Alba Bala

Position

Executive Director of the UNESCO Chair of Life Cycle and Climate Change | Director of the Master’s Degree in Sustainability Management ESCI-UPF

Qualifications

PhD in Environmental Sciences (UAB)

Biography

Currently, she is the Executive Director of the UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change at ESCI-UPF and the Director of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management, jointly offered by UPF-BSM and ESCI-UPF.

She teaches in the MSc in Sustainability Management and in the Postgraduate Programme in Management of Sustainable Transition and Climate Emergency offered by ESCI-UPF.

Previously, she was a lecturer and researcher in EcoDesign and Environmental Analysis of Products at the ELISAVA School of Design, the School of Industrial Design (ESDI), and the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) at UAB. She has also worked as an environmental consultant.

Her research areas include Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), EcoDesign, Environmentally Correct Purchasing, and the development of methodologies for comprehensive sustainability analysis and assessment.

She is a member of the Spanish Network of Life Cycle Analysis.

She was a finalist for the 2008 European Innova Award, given by the European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry. She won the Design for Recycling Award in the project category, granted by the Generalitat de Catalunya in 2000.

Subjects they teach

Subject
Programme
Typology

Environmental Impacts

Master of Science in Sustainability Management

Required

Programme:
Master of Science in Sustainability Management

Description

Any human activity has an impact on the environment. Knowing these impacts, and how ecosystems and the natural environment work, is essential to be able to anticipate or mitigate them. The course helps the student to place environmental phenomena in the context of ecosystems and in the natural environment. It provides the basic concepts to understand these phenomena (environment, ecosystem...) and to contextualize environmental impacts (by nature, extent, intensity ...). Likewise, the course will provide information on the physical mechanisms by which different environmental impacts are generated and sufficient information for the student to identify the environmental impacts associated with different types of activities and industrial sectors.

Créditos:
3 ECTS

Language:
English

Type of subject: Required

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Product and Environment

Master of Science in Sustainability Management

Required

Programme:
Master of Science in Sustainability Management

Description

The development of cleaner products and services is becoming more and more a need and a catalyst for companies. In this course the necessary tools will be provided to determine the environmental impact associated with them, as well as ecodesign strategies to improve them. The course provides the necessary information to the student to know and be able to apply different tools for environmental evaluation of products (checklists, MET matrix, MIPS, LCA, etc.). It shows the student the applications of these types of tools, including the ecodesign of products and services. The course provides basic notions about the main ecodesign strategies and how to apply them to the design of new products and services. It provides the student with a critical spirit for the analysis of the products and services available in the market, as well as in the use of one of the LCA software tools more used in the World.
 

Créditos:
3 ECTS

Language:
English

Type of subject: Required

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Sustainability Management

Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Marketing

Elective

Programme:
Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Marketing

Description

The new paradigm of the Circular Economy. Introduction to the lifecycle perspective as a mechanism for assessing the environmental impact of production systems. Ecodesign and green marketing. Integrated waste management. Analysis of integrated social value.

Learning Outcomes

Ability to distinguish, select and apply the main methodologies for assessing and improving the nature and the environmental communication of goods and services. Judging and assessing the internalisation of sustainability in the business world.

Code:
40311

Créditos:
4 ECTS

Language:
English

Type of subject: Elective

Sustainability Management

Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Marketing

Required

Programme:
Bachelor’s Degree in International Business and Marketing

Description

The new paradigm of the circular economy. Introduction to the lifecycle perspective as a mechanism for assessing the environmental impact of production systems. Ecodesign and green marketing. Integrated waste management. Analysis of integrated social value

Learning Outcomes

Learn how to distinguish, select and apply the main methodologies for assessing and improving the nature and the environmental communication of goods and services. Judge and assess internalisation of sustainability in the business world

Code:
44205

Créditos:
4 ECTS

Language:
English

Type of subject: Required

Sustainability Management

GNMI - International Business Program

Elective

Programme:
GNMI - International Business Program

Description

The new paradigm of the Circular Economy. Introduction to the lifecycle perspective as a mechanism for assessing the environmental impact of production systems. Ecodesign and green marketing. Integrated waste management. Analysis of integrated social value.

Learning Outcomes

Ability to distinguish, select and apply the main methodologies for assessing and improving the nature and the environmental communication of goods and services. Judging and assessing the internalisation of sustainability in the business world.

Code:
80238

Créditos:
4 ECTS

Language:
English

Type of subject: Elective