Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of the essential integration of environmental and sustainability considerations as fundamental components of modern business practices. It will illustrate the drivers, frameworks, techniques, and practical challenges involved in the successful implementation of environmental management.

Outline Of Syllabus

This module gives an overview of sustainability and environmental management as a business concern and the benefits to be gained from a proactive approach to environmental improvement. It discusses the techniques, incentives, frameworks, challenges involved in environmental management, which are used to monitor and implement environmental improvements within the workplace.
The module covers concepts such as:
Business and environmental management in the current world e.g. Climate Finance, Carbon pricing and carbon markets
ESG Scores, big data and ethics in sustainability, climate and social justice, health and safety, environmental management systems (e.g. ISO14001:2015), ethics of environmental management.
Case studies demonstrating environmental management, with a focus on the energy and natural resources sector.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On the successful completion of this module a student will be able to:
a) demonstrate an understanding of techniques and frameworks used in environmental auditing, reviewing, and reporting (M3, M7).
b) To critically analyse and compare drivers for good and bad environmental practices and how it affects people across the world (M2, M4).
c) To classify, analyse and interpret complex information from diverse sources, such as socio-economic, political, legislative, and geographic data, to understand the drivers and challenges (e.g. ethics, stakeholder engagement) of successful environmental management as a core business strategy (M7).

Intended Skill Outcomes

On the successful completion of this module the student will have skills:
a) To research and interpret environmental legislation and drivers for businesses from different regions worldwide. They will be able to compare and appraise these legislations and assess factors influencing their effectiveness or lack thereof (M3, M4, M7, M16).
b) To interpret how business and environmental management are closely linked and necessary to achieve climate and social justice, health and safety, and process safety (M4).
c) To conduct environmental audits, reviews, and reporting, including the ability to quantitatively and qualitatively assess an organization's environmental performance, prescribe areas for improvement, and communicate findings and solutions effectively through reports (M4, M7).
d) To work collaboratively in groups and manage team working efficiently, allowing them to critically evaluate and analyse complex information and then communicate their findings, thereby developing effective presentation skills (M16, M17).

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures and online sessions will provide students with the opportunity to discuss theoretical concepts with lecturers and their peers to consolidate their understanding. At Masters level, the focus is on guided independent study and group-supported learning. Online guided learning material is delivered to students via Canvas. Information literacy, interpersonal communication, planning and organisation, numeracy and written communication will be practiced throughout, and assessed in the group and individual summative assessments.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

In the group presentation assessment (summative), students will be assessed for their critical analysis and comparison of variations in environmental legislation and policies between different regions. They will be assessed on identifying and critically correlating the underlying drivers for the differences or similarities, and the potential impact of these legislations and their implementation (or lack of) on environmental improvements and appraise their links to climate and social justice, health and safety, and ethics. They will also be assessed on their ability to evaluate their own and their groups work (M4 M7 M16 M17).

The formative group assessment will examine student skills to critically review and audit the typical aspects, impacts and opportunities for improvement in environmental practice within a particular industrial sector, based on internationally accepted environment management practices. The students’ ability to conduct a thorough literature review on the relevant sector will also be assessed (M4, M3, M7 M16 M17).

The exam will test a broad range of knowledge and skills in terms of principles of business and environmental management (M2 M3 M4 M7).

General Notes

N/A