MSc Sustainable Business

This course unit provides a detailed introduction to contemporary global environmental and social sustainability challenges, and to a range of ideas about how key societal actors (including businesses) can and should respond to them. It introduces students to foundational conceptualisations and theories of sustainability and sustainable development, while enhancing their literacy of the full range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and of other prominent frameworks and indicators which define the scale and character of global sustainability challenges. This will lay the foundation for a detailed consideration of relationships between business, policymakers and civil society, of potential trade-offs between the pursuit of different sustainability goals, and of the political concerns and controversies which may result from these tensions.

The unit aims to:

• Introduce students to the concept of sustainability and to key theorisations of sustainable development
• Develop students’ sustainability mindsets and values by providing a comprehensive overview of contemporary global environmental and social sustainability challenges
• Explore the applications, limitations and omissions of frameworks which define the scale and character of global sustainability challenges 
• Equip students with an understanding of key relationships and interactions between business, policy and civil society actors in relation to sustainability challenges
• Enable students to critically evaluate tensions and trade-offs between the pursuit of different sustainability goals and to analyse resultant controversies surrounding global sustainability challenges

Knowledge and understanding

KU1 Evaluate different conceptualisations of global sustainability challenges and compare various perspectives on how societies can respond to them - Individual essay

KU2 Give examples of frameworks and indicators for assessing progress towards sustainability and explain their applications, limitations and omissions  - Individual essay

KU3 Analyse the role of business, policy and civil society actors in creating and addressing sustainability challenges - Individual essay

KU4 Appraise the tensions, synergies and interactions between attempts to address different social, environmental and economic issues in the context of sustainable development - Individual essay

Intellectual skills 

IS1 Appraise different theories of sustainable development - Individual essay

IS2 Apply and evaluate a range of sustainability frameworks and indicators - Individual essay

IS3 Explain the implications, politics and possible unintended consequences of adopting different approaches to conceptualising and assessing sustainability - Individual essay

Practical skills 

PS1 Communicate theory and evidence-based arguments through academic and business writing - Individual essay

PS2 Use academic research tools to identify, compile and annotate relevant information held within published literature, databases and digital sources - 1) Group annotated bibliography 2) Individual essay

PS3 Synthesise and analyse information gained through literature searches into structured and critical arguments - 1) Group annotated bibliography 2) Individual essay

Transferable skills and personal qualities

TS1 Formulate arguments to demonstrate skills in debating, persuasion and compromise in writing - Individual essay

TS2 Collaborate and develop effective team dynamics and project management processes - Group annotated bibliography

TS3 Develop strategies to work effectively with teams comprising all dimensions of diversity - Group annotated bibliography

Syllabus (indicative curriculum content):

This course unit provides a comprehensive introduction to contemporary global environmental and social sustainability challenges, and to the key frameworks and actors involved in attempts to respond to them. Early sessions will introduce the concept of sustainability, examine the relationship between (un)sustainable development and the pursuit of economic growth, and explore proposals for more sustainable economic models ranging from green growth to degrowth. Subsequent sessions will review a range of frameworks for assessing progress towards the achievement of sustainable development and evaluate their limitations. They will also explore the role of key societal actors – including governments, business and civil society – in pursuing sustainable development and introduce students to key relationships and interactions between them. The course will conclude by considering possible tensions and trade-offs between different sustainability goals, and by examining how these inform political controversies regarding the pursuit of sustainability.
 

The unit is delivered through weekly lecture and seminar sessions. The lecture components of the class will introduce students to key concepts, illustrate them using examples and prepare students to explore them through active learning tasks such as class discussions and independent research exercises. The seminar components of the session will be student led and enable students to develop and refine their understanding of core concepts and approaches through group activities such as discussions, role play, and practical research exercises.

A high level of participation and preparation – Including independent reading around the themes of the lectures – Is required from all students throughout the unit. To facilitate independent and asynchronous learning the course will be supported by a dedicated Blackboard site providing supplementary readings, cases and exercises.

Written feedback provided via Blackboard within 15 working days

Buller, A. (2022) The Value of a Whale: On the Illusions of Green Capitalism. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Chancel, L. (2020) Unsustainable Inequalities: Social Justice and the Environment. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Dresner, S. (2008) The Principles of Sustainability. Abingdon: Earthscan.

Evans, J. P. (2011) Environmental Governance. London: Routledge.

Jackson, T. (2021) Post Growth: Life after Capitalism. Cambridge: Polity Press.

Newell, P. & Paterson, M. (2010) Climate Capitalism: Global Warming and the Transformation of the Global Economy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Raworth, K. (2017). Doughnut Economics: Seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist. London: Chelsea Green Publishing.

Rogers, P. R., Jalal, K. F. & Boyd, J. A. (2007) An Introduction to Sustainable Development. London: Earthscan.

Sachs, J. (2015) The Age of Sustainable Development. New York: Columbia University Press.

Stevenson, H. (2018) Global Environmental Politics: Problems, Policy and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.