Ethics, Sustainability and Environmental Management

Overview

Detailed Syllabus – Lectures (all 2 hrs except weeks 9-10): 
Week  Topic  Key Themes / Activities 

1  Introduction to Engineering Ethics & Professional Responsibility  - IChemE Code of Conduct, stakeholder theory, ethical frameworks 
2  Sustainability Foundations & SDGs - Triple bottom line, environmental justice, global vs local contexts 
3  Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – Part I  - Purpose, scoping, identifying impacts 
4  Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – Part II  - Mitigation/amelioration measures, reporting 
5  Environmental Management Systems (EMS)  ISO 14001, integration with wider management systems and corporate policy 
6  Regulatory Frameworks: IPPC & IED  Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC), Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 
7  Sustainability and Environmental Tools: LCA and Carbon Management  Life-cycle assessment (LCA), (ISO 14040 and ISO 14044). Carbon Footprinting and GHG Emissions Actions and Reporting. 
8  Ethical Decision-Making Tools  Consequentialism, deontology, precautionary principle 
9  Ethics, Regulation and Emerging Technologies  Responsible innovation, just transition, climate technologies 
10  Synthesis & Integration  Linking ethics, EMS, LCA, SDGs, and professional practice 
9–10  Ethical Case Study Workshops (4 hrs) - Student-led analysis of incidents, stakeholder mapping, ethical/regulatory dimensions 

Detailed Syllabus – Coursework:
Assessment
1. Ethical Case Study Group Project Weight 60% Groups select one major process incident. They analyse the ethical decision-making failures and trade-offs, identify stakeholders, map SDGs, and recommend ethically sound alternative strategies. Deliverables: written report + group presentation. 60% Individual peer assessment (reflective statement comprises 20 % of the mark).

2. Living Lab. Individual Evaluation of Climate Change Actions at QUB. Weight 40%
Students will evaluate Climate Change Actions at QUB using the Climate Action Toolkit for the Higher Education Sector. This will be fully individual (20% of section marks for reflective statement).

Detailed Syllabus – Workshops/Marked Tutorials/Presentations
* Seminars / tutorials/presentations will be part of the module content. The hours allocated for these are part of the allocations shown above.

Learning Objectives

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

LO1 – Identify and analyse ethical issues, value conflicts, and professional responsibilities in chemical engineering practice.
LO2 – Explain sustainability principles, LCA, and environmental management systems, and their relationship to the SDGs.
LO3 – Apply environmental and sustainability assessment tools, including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), to inform ethical decisions.
LO4 – Critically evaluate major process incidents through an ethical and regulatory lens.
LO5 – Formulate and justify ethically and environmentally responsible decisions aligned with legislation, standards, and SDGs.

These align to the following AHEP4 LOs:
LO7: Evaluate the environmental and societal impact of solutions and minimise adverse impacts.
LO8: Identify and analyse ethical concerns and make reasoned ethical choices.

Skills

To develop students’ ability to identify, analyse, and make reasoned ethical decisions in chemical engineering contexts.
To introduce sustainability and environmental management frameworks that guide responsible engineering practice.
To explore how ethical responsibilities intersect with environmental protection, social justice, and professional standards.
To critically examine real-world ethical dilemmas arising in major chemical process incidents.
To equip students with tools to align engineering solutions with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Assessment