Teaching
Modules in the Winter Semester
- MP-272-EN Applied Life Cycle Assessment: Software and Databases
Modules in the Summer Semester
- BK-120-EN Environmental Physics
- BK-110-EN Fundamentals of LCA
Topics for Theses
Avoided Environmental Impacts in Environmental Accounting: A Literature Review and Case Study Analysis
Environmental impacts must be reduced substantially to meet climate and sustainability goals. Environmental accounting methods are increasingly used to quantify so-called avoided impacts and to identify mitigation options. However, the term “avoided impacts” is used inconsistently across policy reports, corporate assessments, and scientific literature. This thesis examines how avoided impacts are defined, typologized, and interpreted. Based on a structured literature review of accounting standards, scenario studies, and selected case studies, it analyzes the conceptual and methodological assumptions underlying avoided-impact accounting and identifies the conditions under which reported potentials can translate into real environmental savings.
Life Cycle Assessment of Seed Inoculation with Plant Growth-Promoting Root Bacteria in Winter Wheat Cultivation
Increasing plant growth and improving quality-related parameter, such as protein content, can make an important contribution to sustainability in the agricultural and food system. Recent research on the plant-growth-promoting rhizobacterium Hartmannibacter diazotrophicus has shown that it positively influences the protein content of winter wheat. Against this background, this study aims to conduct an environmental assessment based on field trial and laboratory data regarding the production, application, and effects of the aforementioned root bacterium. The objective is to quantify the environmental impacts of the efforts involved in producing and applying the bacterium and to compare these with the potentially avoided environmental impacts resulting from the reduction in fertilizer use. Additionally, the improved baking quality of winter wheat achieved by the bacterium and the higher revenue from the sale of the crop yield must be taken into account. The analysis is conducted based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The study thus combines experimental research on plant-soil interactions with a systems-based environmental assessment.