PhD Courses in Denmark

Welcome to Sustainability Circularity and Product Policies

Description: 

The aim of this course is to introduce the PhD candidates to product policies and how these can help the sustainable and circular transition, with a special focus on the EU. The course provides PhD candidates with an in-depth engagement in key elements within product policies, the practice of implementation and efficiency of the policies. 

Participants will be introduced to current/recent directives, regulations, and proposals as well as current issues and debates surrounding the policies.

The course features a mix of lectures, group work, panel discussions.

The Course is relevant for PhD students from a wide range of areas such as law, industry, design, environmental science, engineering. 

Day 1: Introduction to EU’s product policy, Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan. The first day will provide participants with a historic overview of the development of the landscape of product policies, sustainability, and circularity. The day will also entail an introduction to the vast array of EU product policies, such as the Ecodesign Directive, Energy labelling, WEEE Directive, Batteries Regulation, Packaging Regulation, Ecolabels, Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, and the extended and the individual producer responsibility.

Day 2: Introduction and deep dive into the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) with a special focus on the Digital Product Passport. The ESPR will replace the Ecodesign Directive and will cover almost all products on the EU market, setting requirements to support a circular transition. The digital product passport is a key tool to support circularity and presents both challenges and opportunities for industries. 

Day 3: The role of public procurement in circular economy. The third day will provide an overview of procurement regulation, mandatory and voluntary policy tools, strategic public procurement, green public procurement, circular public procurement, and discuss policy translation and implementation in practice. The final session on the day will consist of a paper workshop, supporting the participants in developing research and paper ideas.

Online session: Following the onsite session, all participants must submit an extended abstract for discussion in peer groups. The online session will be moderated by AAU, but participants are expected to prepare feedback and engage in discussions.

Prerequisites: 

No prerequisites, other than an interest in environmental product policies. The Course is relevant for PhD students from a wide range of areas such as law, industry, design, environmental science, engineering.

Learning objectives: 

By attending this course, the students will

- Gain thorough knowledge of the vast array of environmental product policies, with a particular focus on the EU

- Gain an in depth understanding of the dynamics of the policies and standards supporting the policies, how they are intended to support a sustainable transition, and how the policies sometimes unintended counteract the transition.

- Be able to reflect and discuss how their specific field of research is influenced by the product policies, and how they can navigate the policies.

Key literature: 

Organizer: Rikke Dorothea Huulgaard

Lecturers: Anja Marie Bundgaard, Heidi Simone Kristensen, Arne Remmen

ECTS: 4.0

Time: 3 - 5 November, 3 December 2025

Place: Aalborg University

Zip code: 9220

City: Aalborg

Maximal number of participants: 15

Deadline: 13 October 2025