Environmental Management in Europe
Course description
Environmental Management in Europe is an interdisciplinary online course offered given in the programme EnvEuro, with teachers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, the University of Hohenheim and Wgeningen University.
The aim of the course is to provide a solid understanding of how environmental management in Europe is applied at different scales, from the EU level to the national, regional and local levels.
During the first part of the course the tools for environmental management in EU are introduced, including environmental monitoring, assessment, modeling and valuation, as well as EU environmental law and policy. In the second part of the course the key EU environmental directives are analysed and discussed, including the Habitat Directive, Water Framework Directive, Air Quality Directive, the EU Climate Action and Energy Package, as well as the integration of environmental policies across the directives.
Entry Requirements
\- English 6
Course facts
MX0169, Environmental Management in Europe, 15.0 Hp
Print syllabus
Syllabus
Finalized by: PN-NJ, 2024-10-15
Valid from : Autumn semester 2025 (2025-09-01)
Level
Second cycle (A1N)
Main field of study
Environmental Science
Subject
Science
Grading Scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Course language
English
Entry Requirements
\- English 6
Objectives
The aim of the course is to provide a solid understanding of how environmental management in Europe is applied at different scales, from the EU level to the national, regional and local levels. Focus is on environmental management of soil, water, biodiversity and climate, including legislation, policy and economic instruments. The course addresses topics related to several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG3 (good health and wellbeing), SDG6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG13 (climate action) and SDG15 (life on land).
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Summarise the background, the fundamental principles and the managerial approaches embedded in EU environmental law and policy.
- Identify and apply tools and resources for environmental management to acquire knowledge about the state of the environment and to solve environmental problems, at different scales.
- Describe how insight and skills in natural sciences are used together with economics, law and planning in contributing to contemporary environmental management
- Reflect how environmental ethics and sustainability concepts of different stakeholders affect actual environmental policy in the EU
Content
The focus of the course is our management of the environment (land, soil, water, biodiversity and climate) from a European perspective. The course covers how the European Union (EU) establishes the governance framework for almost all environmental regulation in the member states, and how this framework determines both opportunities and limitations for implementing environmental management and developing solutions for the environment in the EU.
The course begins with an introduction to the overall concept of environmental management, and to the current state of the European environment. Students will learn about basic instruments such as: monitoring and analyses; legislation; economic instruments; and, environmental lobbying and public participation.
The course then dives into different environments such as soil, water, biodiversity and climate and covers the implications of different EU regulations and policies (e.g. the EU's Green Deal, the Habitats Directive, the Water Framework Directive, EU Nature Restoration Law, the EU Soil Strategy). The course describes and analyses how these initiatives arose, and how they are interpreted and implemented from EU level to national, regional and local levels.
Considering the complex links between environmental, economic and social dimensions, the course discusses future strategies required for a systems transition towards sustainability in Europe.
Teaching formats:
To further student learning and promote discussion, a variety of methods are used:
lectures, literature studies, project work, interactive elements such as web-based debates, writing assignments as well as other forms of exercises and skills training. In addition to a mandatory physical start with various learning activities, the course is based on distance learning through a number of subject-specific modules with written assignments.
The course focuses on the following generic competencies:
Information competence, critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, scientific methods, digital competence, use of technology, oral communication, written communication, teamwork, ability to work autonomously and plan and manage time.
The following course components are compulsory:
The in-person roll call and start of the course, back to back with the introduction days for the EnvEuro programme.
Examination Formats and Requirements for Passing the Course
Students will be evaluated and graded based on a portfolio of deliverables, including approved participation in compulsory components, approved written exercises and an approved video assignment. Details of the portfolio assessment will be given at the course start.
Responsible Department/Equivalent
Department of Aquatic Science and Assessment
Supplementary information
Included in program
- EnvEuro - European Master in Environmental Science
Module set
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Single module | 15.0 | 0101 |
The Course Replaces
MX0160
Other Information
The course is given at 50% over the whole autumn semester. Apart from a compulsory in-person start of the course back to back with the compulsory introduction days of the EnvEuro programme, the whole course is a distance course. Participation in the start of the course is partially at your own expense.