Within the last decades, globalization and integration of world trade led to tremendous growth of the global economy where goods travel long distances around the world while being processed in global supply chains from raw material to final products. So far, this development was heavily supportedby improvements in cargo handling (containerization) and information processing (computers), which allows for an optimized flow of goods and minimized costs to serve growing consumer markets all over the world. However, this comes along with a heavy environmental footprint, which has to be reduced due to new governmental regulations as well as increased customer requirements concerning environmental as well as social aspects.

The aim of this seminar is (1) to collect facts about the environmental footprint of products along global supply chains and (2) to work out viable solutions to reduce this footprint in a globalized and highly integrated world economy.

More specifically, students participating in this seminar will

- develop a greater understanding about typical structures of global supply chains

- gain a better awareness of environmental footprints of global supply chains

- learn how to assess environmental impacts of products and/or supply chains

- get experience in team work

Students are expected to actively engage in class dialogue and discussion. All students are required to work on group project during the seminar, submit a post-course reflective report and pass in a written examination about pre-readings distributed before the start of the class.

Individual Assessment:

· Written examination about pre-readings       25 %

· Participation and active involvement in class 10 %

· Post-course reflective report                      15 %

Group Assessment:

· Casestudies and/or group project,               50%  
  based on completeness, quality of content
  and group presentation in-class