Admission requirements
To take part in the course Environmental Input-Output Analysis students must be familiar with matrix calculations and the use of computer software. A bachelor-level background in linear algebra, programming, and/or micro/macroeconomics is helpful but not mandatory.
Description
In this course you will learn Environmental Input-Output Analysis (EIOA), a standard methodology which models the propagation of environmental pressures across supply chains, stemming from consumer behavior and policy options, across multiple spatial and sectoral scales. The course is divided in three parts. In the first part you will learn basic concepts, such as the System of National Accounts and computational aspects. In the second part you will explore various applications such as the calculation of footprints, decomposition analysis, hybrid and multi-regional models. In the final part you will learn advanced aspects of the construction of IO models, such as valuation, trade linking and balancing. The course follows a hands-on approach, with every lecture accompanied by a tutorial in which you will develop your scientific programming skills, using the Octave open-source language.
Course objectives
After completing this course, you will be able to:
1. use EIOA tools and datasets to model the impact of consumer behaviour and environmental policy across supply chains;
2. use the vocabulary of the System of National Accounts and know where and how find relevant statistical data;
3. implement matrix algebra and data transformation operations in Octave;
4. write and present a quantitative study, identifying its main results and potential limitations.
Timetable
See https://brightspace.tudelft.nl/.
Mode of instruction
In each week there is a single lecture block arranged as follows. In the initial 30 minutes we will revise the assignment from the previous week. After that there will be a 1hr lecture to introduce the new week’s material. After that a problem is presented which illustrates the week’s material and the students then have 1h30 to explore and discuss the problem. The lecture concludes with a review of the problem solution and the handing of the week’s assignment (which can be reading literature or solving a problem), to be delivered before the following class. The lectures will consist of exposition and discussion of material by the lecturer, invited guests and by the students themselves, as each student or group of students is expected to present a selected research paper. The course has 6 ECTS = 168 total study hours.
Assessment method
80% of the final grade will result from the exam. The remainder 20% will result from assignments delivered throughout the semester. The exam will consist of two parts, each accounting for 40% of the final grade: a written part and a problem exercise.
Brightspace
The lecturer communicates via Brightspace TU Delft.
Reading list
There is no mandatory reading list, as handouts will be provided. The reading material will consist of research papers and parts of official handbooks.
Registration
All students have to enroll for course and exam at the start of the course via uSis, Leiden University.
Students who are not enrolled to the master’s programme Industrial Ecology have to ask permission from the studyadvisor of Industrial Ecology at least one month before start of the course by use of this form.
Contact information
Remarks
You should bring your own laptop to the classes with the GNU Octave interpreter installed (http://www.gnu.org/software/octave/).