OVERVIEW

The course aims to provide the tools, through practical activities, to carry out accounting and environmental sustainability projects and studies. Particular attention is dedicated to the application of the methodologies of emergy analysis and ecological footprint to case studies. Other tools such as the ISEW Sustainable Economic Well-Being Index will be presented. Studies already carried out within national and international projects will be presented and case studies will be treated to be developed entirely in the classroom in order to make the student independent in the application of the methodologies.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course provides the elements to apply techniques for evaluating natural capital, functions and ecosystem services to practical cases and to evaluate the sustainability of a process through systemic ecology methodologies such as ecological footprint, emergetic analysis and ISEW.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Gli studenti a termine dell'insegnamento saranno in grado di realizzare valutazioni di contabilità o sostenibilità ambientale ed iin particolare:

Students at the end of the course will be able to carry out independently accounting or environmental sustainability assessments and in particular:

• interpret the results of studies carried out with emergence analysis, ecological footprint or ISEW
• calculate the value of an ecosystem asset, resource or service
• propose strategies for the improvement and / or management of ecosystems, environmental assets, processes, territories
• create development scenarios
• choice of design hypotheses according to principles of environmental sustainability

PREREQUISITES

It is strongly recommended that students have attended the courses of Environmental Accounting or Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services or that they have acquired theoretical skills in environmental accounting and environmental sustainability and application of system theory methodologies. The teaching represents, in fact, a practical study for the application of environmental accounting tools and / or environmental sustainability.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Presentation of case studies for the evaluation of elements of natural capital through emergy analysis, ecological footprint or ISEW and related evaluations
Presentation of case studies for the evaluation of ecosystem services through emergence analysis, ecological footprint or ISEW
Ecological footprint calculator and interpretation of results
Footprint accounts and detailed analysis of the Ecological Footprint calculation methodology
Shared realization of one or more classroom projects, also with role simulations and conflicts resolution.
The teaching content will be tailored to the skills of the class in order to maximize learning for students

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CHIARA PAOLI (President)

PAOLO VASSALLO (President Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

For lessons start and timetable go to the link: https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/

Please check the module Aulaweb page for timetable updates dependent on the sanitary and epidemic situation.

Class schedule

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACCOUNTING

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Presentation of a project created from scratch by the student or a revision of a project already carried out (advances and / or changes, for example of the methodology used) through the use of one or more techniques for evaluating natural capital, functions and services ecosystems or assessment of the level of sustainability learned during the course e.g. ecological footprint, emergetic analysis and ISEW.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Oral exam with presentation of the results and during which the student will have to demonstrate to have aquired the ability to  interpret the results of studies obtained with emergetic analysis, ecological footprint or ISEW and / or calculate the value of an ecosystem asset, resource or service through the use of system methodologies and / or create development scenarios based on the results of a case study and / or apply alternative methodologies, compared to that used in a case study already carried out, and interpret the results by comparing them and / or develop different design hypotheses and identify the better in terms of environmental sustainability level

Exam schedule