Knowledge and understanding: The course enables students to analyse and interpret the interaction between the transport sector and the environment, and understand how to improve logistics and supply chain efficiency. The aim is to reduce the sector's environmental impact while guaranteeing firms' economic profitability. The topics covered in the course are useful for academic research as well as for public regulatory bodies and private enterprises. Apply knowledge and understanding Case studies dealing with current business or policy issues will be analysed either individually or in groups, with students required to produce a research report on their assigned topic. This project will be based on the theoretical models and analytical tools presented during the course. The final exam will require students to describe the implications of different transport modes, logistics settings and transport policies at firm, sector and economy levels. Making judgements The assigned research project will require students to predict the impact that firms' strategies, rather than policymakers' decisions, will have on consumers, producers and social welfare. Communication skills: Developing the research report and presenting the research project will improve students' ability to find and organise research resources, write essays, analyse data, prepare PowerPoint presentations and present the results of their research activities. Learning skills: By the end of the course, students will be able to critically interpret and analyse the strategic behaviour of firms within the transport sector, their impact on the environment, and the impact of transport policies designed by public bodies on involved stakeholders (consumers, firms and the environment), as well as the rationale behind sector regulation.

Microeconomics and Macroeconomics

Nature and scale of climate change Decarbonizing strategies for logistics Reducing freight transport intensity Lower-carbon transport modes of freight Energy use in freight transport Introduction to Logistics and Supply Chain. Analysis of the extension, structure and trends of the supply chain. Optimization models dealing with transport and warehouse management.

McKinnon, A. (2018). Decarbonizing logistics: Distributing goods in a low carbon world. Kogan Page Publishers. Ghiani, G., Laporte, G., Musmanno, R. (2012) Introduzione alla gestione dei sistemi logistici, ISEDI Grando, Belvedere, Secchi, Stabilini (2021) Production, operations, and supply chain management, BUP. Slides, research reports, articles and additional material will be published in moodle.

Carbon emissions and footprint from freight transport and logistics Calculating logistics-related emissions Cost evaluation and calibrating strategies for logistics decarbonization Decoupling freight traffic and economic growth Barriers, future policies, trends and practices to lower-carbon transport modes Fuel efficiency and electrification of freight transport Logistics and Supply Chain: an introduction Models of vertical integration, vertical restraints and outsourcing of logistics business: extension, organization and trends of the supply chains. Management of freight transport and warehouse within the firm. Solving optimization problems of transport and warehouse management: 1) choice of transport mode (Hoover) 2) distribution from a source node to a destination node (Dijkstra's algorithm and simplex method) 3) distribution from several source nodes to multiple destination nodes (algorithm of the northwest, the least-cost, penalty, simplex) 4) distribution through a sequence of nodes belonging to a commercial network with coincident source and final node (simplex method and evolutionary method) 5) economic order quantity model.

Lectures; Seminars; Workshops; Research reports; Homework; Presentations. The course is taught in English. The slides are published in moodle.

Additional reference books: Kenneth Button (2010) Transport Economics, Edward Elgar Pub. Ronald H. Ballou (1999) Business logistics management : planning, organizing, and controlling the supply chain, Prentice-Hall International, Upper Saddle River.

Written exam. The exam is structured in two parts: the first part is aimed at assessing the knowledge of theoretical models and economic principles outlined during the course, the second part, that will be held using the computer, is focused on the application of the same models and principles for the resolution of empirical problems. Knowledge and understanding will be tested also via oral presentations. Applying knowledge and understanding: via assignments and presentations based on statistics and logistics software. Making judgements: via oral presentations and homework Communication skills: via reports and oral presentations

This course explores topics closely related to one or more goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs)