The course aims to provide students with basic knowledge about natural capital, from which we derive the goods and services we need to improve our quality of life. The assets of natural capital, goods and services will be presented, and the interactions between natural capital and society will be traced, as a complex system that outlines and manages the Anthropocene, a period strongly influenced by the interrelationships between the environment, society, technology and the economy. Sustainable development is the best way to manage this capital in the long term. It is a dynamic process through which organisations can begin to achieve a balance between their environmental, social and economic activities.
Course Prerequisites
The course has a highly interdisciplinary character and links with other scientific and commodity teachings. It is carried out in such a way that it can be followed with profit by the students without any preliminary preparation. An open approach is required, in particular towards scientific and technical aspects concerning the relationship between natural resources, production cycles and the environment, sustainability.
Teaching Methods
The course is organized in classroom-taught, supplemented by seminars held by external speakers with specific expertise on the subject.
Assessment Methods
Knowledge will be assessed by a final exam, in written form. The test aims to determine the knowledge acquired on the main contents of the course and consists of open questions and multiple-choice questions.
Texts
AA.VV. (2018), Il Capitale Naturale in Italia. Aria, suolo, acqua e foreste. Un patrimonio da difendere e arricchire, Ministero dell'ambiente e della tutela del territorio e del mare, pp. 232, ISBN: 9788866272434. Nocenti M., (2025) Sostenibilità e sviluppo sostenibile. Una lettura transdisciplinare, UTET Università, pp. 246, ISBN; 9788860089564. Stephen E. Kesler and Adam C. Simon (2015), Mineral Resources, Economics and the Environment, First published, Cambridge University Press, pp. 434. ISBN 978-1-107-07491-0.
and teaching materials provided by teachers
Contents
The programme is composed of the following topics: - natural capital, goods and services, limits to use, concept of resources and their classification; - geo-anthropology and technosphere: society and the planet, productive activities and resource use; - underground resources and the problems of managing non-renewable resources, critical raw materials; - atmosphere and climate, global warming and CO2 - water resources, management issues and quality conservation; - soil resources, biodiversity and ecosystem services, management issues; - circular economy.
Course Language
Italian
More information
The teaching materials used during the course is available on the digital teaching platform Kiro
