THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER MANCHESTER BUSINESS SCHOOL Academic Year Course Code Course Title Level 2012/2013 BMAN

20310 Environmental Management for Sustainable Development 2

Degree Programmes BSc Management and Management (Specialisms), BSc International Management with American Business Studies, BSc International Management, BSc Mathematics and Management. Member of Staff Responsible Dr Paul Dewick Other Staff Involved Seminar leader: Nichola Hutson, Manchester Business School and Sustainable Consumption Institute, nichola.hutson@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk, tel: tbc There will be some guest lectures from external speakers also. Pre-requisites: None Co-requisites: None Dependent course units: None Semester 1 and 2 Credit Rating 20 credits Course Aims The current financial crisis, different in many ways to previous crises, may usher in a new form of capitalism that catalyses a significant change in the relationship between government, business and society. There has never been a more important time to understand how companies can respond to this changing business environment. The Environmental Management for Sustainable Development course explores why and how companies can respond to this challenge by changing what they are doing - both strategically and operationally - to gain or maintain a competitive advantage. The course aims to motivate the students to integrate notions of sustainability into their business approach by combining a thorough understanding of the issues surrounding sustainable development and climate change with knowledge of how business can respond to these opportunities and challenges by embedding sustainability into an organisation's strategy and operations.
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Learning Outcomes At the end of course, students should be able to: 1. Appreciate that climate change is not disputed; human contribution is contested (a little) 2. Understand the relationship between government, industry and science, and the wider connection between geo-political/economic/social trends and environmental management for sustainable development. 3. Recognise that sustainable business strategies must yield profits. 4. Understand critically the intra-organisational management tools and techniques to embed sustainability into the companys operations and strategy. 5. Understand critically the inter-organisational management tools and techniques to embed sustainability beyond the boundaries of the company through product value chains. 6. Acquire research, analysis and collective organisational skills through group projects in the first and second semester; especially in the 2nd semester group report which requires the design, implementation and write-up of a substantive research project. Syllabus Lectures In semester one, weekly one-hour lectures provide students with a thorough understanding of the issues surrounding sustainable development and climate change and how it affects business. In semester two, weekly one-hour lectures in semester two provide students with knowledge of how companies can embed environmental sustainability into their organisation's strategy, operations and value chain. All lectures provide an overview presentation of specific topics; more detailed notes are available on Blackboard for reference. All lectures have some element of interactive participation in the form of polls, quizzes, thought experiments, scenarios, etc. To enhance your employability, guest speakers are invited in to share their experiences and insights. Seminars In semester one, weekly one-hour seminars will consist of two presentations of chapters. Every student is expected to give one presentation, either individually or in a group (depending on numbers). All students are expected to read each weeks chapter and to be able to discuss it at the request of Nichola Hutson, the seminar leader. In semester two, weekly one-hour tutorials will be devoted to student group projects on topics self-formulated (in discussion with Paul Dewick and Nichola Hutson, the seminar leader). Students are strongly advised to take account of Pauls and Nikkis guidance on their group project. First semester seminars allow students to demonstrate their understanding of a specific topic, to practice and get feedback on their presentation skills, to engage in critical discussion and to learn from their peers and the seminar leader. Second semester tutorials are based around an enquiry based learning teaching approach where students apply what they know in a real scenario. The project is intended to develop your learning independence, creativity and adaptive behaviour; learning is student centred, with an emphasis on group work, time management and organisation. Students can also use the seminars to ask their seminar leader to clarify any issues arising from the lectures.

Teaching approach and employability Teaching on EMSD is high quality and research led with an emphasis on authentic mastery (not just knowing what you know, but applying what you know). The module has scored highly on student satisfaction surveys since they were introduced in 2008. In 2011/12 EMSD scored an average of 4.59 out of 5 across seventeen criteria, with a higher than average response rate from students. Based partly on his teaching on EMSD, Paul Dewick was awarded Academic of the Year for UG Programmes in 2010/11. Paul Dewick was an inaugural member of MBS Teaching Academy (2011) and is an alumnus of the International Teachers Programme (Chicago, 2010). Acknowledging in particular the integrated role of external speakers in the module, and the practicality of the second semester enquiry based learning project, in 2011 EMSD was highlighted by students as an example of best practice for Employability. Methods of Delivery Lecture hours: 22 (22 lectures of 1 hour each per week) Seminar hours: 22 (22 seminars of 1 hours each per week) Private study: 156 Total study hours: 200 Detailed timetable SEMESTER 1: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Semester 1 will revolve around the topics of sustainability, sustainable development and climate change what they are and why they matter to business. We discuss key environmental challenges of our time, drawing parallels and highlighting differences with previous environmental crises. The main mechanisms influencing how science, government and business respond to environmental problems are discussed and analysed. Lectures (One hour a week) 1. Introduction to the Environmental Management for Sustainable Development course Lecture one offers a detailed introduction and rationale for selecting this module. In it we question our understanding of EM and SD, give an overview of the course and the people involved, spell out the learning aims and outcomes, unpack the assessment and clarify what you can expect in terms of feedback. 2. Sustainable economic growth Lecture two provides an introduction to global environmental problems, questioning why the natural environment matters and asking if we can put a value on the environment. Our economic system does not currently value the environment and we look at other measures of sustainable growth; a hot topic after Rio 2012. We also assess our progress toward sustainability through sustainable development. It does not make for easy listening. 3. Early approaches to environmental protection They say history doesnt repeat itself but it rhymes. Lecture three begins to consider what we can learn from previous environmental crises: the role of organizations and government, the role of society and science. We introduce a case study of the London Fog in the 1950s and draw some lessons from the experience.

4. The case for integration emerges In lecture four we continue our exploration of our response to previous environmental crises. Fast forward a couple of decades to the 1970s and all the attention was on acid rain. Again we look at the role of science, business and government and use a simple game theoretic approach to understand the difficulties associated with tackling a problem that requires a collaborative solution. We plot how the case for integration led us to the current Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control policy in Europe. 5. Market based approaches to environmental protection In lecture five we explore the role of the market in reducing environmental damage and lay the foundations for our examination of climate change. Starting with some basic concepts from environmental economics we take a case study look at the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism initiatives to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. 6. The changing role of government, industry and society Lecture six concludes our analysis of responses to previous environmental crises by looking at a case study of the ozone hole. Again we look at the interaction of science, society, government and business and use insights from game theory and cost benefit analysis to understand how we reacted far faster to combat ozone than we did with acid rain. We also look across our case studies to draw generalisable lessons explore the principles that emerged. 7. Feedback session Lecture seven offers you the opportunity to give feedback on the first part of the module, discuss issues of concern and make suggestions. There will also be a pub quiz on the first part of the module. Fingers on buzzes.... 8. The intractability of climate change Climate change will form a backdrop to our lives and the lives of future generations. Lecture eight provides an introduction to the science and causes of climate change. We look at some generic options for mitigation, and analyse independently some of the arguments made against the credibility of climate science.....there is quite an industry around climate dissenters. 9. Climate change targets and sustainable business In lecture nine we explicitly compare climate change with the other environmental issues discussed in semester one and examine how climate change will affect business activity depending on speed/level of our response. We look at how business should be reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 4% p.a. to 2020 to remain on (long-term) target to avoid dangerous climate change. We stress what a considerable challenge this is, and how our focus on long-term targets may be very mis-leading and risky. 10. Planning for the future One lesson from our study of climate change is that the future is inherently unpredictable. Government policy and business strategy needs to be able to anticipate a variety of possibilities, and using scenarios has become a popular method for doing this. This final session of semester one introduces scenarios as a technique for envisaging a low carbon (i.e. greenhouse gas) emissions future. We take a case study look at biotechnology and draw lessons from the past (the transition from gas to electricity) to consider the possible transition to a future bio-economy.
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Plus, during the first semester there will be one company case study of the Cooperative Group (www.co-operative.coop). The Coop has been pro-active in responding to the challenges of climate change and sustainable development. Ben Norbury, Carbon and Climate Change Adviser from the Coop, will present a review of their initiatives including monitoring and reporting of emissions, sourcing and generating renewable energy, involvement in carbon footprinting products and carbon offsetting. Semester 1 seminars (1 hour a week) Two students (or pair of students) will present a 20 minute (max) PowerPoint (or equivalent) summary and critique per week on a chapter from the 2012 Worldwatch book (chapters will be allocated in the week 2 seminar). To facilitate discussion, each student/pair of students will prepare a one sided introduction to the reading (to hand in to the seminar leader and to be distributed to all seminar participants) and make a presentation to the seminar group. In their presentation students should highlight the key lessons to be learnt from the reading and provide a critique. They should also come up with three questions or comments for further class discussion. Students will need to read beyond the chapter to score well. More guidance on the assessment process can be found on Blackboard and will be discussed in the first seminar in week 2. SEMESTER 2: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Corporate sustainability is a business approach to create long-term shareholder value, by embracing opportunities and managing risks deriving from economic, social and environmental development. Semester 2 will examine the response of businesses and other organisations to the challenge of sustainable development, particularly some of the main tools available, including Environmental Management Systems, Life Cycle Assessment and the Natural Step. Case-studies will be used through the lectures. Lectures (One hour a week) 1. Reprise, and Intra-organisational sustainability management: Environmental management systems Before the main event, we begin with a recap about the lessons from semester one. Semester two provides students with knowledge about how companies can embed environmental sustainability into their organisation's strategy, operations and value chain. We start by exploring the role of environmental management systems in corporate sustainability. An Environmental Management System is a voluntary procedure whereby a firm reviews its environmental impact and institutes a system for monitoring that impact and actions taken to improve efficiency and compliance with environmental regulations. This session evaluates EMS and illustrates with firm cases. 2. Environmental reporting (including a case study of the Global Reporting Initiative) Economic reporting is mandatory for public listed companies. Outside the economic dimension, the obligation on companies to report differs according to location. There is often a requirement to report on compliance with regulations or emissions of toxic substances but outside this reporting is largely voluntary. In this session we explore the trend toward integrated social and environmental reports (sometimes called CSR reports or sustainability reports) and discuss problems over defining what a bottom line for social and environmental issues is and what trade-offs are present between the three bottom lines. 3 and 4. Life cycle analysis and Inter-organisational sustainability management Improving the sustainability of the supply chain usually implies making more product and less waste using less energy and resources. The presence of waste indicates potential process inefficiencies and removing these improves process productivity as well as greening it.
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Financial benefits can follow. These two sessions introduce the method of LCA as a means of comparing the environmental impacts of products and processes and highlights many cases where intervention has led to reduced environmental impacts. We talk about a diverse range of products, from cars to crisps, from paint to underpants. The (in)appropriateness of LCA for small firms is considered also, and we assess product life stories and streamlined LCA. 5. Feedback session Lecture five offers you the opportunity to give feedback on the first part of the second semester, discuss issues of concern and make suggestions. There will also be a pub quiz on life cycle analysis. I really want to see those fingers on buzzes.... 6 and 7. Sustainability management models: Five capitals, 'Natural capitalism', 'Green to Gold' and The Natural Step' Over the next couple of sessions we look at different management models that have been suggested to steer companies toward a more sustainable path. All are concerned essentially with minimising use of resources, closing materials loops (e.g. by recycling), efficiencies, ecoinnovation, etc. All suggest principles that should be adhered to when businesses make decisions. The five capitals model expresses sustainability in terms of placing human activity within the overall limits of nature. Natural capitalism is based on the idea that basic material and energy efficiency of the economy is so low that improvements of 4, 10 or even 100 fold are possible if designed with that intention from the start: it recommends resource productivity, ecological redesign and bio-mimicry, services, and restoring natural capital. The Green to gold framework explains how smart companies use environmental strategy to innovate, create value and build competitive advantage. Finally, The Natural Step (TNS) embodies and promotes an ecological economic definition of sustainability, emphasising the relevance of thermodynamic laws to environmental management. All of these approaches merit consideration with respect to their ability to catalyse positive change and reduce environmental impacts. 8. Communicating the sustainability of products Over the last ten years there has been a huge trend towards the implementation of product labelling schemes (PLS) to support more SCP. These labelling schemes are based on set standards, assessment of products against these standards and communication of the assessment with or on the product. In this session we assess the wider benefits of labelling and evaluate their effectiveness in terms of changing consumer behaviour. 9. Revision lecture and exam guidance This lecture reviews the course and explains the relatively open exam. A little extra reading and exam essay planning will make a substantial difference to your mark. Plus, during the second semester there will also be two sessions where company representatives will be invited in to discuss their involvement with sustainability initiatives. On a date to be confirmed, characteristic of a large organization, Centrica (www.centrica.com) will present their initiatives up and down the production and consumption system of energy to reduce green house gas emissions and energy consumption. And there will be another guest lecture from an environmental consultant involved with the Clean Development Mechanism and Voluntary Emissions Reductions. More details to follow once arrangements have been made. Semester 2 tutorials (one hour a week) The requirement in Semester 2 is for each student to take part in a group research project, 3000 words (an appendix of 1500 words can be used, but the material included must be pertinent). The group project will be related to an over-arching theme of sustainable production
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and consumption. Each group will consist of around 4 students. Following an introduction to the themes and a brainstorming session in tutorial 1 of semester 2, tutorials will be structured around making progress on the group project. There is a stage-gate in week 3, where students must provide a one-page document outlining with the research aim and method. Semester 2 tutorials also provide an opportunity for students to seek clarification about the lectures. Virtual Learning Environment Lecture notes will be available on Blackboard 24 hours before each lecture. Weblinks to further reading will be provided on the Blackboard course pages. When reading or revising for the exam, students should be selective, according to their interests and which topic they plan to prepare for in section 1 of the exam. More explanation will follow in the last lecture of semester two. Reading List There is no core text. All relevant readings will be posted on Blackboard or can be obtained through links via the annotated lecture slides. There are many books on the market, none of which fully capture the approach followed in EMSD. Although its dated, students may find John Brady (2006) Environmental Management in Organisations, Earthscan/IEMA, London useful. Fetzer, A.V. and Aaron, S., (2009), Climbing the green ladder, John Wiley and Sons, is another good read with lots of examples. You will need weekly access to Worldwatch Institute (2012), ''Moving toward sustainable prosperity'', available in the library or from a variety of online bookshops (Amazon is perhaps the cheapest) or directly from Worldwatch: http://www.worldwatch.org/stateoftheworld2012 Assessment Methods and Relative Weighting Semester 1: presentation on book chapter: 15% Semester 2: group project 3,000 words: 35% (plus additional 1500 word appendix) Semester 2: unseen exam: 2 questions from 6 in 1.5 hours: 50%. For semester 1 only exchange students taking this course as BMAN20631 the assessment will be: Presentation (25%); 2000 word essay (75%) Examination EMSD is examined at the end of the second semester in May/June 2013. The exam will be 90 minutes and students will answer one essay question from a choice of four in section A (which will be topic specific) and one essay question from a choice of two in section B (which will cut across themes from EMSD). More details about the exam will be given out in revision session. The exam and other forms of assessment can be discussed in the feedback sessions as well. Coursework Type of Assessment Semester 1: seminar presentation Due date Immediately following your designated presentation in semester 1 % of Total Course Mark 15%

Semester 2: group project 3000 word report (plus optional 1500 word Appendix)

Hard copy to be submitted by 12.00 hours, Friday 3rd May 2013 (Hand to MBSE D20).

35%

Electronic version to be emailed by one group member to Alison Smith (Alison.smith@mbs.ac.uk) by 12pm on 3rd May 2013

International students assessment: International students will undertake a first semester presentation (worth 25%) and an essay (2000 words maximum) (worth 75%). A summary of the presentation must be handed-in before the presentation. The essay must be submitted to MBS-D20 by 12pm, Friday December 7th 2012. International students essay question In 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro (The Earth Summit), Agenda 21 (UNCED, 1992) one of the main international policy documents on sustainable development highlighted the unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, particularly in industrialised countries, as the major cause of continued deterioration of the global environment. 20 years on at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), governments reaffirmed their commitment to more sustainable production and consumption. a. b. Discuss progress over the last 20 years toward addressing unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. Suggest ways in which government and business can respond more effectively to the commitments made at Rio+20.

Reference: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992), Agenda 21, available at http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/agenda21/, last accessed July 2012 Penalties for Late or Non-Submission of Assignments Unexcused late submission of assessed work will be penalised in order to avoid the unfair advantaging and disadvantaging of students.

Penalties for late submission are as follows:

Submission after the For any piece of assessed coursework submitted after designated deadline on the the designated deadline on the day of submission: day of submission (i) a penalty of 5 marks will be deducted from the mark for the piece of assessed work if the work is submitted after the designated deadline but on the same day of submission; For example, assuming the coursework deadline is 2.00pm and the maximum number of marks to be gained is 100, if you submit your coursework at 2.15pm and you would normally get a mark of 65% a mark of 60% would be given. (ii) a penalty of 10 marks will be deducted from the mark for the piece of assessed work if it is submitted the day
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after the day of submission; For example, assuming the maximum number of marks to be gained is 100, if the coursework would normally get a mark of 65% and is submitted a day late, a mark of 55% will be given. and then (iii) a penalty of 5 marks per day thereafter including weekends and Bank Holidays. This will be regardless of how much the assessed work counts towards the final mark. Weekends count as two days.

Submission after a week (7 After a week (7 days) a mark of zero will be given. days) Weekends will count as two days.

Please note that this is a Faculty policy for Undergraduates and it is not at the discretion of the individual lecturer to abate the policy. If a student has a genuine reason for late or non-submission of an assignment, this should be reported as soon as possible to the Undergraduate Office (Room D20, MBS East). Plagiarism Please refer to the School's policy on plagiarism in your Second Year Handbook. Check that ALL use of sources is referenced. Copying and pasting text, and presenting this as your own, constitutes plagiarism. In a group project, all members will potentially be held responsible check all sections of the report before it is submitted. Dont do it it is usually very obvious to us. It doesnt take much longer to paraphrase sources. Paul Dewick reserves the right to use Turnitin Plagiarism software. Marking Criteria 1st Semester Seminar Presentations Seminar presentations by individuals or in pairs (or, if numbers are very high, in threes) on one reading (details of which will be given out in lecture one of semester one). Assessment criteria for the presentation are: Understanding/Content (50%); Management of Discussion/Explanation (25%); Presentation Style/Creativity (25%). More details are available in the document EMSD first semester Presentation Assessment Rubric on Blackboard. 2nd Semester Group Reports The assessment will be based on the 3000 word report (40% of marks). An appendix of 1500 words can be used, but the material included must be pertinent. The projects should be written as a formal report and will be assessed according to the marking conventions in the file EMSD second semester marking scheme on Blackboard. The report will receive a single mark but students will use peer assessment to confirm individual contribution and therefore individual marks (see Instructions for EMSD Groupwork document on Blackboard). In cases where there is dispute about the contribution of individual group members, this document details a procedure that will be followed to ensure a fair allocation of marks.

Examination The 1.5-hour examination is held in the summer examination period (May/early June 2013) and requires you to answer 2 questions from a choice of 6. There are two sections to the exam paper. Section 1 requires you to evidence a good level of knowledge of one core area of environmental management for sustainable development. Guidance will be given on what is considered core in the last lecture of semester two. You will be expected to have read beyond the lecture notes for this answer. Section 2 requires you to apply broad knowledge of the lectures and seminar reading to answer a general question. This question tests your general understanding of environmental management for sustainable development (whereas question 1 will test your knowledge of a specific topic). Feedback to Students on Progress Feedback to students on their progress will be by the following means: in discussions of work submitted for assessment; through written comments on submitted written work; through individual tutorials as necessary. Because students will present throughout the first semester, to allow us to evaluate performance across students, feedback will be available one week after the last first semester seminar, before the end of the first semester. Written feedback on group reports will be emailed by Paul Dewick to the designated group member (usually the group member who submits the electronic version of the report) within 15 working days of the deadline date. General written feedback on exams will be posted on Blackboard. Feedback Schedule Coursework Submission Feedback Release Date Date First semester presentations Before or on the 14th December 2012 Second semester group Before or on the 27th May reports 2013 Examination Following confirmation of the marks by the External Examiner (mid July 2013)

Method of Feedback Written (individual) Written (group) Written (generic)

Methods of Feedback from Students Students will be able to feedback informally to the module coordinator before/after/during lectures and seminars or by appointment. Two specific sessions one in each semester will provide an opportunity to feedback. There will also be an opportunity to complete an end of year course unit evaluation in addition to the centralized one. In 2011/12, in response to the previous years comments, second semester seminars were organized differently allocating time slots to teams. Interactive elements of lectures were increased further and the coherence of the module was improved by changing the runningorder. Attendance monitoring Attendance at all classes is compulsory and will be monitored across seminars, workshops and labs. Spot checks will take place across lectures.

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