GD660 – The Circular Economy & Sustainable Development

A circular economy is an economic system of closed loops in which raw materials, components and products lose their value as little as possible, renewable energy sources are used, and systems thinking is at the core. A circular economy is fundamentally different from a linear economy. To put it simply, in a linear economy we mine raw materials that we process into a product that is thrown away after use. In a circular economy, we close the cycles of all these raw materials. Circularity contributes to a more sustainable world, but not all sustainability initiatives contribute to circularity. Circularity focuses on resource cycles, while sustainability is more broadly related to people, the planet and the economy. The objectives of this course are to introduce students to the circular economy approaches, define their benefits and limitations, learn practical tools to adopt these approaches and measure the results. This elective course enhances students’ competence in the area of green management, building upon the concepts and principles introduced in the core course Green Transformation of Businesses and Organizations. The acquired knowledge will enable students to contribute or lead the green transition at their workplace. Learning in this course will be reinforced by practical application opportunities via case studies and current policy reports.