ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module explores environmental impact methodologies, legislation, processes, and practices. This module is crafted to enhance students' understanding of various environmental assessment types including environmental impact assessment, strategic environmental assessment, and sustainability reporting, through a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical applications. Students will collect ground data and assess the existing data on air, water, and noise pollution, and identify areas of high environmental stress through spatial and temporal data for real-world environmental problem-solving.

The module aims to equip students with the skills necessary to conduct detailed environmental assessments and develop effective sustainability strategies, making use of cutting-edge technology to analyse and mitigate human impacts on the environment. This course is vital for those aspiring to careers in environmental planning, policy making, and conservation, providing students with the tools to make data-driven decisions and recommendations.

Module provider

Sustainability, Civil & Env Engineering

Module Leader

WEHRMEYER Walter (Sust & CEE)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

History, background and legislative context of environmental assessment

Pollution sources, pathways and receptors

Environmental impact assessments

Integrated environmental assessments

Strategic environmental assessments

Collect ground data and assess the existing data on air, water, and noise pollution, and identify areas of high environmental stress.

Role of GIS and Remote Sensing for environmental assessment

Corporate environmental assessments

Sustainability reporting

The future of environmental assessment processes

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to assist students develop their knowledge and understanding of environmental assessment and sustainability reporting. The summative assessment for this module consists of:

- An environmental impact assessment scoping case study (based on the site visit)

- A critical review of an environmental assessment report, such as a published corporate environmental report or environmental impact assessment

Formative assessment and feedback:  Students receive verbal feedback during lectures. There are also weekly seminar sessions during which the class will discuss and review example reports of the various types of environmental assessment reports in their policy context. Students will receive verbal feedback on their input into these discussions as these environmental assessment reports are discussed and reviewed. Students will also perform in groups a simple environmental assessment and get written feedback on this assessment.

Module aims

• To provide an overview of the legislative and policy context of environmental and sustainability reporting
• To introduce students to the different types of environmental and sustainability reporting.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

- Develop students’ knowledge of and understanding of the different types of environmental assessment reports.

- Develop students' analysis skills and the ability to critically review environmental assessment and sustainability reports

 

The learning and teaching methods include:

- Lectures and class discussions

- Site Visit

- Captured content

- Seminars

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENG2131

Other information

The Centre for Environment and Sustainability is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience, in line with the Surrey Curriculum Framework. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas: Sustainability: Understanding the different types of environmental assessments and sustainability reports and being able to critically review these reports are key skills for sustainability practitioners since these reports are used to evaluate human impacts on the environment. Students develop their understand and critical review skills of such reports through the lecture and seminar sessions and get to apply these skills in the assessments when they review an environmental assessment report and prepare an environmental impact assessment scoping study. Digital capabilities: This module examines different forms of environmental assessment and sustainability reporting, many of which can be accessed digitally. In this module students learn where to find digital copies of environmental assessments and corporate sustainability reports.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.