Description
This module provides an overview of some of the key principles and approaches available in environmental management, including the precautionary principle, ecosystems services and environmental impact assessment, and key regulatory frameworks such as REACH, the Water Directive Framework (including the pesticide and wastewater directives), the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy and Agri-environment policies such as CAP. Building on the theory of these frameworks, the module will introduce approaches to their application in practice, monitoring their effectiveness and assessing their impact on environmental quality. The module will conclude with an overview of the legal basis of environmental management, including the legal interventions available to regulators in preventing breaches or other violations.
Case studies will be used extensively to illustrate examples; including, environmental impact assessment of human activity such as the high-speed rail, and a worked example of an LCA using real research data.
Assessment
- 1.5-hour examination paper
- Reflective diary
- Life Cycle assessment exercise