Quantitative Sustainability Assessment
PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE at University of Copenhagen
This is a toolbox course where 80% of the seats are reserved for PhD students enrolled at the Faculty of SCIENCE at UCPH and 20% of the seats are reserved for PhD students from other Danish Universities/faculties (except CBS). Seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and according to the applicable rules.
Anyone can apply for the course, but if you are not a PhD student at a Danish university (except CBS), you will be placed on the waiting list until enrollment deadline. After the enrollment deadline, available seats will be allocated to applicants on the waiting list.
Aim and Content
The course is designed to equip students with the necessary tools to reflect upon and quantify sustainability performance, a crucial component in research, policymaking, corporate decision making, and reporting. It focuses on introducing the fundamental principles of quantitative sustainability assessment of various production systems, including dynamic carbon modelling and utilizing unexplored side streams along value chains.
Key methodological approaches such as material flow analysis, input-output modelling, life cycle assessment, and carbon dynamics will be covered, with an emphasis on defining functional units, time scales, and system boundaries. This practical application will be facilitated through individual or group problem-oriented projects, employing a variety of analytical tools and methods chosen by the students.
Throughout the course, critical topics such as resource and emission capture, zero waste strategies, and cascade utilization within circular business ecosystems will be explored through interactive lectures and practical applications. This approach fosters an environment of active learning, allowing participants to directly engage with the material and apply what they learn to real-world scenarios.
Learning outcomes
Intended learning outcome for the students who complete the course:
Knowledge:
• Understand the principles, requirements, and limitations behind quantitative sustainability assessment methods such as material flow analysis, life cycle assessment (LCA), input-output modeling, and dynamic carbon modeling.
• Grasp the importance of selecting meaningful parameters when defining system boundaries, functional units, and allocation methods.
• Recognize the role of unexplored sidestreams in enhancing sustainability within circular business ecosystems.
Skills:
• Apply various quantitative sustainability assessment tools and methods to their own data sets, enhancing their ability to analyze and predict environmental impacts.
• Select appropriate tools and methodologies freely, including selected software or Excel, to address specific research questions in process optimisation, business or policy implications.
• Based on the aim of the assessment, discuss, identify and rank which factors should be included in a sustainability assessment.
• Be able to engage in the public debate about the sustainability of transitions.
Competences:
• Apply various quantitative sustainability assessment tools and methods to their own data sets, enhancing their ability to analyze and predict environmental impacts.
• Select appropriate tools and methodologies freely, including selected software or Excel, to address specific research questions in process optimisation, business or policy implications.
• Based on the aim of the assessment, discuss, identify and rank which factors should be included in a sustainability assessment.
• Be able to engage in the public debate about the sustainability of transitions.
Target Group
This course is designed for PhD students engaged in various sectors of the bioeconomy, particularly those from forestry, food science, agriculture, biotechnology, and environmental science. It is ideal for individuals interested in sustainable innovation in resource management and technologies within circular economy implementations across these critical areas. Emphasizing resource and emission capture and utilization, zero waste practices, and cascade utilization strategies, the course prepares students to develop and implement circular business models that optimize resource use and minimize environmental impact. The course aims to attract a diverse group of students, including those in continuing education programs, who are eager to apply circular economy principles to enhance sustainability in the forest and food sectors, as well as other related bioeconomic fields. This interdisciplinary approach ensures that participants from different backgrounds can contribute to and benefit from the course, fostering a comprehensive understanding of circular bioeconomy and promoting practices that lead to more sustainable and resilient bioeconomic sectors.
Recommended Academic Qualifications
Participants should have a Master’s degree or equivalent. Proficiency in data analysis with tools such as R, Python, MATLAB, SAS, or Excel is beneficial. A foundational understanding of life cycle thinking or knowledge of LCA is crucial. This background will enable effective engagement with the course’s focus on sustainable resource management and environmental evaluations.
Research Area
Sustainability
Teaching and Learning Methods
The course is conducted through various teaching and learning methods:
Lectures: To present the fundamentals and applications of quantitative sustainability methods, such as dynamic carbon modeling and life cycle assessment, within the context of circular economy principles.
Exercises: To train students in applying these methods using a variety of tools, enhancing their practical skills in sustainability analysis.
Case Work: Students are encouraged to bring their own data sets for problem-oriented projects, applying the learned concepts to real-world scenarios either individually or in collaborative groups.
Discussions and Reflections: Regular sessions are held to discuss the opportunities and limitations of sustainability assessment, fostering a critical understanding of resource management and systems design within various bioeconomic sectors.
Type of Assessment
Course participation is assessed based on an individually prepared essay/presentation outlining the role of sustainability assessment in their own PhD project and how it could be assessed, including pros and cons of the chosen method(s).
Literature
Reading material will consist of a number of scientific papers and/or book chapters which will be made available to students prior to the course.
Course coordinator
Niclas Scott Bentsen, IGN.
Marianne Thomsen, FOOD.
Guest Lecturers
The course will include guest lecture/-s from academia and/or industry, will share practical insights into sustainability and circular bioeconomy, enhancing the applicability of course concepts in real-world settings.
Dates
10-14 August 2026.
Expected frequency
To be held once every year.
Course location
Frederiksberg Campus.
Course fee
• Participant fee: 0 DKK
• PhD student enrolled at SCIENCE: 0 DKK
• PhD student from Danish PhD school Open market: 0 DKK
• PhD student from Danish PhD school not Open market: DKK 3.000
• PhD student from foreign university: DKK 3.000
• Master's student from Danish university: 0 DKK
• Master's student from foreign university: DKK 3.000
• Non-PhD student employed at a university (e.g., postdocs): DKK 3.000
• Non-PhD student not employed at a university (e.g., from a private company): DKK 8.400
Cancellation policy
• Cancellations made up to two weeks before the course starts are free of charge.
• Cancellations made less than two weeks before the course starts will be charged a fee of DKK 3.000
• Participants with less than 80% attendance cannot pass the course and will be charged a fee of DKK 5.000
• No-show will result in a fee of DKK 5.000
• Participants who fail to hand in any mandatory exams or assignments cannot pass the course and will be charged a fee of DKK 5.000
Course fee and participant fee
PhD courses offered at the Faculty of SCIENCE have course fees corresponding to different participant types.
In addition to the course fee, there might also be a participant fee.
If the course has a participant fee, this will apply to all participants regardless of participant
type - and in addition to the course fee.