Consequential and IO-based life cycle sustainability assessment (2018)

Welcome to Consequential and IO-based life cycle sustainability assessment

Organizers

The course is organized by The Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design, Aalborg University and Danish Centre for Environmental Assessment (DCEA) www.DCEA.dk, in collaboration with the International Life Cycle Academy (ILCA) www.ILCA.es

Description

The course aims at strengthening skills in life cycle inventory analysis. The course introduces to advanced inventory modelling using the techniques of consequential LCA and input-output (IO) LCA. The students will apply algorithms for performing consequential LCA in the definition of functional unit, consumption mix, and identification of determining and dependent co-products. The course will bring the above mentioned theories further into practice on two specific cases: modelling of indirect Land Use Changes (iLUC) and socio-economic impacts. The course targets the development of advanced competences in LCA by applying the problem based-learning (PBL) teaching method. Following the PBL model that focuses on learning by doing and reflection, the course activities will include intensive group work, problem defining and solving applied to real-word cases, practical exercises, and discussion sessions or workshops. The course is organized in five consecutive days of full-time activities (09:00-16:00). When including readings and group work assignments, the total course workload corresponds to 5 ECTS (1 ETCS = 25 hours of work for the student).

Preliminary programme

Day 1-2: Consequential modelling in life cycle inventory

Day 3: Input-output modelling

Day 4-5: Modelling of indirect land use changes and new perspectives in Life cycle impact assessment

Lecturers

Professor Bo Weidema, Associate Professor Jannick Schmidt, Associate Professor Søren Løkke, Associate professor Massimo Pizzol

Prices

  • PhD students affiliated to a Danish University: Free
  • PhD students not affiliated to a Danish University: 3.000 DKK (400 EUR)
  • Academics (e.g. postdoc and professors): 6.000 DKK (800 EUR)
  • Professionals (consultancy, industry, etc.): 15.000 DKK (2000 EUR)

Prices do not cover meals, accommodation, and social dinner

Registration

Please follow these three steps carefully:

  1. Create a Moodle account here. It is important that you expand and duly fill in the  "Other fields" section. Please  provide a detailed answer to the question "Why do you apply for this course?" and specify what is your scientific background and current level of experience with LCA.
  2. Enrol to the course here. Please sign in with your Moodle account details and click on the "enrol me" button at the bottom of the course page.
  3. Pay the course here  (Payment no later than May 7).

This is an advanced LCA course and participants are expected to have already a LCA background, i.e. basic knowledge of LCA or previous experience with LCA. We reserve the right to cancel your enrolment to the course if this condition is not met, based on the information you provide during subscription. You will receive an acceptance or rejection email after registration and payment have been received. In case of rejection the registration fee will be refunded. If you are unsure whether your LCA level is sufficient for this course or not, please contact the course organizer via mail to massimo@plan.aau.dk.

ECTS Distribution

The 5 ECTS credits of the course are divided approximately in this way:

  • Lectures and group work in class: 40 hours, 1,6 ECTS
  • Readings: 40 hours, 1,6 ECTS
  • Group work prior to course: 20 huors, 0,8 ECTS
  • Group work after course: 25 hours, 1 ECTS

Total: 125 hours, 5 ECTS

Activities include attending to the lectures and performing exercises in class. Readings include approx. 100 pages of scientific articles and reports, that are provided to the students. Students work in groups (max 5 people), each group will work on a case study and apply the knowledge of the course on the case study.

EXAMPLE, a group works on an LCA of a product and does:

  • prior to the course: choice of product and data mining, getting base knowledge and data to describe the product system.
  • during the course (exercises in class): consequential inventory with matrix format, IO LCA inventory, inclusion of iLUC, inclusion of social impacts, etc.
  • after the course: organize the material and prepare a portfolio/article where all the techniques are presented for the case study.

Eventually, all portfolios are made available. Each student will thus get the info on five different cases. Students should be able to organize themselves using online tools (skype, dropbox etc) to collaborate in group remotely prior and after the course.

Time: May 28 – June 1, 2018

Place: Aalborg University, Rendsburggade 14, 9000 Aalborg (DK), Room no 3.329

City: Aalborg

Number of seats: 25

Registration deadline: May 7, 2018

Important information concerning PhD courses We have over some time experienced problems with no-show for both project and general courses. It has now reached a point where we are forced to take action. Therefore, the Doctoral School has decided to introduce a no-show fee of DKK 5,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately three months before start. This can hopefully also provide new students a chance to register for courses during the year. We look forward to your registrations.