The course is designed to introduce students to key contemporary concepts in environmental economics and equip them with the approaches in economics that are generally applied to analyze environmental problems and policies. Exclusion(s): ECON 5351, PPOL 5351

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

• Describe basic concepts and frameworks in Microeconomics.
• Apply a structured process to solve environmental problems.
• Distinguish different ethical basis of environmental actions.
• Formulate environmental problems to be solved by economic concepts and approaches.
• Measure the benefits and costs of environmental protection actions by applying cost and benefit analysis (CBA).
• Explain the economic arguments of promotion of clean technology.

Introduction to environmental impact assessment (EIA) and the EIA process in Hong Kong. The components of an EIA report including air, noise, water, waste management, environmental risk, ecological impact, and socio-economic impact assessments will be analyzed. Environmental law, environmental management and the importance of public participation will also be discussed. Case studies from Hong Kong will be used and comparison with EIA in Mainland China will be made. Exclusion(s): ENVS 5116

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

• Critically examine a broad range of environmental impacts in the EIA processes.
• Identify the complex interactions among the various key components in the assessment processes.
• Develop analytical and presentation skills to locate and evaluate the interactive dynamics between environment and scientific principles.

The course is intended to link the interaction between the human and natural environment, focusing on how the anthropogenic activities have altered the natural environment and provide an overview on the emerging science and technology of sustainability. The course will identify the impacts associated with resource consumption and environmental pollution, and present the quantitative tools necessary for assessing environmental impacts and design for sustainability. At the end of the course, the students should be cognizant of the concept of sustainability, the metrics of sustainability and be able to use the principles of sustainable engineering in their respective field of practice. Some engineering knowledge will be a plus while not a specific requirement. Previous Course Code(s): ENVR 6040J

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

• Describe and explain social, environmental, and ecological indicators of Sustainability.
• Identify grand challenges for sustainability and discuss emerging solutions for these challenges.
• Define and explain the principles of sustainable engineering and make links to their respective field of practice.
• Apply a life-cycle thinking in design for environment and conduct life cycle analysis to assess the environmental impacts of different products, processes and systems.
• Work effectively in a team and interpret the project‘s contribution to sustainability improvement.

The course provides an in-depth coverage of topics on inorganic and organic environmental contaminants, their structures, functions, sources and emissions, distribution, transformation and fate in the environment.

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

• Define the fundamentals of chemistry of the four major environmental compartments, i.e. atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.
• Explain the essential chemistry facts behind a number of well-recognized environmental issues.
• Identify chemical topics relevant to the environment.
• Conduct literature searching and information synthesis related to environmental chemistry.
• Effectively communicate chemistry issues behind environmental problems both orally and in writing to technical and non-technical audience.

This course provides an insight into the Circular Economy (CE) concept and its modes of implementation at the (1) governmental and (2) the corporate level. The former focusses on the CE development in mainland China, Hong Kong, Germany, Japan and the European Union, while the latter will investigate CE business concepts as well as their application in selected cases. In terms of theories and methods, this course introduces (1) institutional (rule-based) change concept, (2) the dynamics of stakeholder interests (competition vs cooperation) and (3) concepts from waste management, industrial symbiosis as well as CE relevant concepts. Previous Course Code(s): ENVR 6090C

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

• Understand the significance and performance of institutions (rule systems) in the circular economy (CE) context.
• Explain key concepts theories and metrics for CE system analysis.
• Recognize how competing interests affect the formation of CE structures.
• Identify municipal solid waste recovery practices and techniques conducive for the CE.
• Individually identify and develop CE innovation concepts for companies.
• Master insights into international CE practices at the national level.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure aims to provide stakeholders with transparent information on how companies manage their environmental impacts, social responsibilities, and governance practices. The course covers the principles, frameworks, and practices of ESG disclosures. Previous Course Code(s): ENVR 6090F

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

• Explain the importance of ESG disclosure in business decision-making.
• Demonstrate a knowledge of ESG frameworks, standards, and disclosure guidelines.
• Identify key ESG issues relevant to different industries.
• Communicate ESG performance transparently and effectively to stakeholders.
• Critically evaluate corporate ESG disclosure practices.

This course focuses both on how to make and how to study environmental policy and management. It will review major theories related to the formulation of environmental policies, including government regulation and economic incentives, and discuss the types of policy measures implemented in various public and business sectors. The discussion of environmental problems and policies will focus on examples that are relevant for Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, but will also include the experience of other countries and the debate surrounding global environmental issues.

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

• Identify key global socio-economic, socio-technological and ecological trends that influence environmental policy.
• Explain intricacies of environmental policies.
• Evaluate issues in environmental policies by taking into account the complex interdependencies between humans, society and economy.
• Explain the role of science in environmental politics, policy, planning and management.
• Develop well-supported arguments or points of view by using proficient data mining and literature review skills.
• Develop basic public speaking and presentation skills.

This course is designed for students at the start of their postgraduate studies. The course will provide students with knowledge in understanding and using statistical methods in environmental science and applications. Probability distributions, parametric tests of significance against non-parametric tests, Monte Carlo methods, Principal Component Analysis, etc. will be taught in the course facilitated by extensive use of real world problems as example. Background: Fundamental knowledge of the statistic concepts and experience in using at least one data analysis tool such as excel, python or Matlab.

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

• Explain the concepts of basic statistical methods.
• Use probability distributions, parametric tests, non-parametric tests and Monte Carlo methods to analyze environmental database and solve environmental problems creatively.
• Use Principal Component Analysis, and correlation methods to analyze environmental datasets and discover the linkage between the data results and with environmental problems.
• Solve the real world environmental problems using statistical tools independently and creatively.

Satellite remote sensing technique measures geophysical parameters from the electromagnetic energy emitted or reflected from the earth, and can be used to estimate earth surface characteristics, atmospheric compositions and profiles, and meteorological processes. This course provides a brief overview of the fundamental essentials to understand the remote sensing process, satellite data products, and their applications in atmosphere, land, and ocean. Previous Course Code(s): ENVR 6040L

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

• Identify and describe the algorithm and process used by satellite remote sensing to measure the physical properties of distant objects.
• Compare and contrast the most common sensors and techniques for satellite remote sensing.
• Explain basic electromagnetic concepts and applications to optical sensors.
• Define and exemplify the principles of applications in atmosphere, land, and ocean.
• Access satellite remote sensing products from online data archives.
• Apply data products for spatial and temporal variation analysis on parameters, compositions, and profiles of atmosphere, land, and ocean.

In this course, the students will gain a deeper understanding of the weather and climate systems that affect Hong Kong and the Asia/Pacific sector, the basic physical principles governing the atmospheric motion, and the formation mechanism of severe air pollution; and be able to use online tools to assess the cause of severe air pollution episodes in Hong Kong and mainland China. Background: Basic knowledge of physics and chemistry learned from high school and college. Previous Course Code(s): ENVR 6040M Exclusion: JEVE 5260

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

• Explain how the weather and climatic systems affect Hong Kong and their associations with air pollution.
• Illustrate the basic physical principles and dynamics governing the atmospheric motion and circulation.
• Correlate the atmospheric thermodynamics and dynamics and their impacts to pollutant dispersion.
• Account for the causes of severe air pollution episodes, and in particular the interaction between weather, climate, and air pollution.
• Integrate the knowledge and utilize available web resources to explain the formation, maintenance, and dissipation of air pollution episodes in Hong Kong and mainland China.

Offerings are announced each term, if deemed necessary, to cover emerging topics in environmental science not covered in the present curriculum.

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

• Identify the latest technologies and scientific developments on topic concerned.
• Integrate with the status quo knowledge/practices on the topic/subject.
• Project the near future trend of development concerned.
• Anticipate the research/business/in-field opportunities on the topic/subject.

Offerings are announced each term, if deemed necessary, to cover emerging topics in sustainability not covered in the present curriculum.

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

• Recognize and articulate key emerging topics and trends in sustainability that are not currently addressed in the existing curriculum.
• Analyze and critically evaluate sustainability challenges and opportunities from multiple perspectives, including social, economic, and environmental dimensions.
• Conduct independent research on selected sustainability topics, synthesizing findings from various sources to develop a comprehensive understanding of the issues.
• Propose innovative and practical solutions to contemporary sustainability challenges, utilizing advanced scientific and management concepts.
• Communicate sustainability issues and proposed solutions to diverse stakeholders, demonstrating an understanding of their interests and concerns.
• Integrate knowledge from various disciplines to address complex sustainability issues, demonstrating the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic factors.
• Reflect on personal values and ethical considerations related to sustainability practices and decision-making in different contexts.

The course will give an overview on environmental health and management, including topics on outdoor and indoor environments, workplace environment, water and sewage, food, solid waste, hazardous wastes, vectors and control, radiation, environmental health standards, natural and manmade disasters, risk assessment and management, etc. Each topic will include nature of the issue, known and potential health effects, control and regulatory approaches. More in-depth discussions will be given to occupational health hazards, with emphases on current control methods and technology.

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

• Recognize the human health impact of various hazardous physical, chemical and biological agents encountered in the environment.
• Assess the degree of hazard of various physical, chemical and biological hazardous agents encountered in the environment.
• Employ various hazards control measures to manage and control the environmental health hazards to within acceptable levels.
• Identify relevant regulatory requirements and challenges in managing various environmental health hazards.
• Apply knowledge in their daily life to better manage environmental health for themselves and the community.

Introducing GIS concepts, working with spatial data, managing GIS data, integrating GIS data with Google Earth/Map, remote sensing and model data, applying GIS technology to support environmental planning and management. Exclusion(s): ENVR 5330

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

• Distinguish different data models in GIS to perform environmental analysis.
• Generate dedicated spatial functions in GIS to assess and reveal the environmental impacts in graphical manner (such as finding the place to install wind turbines, producing the marine emission spatial map and studying the correlation between the frontal areas and pm2.5 along the tramway).
• Apply GIS and other programming tools to integrate the spatial data to various scientific models to support environmental management and decision-making.

Air pollutants from human activities have profound impacts on health, visibility, and climate. This course explores air pollution by connecting the science of aerosols and gases with pollution management practices. Students will examine pollutant sources, composition, and behavior, along with their effects on health, ecosystems, and climate. The course also covers methods for measuring and modeling pollutants, as well as regulatory frameworks and control strategies for managing air quality at local, national, and global levels.

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

• Identify and describe the main sources, types, and chemical composition of key air pollutants, and their effects on human health, ecosystems, and climate.
• Apply measurement and modeling techniques to assess air pollution levels, and apply concepts and knowledge to analyze urban and regional air pollution issues.
• Evaluate regulatory frameworks and air quality standards at local, national, and international levels.
• Compare and contrast the most common methods for effectively preventing or controlling air pollution.
• Understand the key issues in connecting science to policy formulation.
• Evaluate options and strategies for management of air quality.