Spring Semester

Unit(s) of Assessment	Weighting Towards Module Mark( %)
Submission of Learning Logs (at each session)	20%
Article précis	20%
End of term Project	60%

    This module focuses on the way in which businesses have approached the diverse and increasingly complex agenda of environmental and social management, evaluating the degree of influence these issues, commonly summarised under the term “sustainability”,  have on business activities.  It offers comprehensive grounding in these management issues including strategies, accountability, policies, auditing and reporting.  Given appropriate tools and an exposure to international and local environmental and ethical issues, students will use real-life business industry situations to formulate and understand management policy. Particular emphasis will be placed on Life-cycle thinking and the rigorous understanding of material and energy flows.

This unit discusses the way in which businesses have approached the diverse and increasingly complex agenda of Corporate Sustainability. The main aim of the module is to introduce and develop analytical skills related to corporate sustainability.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of this module each student should:

o       Have a thorough foundation and appreciation of the complex ethical issues involved with environmental management, and apply these in a group or organisational environment;  

o       be aware of the role of corporate environmental management for modern business processes

 o       understand what corporate strategies and policies do, how they apply and where they come from  

o       be able to understand the mechanisms of environmental management systems

 o       appreciate the importance of life cycle thinking and understand the basics of Life Cycle Assessment and Value Chain Analysis, their application in practice and the benefits and challenges associated with this,  

o       know what environmental indicators are and how they can be applied.  

Week No	Lecture topic	Seminar topic
1	Introduction to Corporate Sustainability	Group work
2	Life-Cycle Thinking	Practical Exercise
3	Corporate Social Responsibility	Coca Cola in
4	Environmental Management Systems	Volvo
5	Life Cycle Assessment	Practical Exercise
6	Value-Chain Analysis	Practical Exercise
7	Accidents and Risk	Video: Chernobyl
8	Waste, Waste Management	Group Work
9	Product-based Environmental Management	Ford Pinto
10	Industrial Ecology	Resource Flow Mapping

The module relies on group work and self study, the main delivery method is via one-hour lectures and two-hour seminars.

This is a list of recommended (as opposed to “required”) reading. Essential reading for the Seminars will be distributed separately. In addition, a list of articles will be posted on ULearn.

Azapagic, Adisa - Sustainable development in practice: case studies for engineers and scientists. - Chichester : Wiley, 2004 - - 0470856084:0470856092 (pbk.)

 Allen, David T. - Pollution prevention: homework & design problems for engineering curricula. - [US]: American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Center for Waste Reduction, 1992 - - 0816905819

 Allenby, B. R., Braden R. - Industrial ecology: policy framework and implementation / Braden R. Allenby - - . - Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall; London : Prentice-Hall Internation, 1999 - - 0139211802

 Carroll, John S.. - Decision research: a field guide / John S. Carroll and Eric J. Johnson. - London : Sage Pubns., 90. - 0803932693

 Clayton, Anthony M. H. - Sustainability: a systems approach / Anthony M. H. Clayton, Nicholas J. Radcliff  - London : Earthscan, 1996 - - 1853833142

 Christie, Ian, - Cleaner production in industry: integrating business goals and environmental priorities - - . - London : Policy Studies Institute, 1995 - - 0853746192

Carley, Michael. - Managing sustainable development / Michael Carley & Ian Christie. - 2nd ed.. - London : Earthscan, 2000. - 1853834408

 Clift.R - Introduction to life cycle assessment - 2002

 Elkington, John - Cannibals with forks: the triple bottom line of 21st century business. - Oxford : Capstone, 1999. - 1841120847

 Frankel, Carl. - In Earth's company: business, environment, and the challenge of sustainability. - Gabriola Island , B.C.: New Society Publishers, 1998. - (Conscientious commerce). - 0865713804

 Gray, Rob. - Accounting for the environment / Rob Gray and Jan Bebbington. - 2nd ed. - London : SAGE Publications, 2001. - 076197136x

 Gilbert, Mike. - Achieving environmental standards / Mike Gilbert and Richard Gould. - 2nd ed. - London : Financial Times/Pitman, 1998. - 0273631004

 Graedel, T. E - Streamlined life-cycle assessment - - . - Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall, 1998 - - 0136074251

 Handbook on life cycle assessment: operational guide to the ISO standards / - - . - Dordrecht; London : Kluwer Academic, 2002 - - 1402002289

 Gibson, Martin - Environmental sustainability for business: A framework for action - - . - London : Chadwick House Group, 2000 - - 1902423631 

Gibson, Martin:  The CBI environmental management handbook: challenges for business / - London : Earthscan, 2001 - - 1853836370

 Hawken, Paul - The ecology of commerce: how business can save the planet. - London : Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1993 - - 0297814621

 Hauschild and Wenzel - Environmental assessment of products. - Vol.2: Scientific background / - London : Chapman & Hall, 1998 - - 0412808102

 Henrik - Environmental assessment of products. - Vol.1: Methodology, tools and case studies in product development / - London : Chapman & Hall, 1997 - - 0412808005

 Hunt, David. - Environmental management systems: principles and practice / David Hunt and C. - Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill, 1995. - 0077079108

 Jackson, Tim, - Material concerns: pollution, profit and quality of life . - London : Routledge, 1996 - - 0415132487

 Jacobs, Michael; The green economy: environment, sustainable development and the politics of  - . - London : Pluto Press, 1991 - - 0745304125

Lewis, Helen - Design [plus] environment: a global guide to designing greener goods. - Sheffield : Greenleaf, 2001 - - 1874719438

 Piasecki, Bruce. - Environmental management and business strategy: leadership skills for the 2. - New York; Chichester : John Wiley, 1999. - 0471169722  

Raiffa, Howard, - Decision analysis: introductory lectures on choices under uncertainty. - Reading (Mass); London : Addison-Wesley, 1968. – 0201062909 

Reid, David - Sustainable development: an introductory guide - - . - London : Earthscan, 1995 - - 1853832413

 Sheldon, Chris: ISO 14001 and beyond: environmental management systems in the real world /. - Sheffield : Greenleaf, 1997. - 1874719012

 Stead, W. Edward - Management for a small planet: strategic decision making and the environment - 2nd ed - . - Thousand Oaks, Calif.; London : SAGE, 1996 - - 0761902937

Sustainability strategies for industry: the future of corporate practice /. - Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1998. - (Greening of industry network series). - 1559635983 

Wehrmeyer & Mulugetta: Growing pains: environmental management in developing countries / edited by. - Sheffield : Greenleaf, 1999. - 1874719136 

Wehrmeyer: Greening people: human resources and environmental management / [edited by. - Sheffield : Greenleaf, 1996. - 1874719152

Welford, Richard,. - Environmental strategy and sustainable development: the corporate challenge. - London : Routledge, 1995. - 0415105528

4 August 2008