Sustainability Science and Solutions

Climate warming, weakening air quality, water pollution and waste are examples of current global sustainability challenges. Sometimes traditional technologies offer the best solutions, but we also need novel solutions to complex environmental problems.

Solutions to these global challenges, such as environmental sustainability, call for systems thinking. We need to understand the context in which a product is going to operate and whether it relates to the need to reduce emissions, use less oil-based fuel or water, end-of-life disassembly, or marketing in a region which taxes based on a footprint.

By understanding the broader context in which the challenges lie, we are able to identify more sustainable solutions.

In this programme, you will learn to identify the challenges of sustainability and view them in a multidisciplinary way, producing solutions which take all aspects of sustainability in society into consideration.

You will take courses on renewable energy and energy efficiency, waste management, life cycle management, emission control and reduction, climate change, and sustainable business and innovation.

You will acquire:

skills to recognise the most significant environmental impacts of products and processes and their importance in terms of business; you will be able to apply theories and the most recent scientific knowledge to solve problems involving environmental aspects;

competence to understand the requirements of systemic change and analyse how competitive in terms of environmental impacts and costs a certain technology, product or service is in different operating environments; you will be able to work as an environmental expert in a range of decision-making situations and produce and convey information to support stakeholders in environmental decision-making;

knowledge about technical possibilities of industrial, service, community, and primary production processes and systems to minimise environmental impacts; you will be able to explain the complex interdependencies of both local and global environmental problems and apply theories to find the most sustainable product or process design.