Circular Economy and Sustainability - Strategy and Business Models

Code:

2EGA13

Acronym:

ECSEMN

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Management Studies

Instance: 2025/2026 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Environmental Economics and Management

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
EGA	23	Bologna Syllabus since 2012	1	-	7,5	56	202,5

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The main objectives of the course Circular Economy and Sustainability - Strategy and Business Models are to develop students’ ability to analyze, propose, and implement strategies aligned with the principles of long-term sustainable development; and to adapt different management operations in organizations to contribute to regenerative and restorative business models with reduced social and environmental impacts. 

Specific Objectives

• Understand the foundations and principles of long-term sustainable development and the circular economy.
• Revisit and critically assess current linear management models through the lens of circular economy strategies.
• Rethink production processes and the use of goods and services.
• Work with circular economic models applied to different sectors.
• Evaluate sustainability and environmental impact indicators.
• Develop circular strategies that align with macroeconomic sustainable development agendas.
• Apply sustainable innovation concepts and disruptive business models.

Learning outcomes and competences

Students will be expected by the end of the course to: develop sustainable organizational diagnostics and strategies, apply concepts of sustainable innovation, propose long-term circular strategies for organizations, and adopt circular design and sustainability principles in products and services. To do so, students must: utilize systemic and strategic thinking, strengthen analytical capacity and the ability to solve complex problems, base decision-making on data and sustainable evidence, and communicate sustainability strategies clearly to different stakeholders.

Knowledge

• Foundations of circular economy and sustainable development
• Business models and circular management practices
• Value chains and product life cycles
• Circular economy and sustainability indicators
• Importance of public policies and economic instruments for sustainability
• Strategy, communication, reporting, and stakeholder/investor relations in the sustainability context

Skills

• Identify circularity opportunities in business models
• Redesign production, distribution, and consumption systems
• Develop sustainable diagnostics and organizational strategies
• Use indicators to monitor environmental and social performance

Competencies

• Systemic and strategic thinking
• Analytical capacity and ability to solve complex problems
• Decision-making based on sustainable data and evidence
• Clear communication of sustainability strategies to various stakeholders

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Revision of Sustainable Development Concepts; Strategies; Chronological Evolution


2. Innovation for Sustainability: ideas, technologies, and business models


3. Design, Eco-design; Life Cycle Assessment; Reverse Logistics


4. Waste Management — European and Portuguese Legislation; Waste Prevention and Treatment; Closed-loop Systems


5. From Linear to Circular Economy; Concepts, Definitions, Origins; Public Policy Relevance


6. ReSOLVE Framework and Circular Economy Models: Model 1 — Circular Supplies


7. Circular Economy Model 2 — Resource Recovery; Circular Supply Chain Management


8. Circular Economy Model 3 — Product Life Extension; Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Strategies


9. Circular Economy Models 4 & 5 — Sharing Platforms and Product-as-a-Service


10. Sectoral Case Studies: Food, Textiles, Packaging, etc.


11. Monitoring Indicators for Circular Economy and Sustainability Strategies; Corporate Reporting

Mandatory literature

Weetman, C.; Circular Economy Handbook for Business and Supply Chains: Repair, Remake, Redesign, Rethink., Kogan Page Publishers., 2016

Complementary Bibliography

Bocken, N.; Business models for sustainability, 2023
Farooque, M., Zhang, A., Thürer, M., Qu, T., & Huisingh, D. ; Circular supply chain management: A definition and structured literature review., 2019
Kirchherr, J., Reike, D., & Hekkert, M.; Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions., 2017

Teaching methods and learning activities

A variety of teaching and learning methodologies are adopted in this course, emphasizing active learning and critical analysis. These include: Lectures to introduce theoretical frameworks and stimulate structured discussions. Guided readings to support content acquisition with classical and contemporary references. Group exercises and workshops to encourage collaboration and the exchange of ideas. Design thinking dynamics to foster creativity and innovation in complex problem-solving. Case studies across different industries to enable in-depth, context-based learning. Technical document analysis (scientific papers, reports, sustainability disclosures) to support data-based reasoning.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	30,00
Trabalho escrito	70,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	128,50
Frequência das aulas	39,00
Trabalho escrito	35,00
Total:	202,50

Eligibility for exams

Mid-term Individual Quiz (30%): Covers foundational knowledge from the first five weeks to consolidate learning. Final Group Case Study Project (60%): Students must critically analyze a real-world problem, design a sustainability and circularity strategy, and present both written and oral components. Written report: 60% of the final project grade; Oral presentation: 40% of the final project grade. Self-assessment (10%): Reflective evaluation of individual contribution and ethical participation in which each student will evaluate their own participation and progress over the 13-week course, based on ethical criteria.

Calculation formula of final grade

Final grade = Quiz (30%) + Final Project (60%) + Self-assessment (10%)
There is no figure of final exam in both seasons.

Observations

There is no figure of final exam in both seasons.