ortega Lorca, Gestión Ambiental, ed. Síntesis, ISBN 978-84-9171-040-0.
Lozano Cutanda, Blanca , Juan Cruz Alli-Turrillas, “ Administración y legislación ambiental”, Ed. Dykinson( la nueva edición)
Enlaces web:
AENOR
www.aenor.es
Empresa y Evaluación Ambiental. Departamento de Territorio y Sostenibilidad. Generalidad de Cataluña. http://www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/dmah/menuitem.685af0bd03466a424e9cac3bb0c0e1a0/?vgnextoid=497753161cd47210VgnVCM1000008d0c1e0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=497753161cd47210VgnVCM1000008d0c1e0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=default
Environmental Management Systems. US Environment Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov/ems/
EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm
Instituto Internacional de Desarrollo Sostenible: la empresa y el desarrollo sostenible
http://www.iisd.org/business
Integrated Product Policy (IPP)
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/consumer_safety/l28011_en.htm
International Organisation for Standardization (ISO)
http://www.iso.org
Medio Ambiente. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB)
http://www.uab.cat/mediambient/
Serie ISO 14000 y Sistemas de Gestión Ambiental: una base para la sostenibilidad
http://www.trst.c
2020 EU Action Plan for Circular Economy:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:9903b325-6388-11ea-b735-01aa75ed71a1.0017.02/DOC_2&format=PDF
Ellen MacArthur Foundation: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org