Introduction and Principles of Circular Economy
This Course is Part of a Micro-credential
This course is part of Pathways to Sustainability: Circular Economy. This program consists of two courses.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
Learners are first introduced to the basic principles of the Circular Economy, as well as an overview of different business models and their exemplifying value chain arrangements. The intent of this course is to provide learners with an introduction to circular economy, as an alternative business model to the incumbent take-make-dispose model, underpinned by using tools such as life cycle costing, intended for business applications.
OFFERED BY:
Information Session
Please join us for an information session on Friday, August 7, from 11:00 am -12:00 pm PST. This is an opportunity to speak with the instructors and ask any questions related to the program.
Register
OUTCOMES
- Understand the fundamentals of the circular economy and associated business models
- Understand and apply the basics of lifecycle assessments/lifecycle costing (LCA/LCC), as tools for assessing circularity and business viability
- Understand the positioning of relevant policies, regulations, motivations and reporting frameworks
Professional learners, able to make change in their organization towards circularizing value chains, including:
- Government (municipalities, supporting agencies, etc.)
- Large for-profit companies
- Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- Industry associations & non-profits
- Academics embarking in entrepreneurship
Standard Fee:
$1000
You may withdraw up to seven days before the start date and receive a refund (less a $50 administration fee) or a full fee transfer to another CPE offering with open registration. Please see Policy & Resources.
| Week | Synchronous Session | Weekly Content Format | Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 05 Oct 2026 |
Tuesday 06 October 12pm – 1pm Pacific Time |
• 1hr synchronous session • 2hr self-paced videos • 3hr self-paced readings, assessments |
• Course overview, Canvas tour • Creating/assigning discussion workgroups • Intro to circular economy, business models • Case studies on how CE can be made profitable |
| #2 12 Oct 2026 |
N/A | • 2hr self-paced videos • 5hr self-paced readings, assessments |
• Connecting CE to LCA (intersection of profits and regulations) • History of LCA, international alignment on ISO 14040 • Policies mandating CE/sustainability, guiding metrics • LCA elements that need to be defined as part of analyses |
| #3 19 Oct 2026 |
N/A | • 2hr self-paced videos • 5hr self-paced readings, assessments |
• Overview of “value chains” and relevance in LCA • Constructing an LCA and integrating into business plans • Calculating LCI elementary flows, towards CA (multiple elementary flows) • Worked examples by hand/Excel (based on e.g. CO2) • Reporting strategies (CSR, investors, others) |
| #4 26 Oct 2026 |
N/A | • 6hr self-paced readings, assessments | • Readings (future directions/trends) • Final presentations (10min; Online submission) |
Delivery Mode:
Online
Structure:
The course consists of synchronous classes and asynchronous readings, exercises, and assignments. Spanning 4-weeks, with 7hrs of learner commitment per week, for a total duration of 28hrs per course (56hrs for both courses).
Program Instructor and Developer
Dr. Niloofar Akbarian
Dr. Niloofar Akbarian is a Senior Research Associate in the Accelerating Circular Economy program of Materials and Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) and a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at The University of British Columbia. Her research expertise focuses on the intersection of Applied Operations Research (OR), Sustainable Supply Chain Management, and Business analytics. She has led MITACS Accelerate– and MMRI-IRAP Circular Economy Seed–funded industry projects in bio-industrial manufacturing, developing Decision-Support Systems (DSS) for sustainable decision-making under uncertainty. In 2025, she was appointed Lead Instructor for this micro-credential course, integrating hands-on SimaPro training with real-world industry case studies on circular economy topics, including sustainability quantification and scenario modeling under uncertainty. Dr. Akbarian holds professional certifications from the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) and One Click LCA.
Past Contributors
Upon successful completion of all program requirements, learners are awarded a UBC Okanagan Letter of Proficiency (a non-credit credential).
Learners will also receive a verifiable digital badge (which has descriptive metadata about the learning achievement) for sharing through digital channels.