Postgraduate Course: Sustainability in Context (CMSE11571)
Course Outline
| School | Business School |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Sustainability has become an all-encompassing term and important within an ever-expanding array of institutions, frameworks, and trends based on scientific understanding of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and planetary limits. This course explores aspects of sustainability with the goal of developing a more nuanced and contextualised understanding from three perspectives: i) global institutions, ii) scientific research, and iii) industry trends. Through this course, students will develop a forward-looking view to sustainability as a core strategic topic around which industries, firms and other organizations must compete, contend, and collaborate. This conceptual mapping of the sustainability terrain provides a foundation for moving onto more in-depth topics. |
| Course description |
This course consists of three parts. Each provides a view of the field of sustainability from three levels of scale and context. We begin with an examination of the global institutions and frameworks that are today shaping the field and public discourse. Next, we explore concepts, theories and evidence-bases that constitute the science of sustainability. Finally, we develop an understanding of how the science and institutions of sustainability influence industry trends as well as risks and opportunities for firms and organizations across all sectors.
Part 1: The Science of Sustainability
-Planetary Boundaries
-Carbon Literacy
-Climate Science
Part 2: Global Institutions and Frameworks
-COP (UN Climate Change Conferences)
-SDG (UN Sustainable Development Goals)
-SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiative)
-ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance standards)
Part 3: Industry Trends
-Just Transition
-Circular Economy
-Degrowth
-Clean Energy
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2024/25, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Block 1 (Sem 1) |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
83 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% Coursework (Andividual) - Assesses all course Learning Outcomes |
| Feedback |
Formative: Informal discussion and feedback on final report plans will be provided during office hours.
Summative: Summative feedback will be provided on the assessment within agreed timelines. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop a contextual understanding of the global institutions and frameworks in the field of sustainability.
- Identify and critically assess global challenges contributing to the need for sustainability in business.
- Identity the stakeholders involved in a sustainability related issue and critically evaluate their potential roles in address that issue.
- Have a critical understanding of research and evidence supporting climate change and science-based targets.
- Develop a contextual overview of carbon literacy and a critical understanding of the tools of the field.
|
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Knowledge and Understanding.
After completing this course, students should be able to:
-Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of global institutions and frameworks, scientific research, and industry trends relevant to the field of sustainability.
-Identify sustainability-related industry trends, risks and opportunities.
Practice: Applied Knowledge, Skills and Understanding.
After completing this course, students should be able to:
-Work with a variety of organisations, their stakeholders, and the communities they serve by learning from them, and aiding them to understand and develop responsible, sustainable and enterprising solutions to complex problems.
-Apply creative, innovative, entrepreneurial, sustainable and responsible business solutions to address social, economic and environmental global challenges.
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| Keywords | Climate change,SDG,ESG,SBTI,Carbon literacy,Circular economy,just transition,clean energy |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Martina Ayoub
Tel:
Email: mayoub@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Connie Wong
Tel:
Email: ywong@ed.ac.uk |
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