Postgraduate Course: Carbon Accounting (CMSE11151)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 15 |
ECTS Credits | 7.5 |
| Summary | The course aims to provide students with an understanding of the range of measurement, calculation, reporting and auditing - in short, accounting - requirements and challenges related to climate change and the policy responses to climate change. Students will come away from the course with the skills to both implement and critique carbon accounting methods. |
| Course description |
The course provides an overview of the different forms of carbon accounting, and their different purposes. The course develops both practical knowledge for implementing different carbon accounting methods, and analytical skills for critiquing current accounting and reporting practice. We will also explore the main motivations for carbon accounting, the relationship between carbon accounting and carbon finance, and some of the ethical issues associated with carbon accounting.
The course complements the first semester course on Carbon Markets, covering aspects of monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) for regulated entities within trading schemes. The course also covers the accounting theory for emission reduction projects, which is relevant to both Carbon Markets and the optional second semester course on Emission Reduction Project Development. Carbon accounting also interfaces with the Climate Change Science and Policy course, in terms of the estimation and allocation of carbon budgets consistent with the 2 degree global temperature target.
Syllabus
1. Introduction to Carbon Accounting: overview of the different forms of carbon accounting, and their different purposes
2. Carbon Accounting at the national and community Level
3. Carbon Accounting at the firm/organisational Level
4. Carbon Accounting for Products and Supply Chains
5. Carbon Disclosure and Reporting
6. Consequential carbon accounting
7. Carbon accounting at the project/policy level
8. Carbon accounting at the global level
9. Carbon auditing
10. Carbon in financial accounts
Student Learning Experience
The course includes a large number of guest speakers, both in person and via Skype for overseas speakers. This provides useful real-world insights alongside the more theoretical aspects of the course.
The course will be taught through weekly lectures and some weeks will include a case study, group exercise or other interactive discussion component.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | For Business School PG students only, or by special permission of the School. Please contact the course secretary. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2016/17, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
150
(
Lecture Hours 25,
Formative Assessment Hours 5,
Summative Assessment Hours 72,
Revision Session Hours 3,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 3,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
42 )
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| Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
Preparatory reading in advance of lectures 42 hrs.
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
70 %,
Coursework
30 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Group coursework exercise - 30%
Students will be assigned to groups of 4 or 5 members to write a concise draft wiki entry on an existing carbon accounting standard. Following that, each student will individually write a review of another group's draft wiki entry. The groups will then incorporate the feedback received to produce a final wiki entry. The final wiki entries will be publicly available on an online greenhouse gas standards wiki -- which can be linked to from students' CVs.
The weightings of the individual coursework components are as follows:
Group work on wiki peer-to-peer marking: 25% (7.5% of total course mark)
Written review of wiki entry: 50% (15% of total course mark)
Final wiki entry: 25% (7.5% of total course mark)
Dates for Coursework Assessment:
- Week 2: Allocation of members to groups, and individual reviewers to groups.
- Week 3: Groups propose which carbon accounting standard they will summarise (to ensure no duplication).
- Week 5 (Thursday 20th October - 12 noon): Groups submit their draft wiki text.
- Week 8 (Monday 7th November - 12 noon): Individuals submit their peer-review reports.
- Week 9 (Monday 14th November - 12 noon): Groups submit their final wiki entries.
Exam - 70%
Form of Examination: The exam is a 2-hour closed-book written examination. The exam is divided into two parts:
a. Answer 5 short-answer questions from a choice of 6.
b. 1 longer essay from a choice of 3 essay questions.
Assessment Criteria: For the 5 short answer questions the questions mostly address factual knowledge of key carbon accounting concepts, rules, methods, drivers, and practices, and also critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses with different carbon accounting practices. Full marks are awarded when the question is answered in full, e.g. if the question asks for 2 drivers for carbon disclosure and only one driver is given in the answer - then only 50% of the available marks will be awarded.
For the longer essay question the assessment criteria includes:
- Depth of answer
- Informative introduction and conclusion
- Logically developed argument
- Demonstration of factual knowledge (including knowledge of the relevant literature)
- Critical evaluation and understanding
- Original and creative thought
- Succinct and clear writing
The exam will take place within the normal University exam diet between 8th and 21st December 2016 (with the exact date to be determined by the University during the first Semester). |
| Feedback |
Individual essay/assignment feedback will be provided on a feedback form in the appropriate format. Assignment marks and feedback will be made available a maximum of 15 working days after assessment completion. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand and critically discuss the range of measurement, calculation, reporting and auditing requirements related to climate change.
- Understand and critically evaluate the suitability of different carbon accounting methods for different purposes.
- Explain and discuss the relationship between carbon finance and carbon accounting.
- Critically discuss the ethical questions raised by carbon accounting.
- Understand and critically discuss the importance and implications of carbon accounting choices for effective climate change mitigation.
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Reading List
| Please see the online Resource List for the Carbon Accounting course, which is available via Learn. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Knowledge and Understanding
After completing this course, students should have:
- A critical understanding of most of the methods, concepts and terminology related to carbon accounting.
- A critical understanding of the main purposes and drivers for carbon accounting and disclosure.
- Detailed critical knowledge and understanding of developments at the forefront of carbon accounting.
Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding:
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- Undertake a corporate/organisational greenhouse gas inventory and a product life cycle assessment.
- Quantify the change in emissions/removals caused by a range of interventions.
- Critically evaluate the accuracy, transparency, comparability, completeness, and relevance of carbon disclosures.
- Critically evaluate the choice of carbon accounting method for specific purposes/applications.
Cognitive Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- Critically evaluate and synthesize new and complex ideas.
- Make informed judgements in the absence of complete or consistent data.
- Offer creative solutions and insights on complex issues.
Communication, ICT, and Numeracy Skills
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- Communicate technical, conceptual and critical information clearly and concisely.
- Use on-line collaborative tools for group project work.
- Apply emission factors to activity data to calculate greenhouse gas emissions.
Autonomy, Accountability and Working with Others
After completing this course, students should be able to:
- Draw on critical reflection of own and others' work.
- Provide and receive peer-feedback.
- Cooperate with others from different professional, educational and cultural backgrounds. |
| Keywords | CarbAcc |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Matthew Brander
Tel: (0131 6)51 5547
Email: Matthew.Brander@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Ashley Harper
Tel: (0131 6)51 5671
Email: Ashley.Harper@ed.ac.uk |
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