Applied Environmental Management
Institution
Business, Economics, and Social Sciences
Department
Sozialökonomie
Teaching staff
Dr. Matthew Phillip Johnson
SDG-topic cluster
Nature conservation and sustainable use of resources, Sustainable infrastructure, cities, and communities, Climate change
Comments/contents
In order to meet sustainability challenges, both in terms of resource scarcity and cost pressures, companies can apply the principles of environmental management and resource efficiency to address both challenges. The emphasis of these principles is the efficient use of material recources and energy, while improving the technical-economic outcomes. Thus, companies can decrease the amount of input while maintaining the same level of output and quality. However, the expertise to measure and manage resource efficiency continues to be inadequate, especially in manufacturing enteprises. These efficiency gains remain untapped mostly in companies, since there is no available information and transparency of the hidden costs in the production system. This course will allow you to gain valuable insights on resource efficiency improvements in manufacturing companies, while learning to apply a well-known material flow costing (MFC) software: Umberto. This will be done in cooperation with ifu – Institute for Environmental IT Hamburg, the designers and providers of the MFC software (link: https://www.ifu.com/en/). The aim is for students to work together with the ifu experts to carry out MFC calculations, and be able to identify hidden costs and optimize resource efficiency potentials in manufacturing companies.
Learning objectives
The learning objectives are threefold:
- Gain theoretical and practical insights on resource efficiency improvements in manufacturing companies;
- Learn and apply a well-known material flow costing (MFC) software: Umberto, in cooperation with experts from ifu Hamburg; and
- Carry out MFC calculations, in which you will be able to identify and optimize resource efficiency potentials in manufacturing companies.
Didactic concept
After a general introduction to the topic, experts from ifu Hamburg will present the MFC software in detail, and offer the students practical help with the application during the seminar. Afterwards, the students will be allocated to various company cases. During so, the students will calculate and then present the results. This ensures that the students get the most from learning the MFC software application as possible. The presentation is the basis for the course grading. The course format is a block seminar: the first seminar serves as an introduction to the topic and MFC software, which takes place on 05.04.2019. This is followed by three full-day block seminars on 12.04., 26.04. and 10.05.2019. The last seminar day will be held with the final group presentations.
Semester
SoSe 19
Center for a Sustainable University
Mittelweg 177
20148 Hamburg
www.nachhaltige.uni-hamburg.de