Postgraduate Course: Sustainable Capitalism and Investment (LAWS11486)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This is an interdisciplinary course that will provide students with knowledge and understanding of current issues in sustainable capitalism and investment.
Seminars will involve discussion of theoretical questions inspired by recent academic literature from the fields of law, finance and economics. This will be combined with an in-depth analysis of real-life practical case studies drawn from current events which will help students to appreciate how the theory operates and is applied in practice.
Students will begin by studying one of the most monumental changes to have shaped the investor landscape in recent years, the rise of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing. We will examine ESG metrics and the phenomenon of index investing and ESG index funds. Students will also learn about environmental and social shareholder activism initiated by non-governmental organisations, pension funds and activist hedge funds. We will discuss how these shareholders collaborate and interact with each other to effect change at some of the world's biggest companies. Students will also learn about the dominance of global asset managers and how these asset managers engage with companies on issues of sustainability.
Within the companies themselves, we will discuss the role of the board of directors in sustainability, for example by examining law reforms on directors' duties to consider sustainability. We will also consider evolving approaches to executive remuneration to incorporate sustainability metrics.
The course will not be limited to the study of public companies, as private companies also play a fundamental role in sustainability issues. Here, students will examine the role of private companies and the private equity industry in climate change and other environmental and social issues. We will also discuss venture capital, start-ups and impact investing.
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| Course description |
1. Introduction to Sustainable Capitalism and Investment
2. The rise of ESG Investing: From CSR to ESG
3. ESG Metrics, ESG Index Funds and Index Providers
4. ESG Activism 1: Responsible Activists (NGOs, pension funds and collaboration among shareholders)
5. ESG Activism 2: Activist Hedge Funds
6. Boards and Sustainability: Directors Duties and Climate Expertise
7. Asset Managers and Shareholder Stewardship
8. Private Equity and Sustainability
9. Venture Capital and Impact Investing
10. Sustainable Executive Pay
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 25 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Portfolio of contributions to discussion boards: 20%;
class presentation: 20%;
3,500-word essay: 60%
|
| Feedback |
Students will have the opportunity to obtain formative feedback over the course of the semester. The feedback provided will assist students in their preparation for the summative assessment.
Details of the School's feedback policy will be available at the start of the course. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- show a critical understanding of contemporary theories and current debates in the interdisciplinary field of sustainable capitalism and investment and the rationale underpinning law reforms and market behaviour in this area. They will also gain experience in applying these theoretical ideas to practical case studies and analyse how these theories are exemplified in current events.
- develop the skills of working independently in critically analysing interdisciplinary legal, finance and economics literature. They will also become familiar with material from different jurisdictions, as the topics covered in the course are of global importance. Students will become experienced in applying the theoretical material to practical case studies that will be drawn from events that are in the public domain / financial press. Students will also gain independent research and presentation skills as they will be required to present their ideas and analysis to the class in both written and verbal form.
- draw links between the theoretical and practical aspects of the course to form their own opinions on the most urgent issues in law and finance and society more generally. They will also be encouraged to identify and offer proposals for legal reform based on their critical analysis.
- participate in discussions boards centred around theoretical questions and practical case studies. They will present their opinions and ideas to classmates in these discussion boards, which will foster interaction and exchange of ideas. Students will have the opportunity to learn from and give feedback to other students.
- manage their time effectively and use their own motivation to prepare for seminars and to link the theoretical aspects of the course to the practical case studies and to current events in sustainable law and finance. They will also exercise initiative in presenting ideas through the discussion boards in an original and creative way.
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Reading List
Resources for this course will be recently published law review articles that are publicly available.
The recently published books that are relevant to this course are currently available with online access in the University Library (e.g. Elizabeth Pollman & Robert B. Thompson (eds.) Research Handbook on Corporate Purpose and Personhood (Edward Elgar, 2021)).
The course will also refer to working papers that are publicly available on SSRN and to law reform materials, academic blog posts and articles from the financial press.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Students will develop the skills of working independently in critically analysing interdisciplinary legal, finance and economics literature. They will also become familiar with material from different jurisdictions, as the topics covered in the course are of global importance. Students will become experienced in applying the theoretical material to practical case studies that will be drawn from events that are in the public domain/financial press. Students will also gain independent research and presentation skills as they will be required to present their ideas and analysis to the class in both written and verbal form.
Students will draw links between the theoretical and practical aspects of the course to form their own opinions on the most urgent issues in law and finance and society more generally. They will also be encouraged to identify and offer proposals for legal reform based on their critical analysis.
Students will participate in discussions boards centred around theoretical questions and practical case studies. They will present their opinions and ideas to classmates in these discussion boards, which will foster interaction and exchange of ideas. Students will have the opportunity to learn from and give feedback to other students.
Students will need to manage their time effectively and use their own motivation to prepare for seminars and to link the theoretical aspects of the course to the practical case studies and to current events in sustainable law and finance. They will also exercise initiative in presenting ideas through the discussion boards in an original and creative way.
Students will develop skills in reading, critical analysis, written communication, and oral skills. They will also engage with online technology and be required to summarising complex ideas succinctly and clearly. These skills are useful for careers in academia, legal practice, policy, or industry.
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Anna Christie
Tel:
Email: Anna.Christie@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Clare Polson
Tel: (0131 6)51 9704
Email: Clare.Polson@ed.ac.uk |
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