LT5078 - Sustainability, Business and Responsibility (2026/27)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2026/27 | |||||||||||||||
| Module title | Sustainability, Business and Responsibility | |||||||||||||||
| Module level | Intermediate (05) | |||||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 15 | |||||||||||||||
| School | Guildhall School of Business and Law | |||||||||||||||
| Total study hours | 150 | |||||||||||||||
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| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2026/27(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
‘Sustainability, Business and Responsibility’ addresses the critical issue of sustainability, explaining why the current human lifestyle is unsustainable. It shows the consequences of humanity’s exploitation of planetary resources and the impact it has on humans, the planet, and businesses. The module focuses on understanding how businesses affect sustainability and how sustainability affects businesses, in order to recognise the fundamental need to change business models into more sustainable ones.
Sustainability has become the essential focus of governments, global financial institutions, and international organisations. Post COP-21 in Paris (2015), organisations, businesses, communities, and individuals are expected to understand and take responsibility for their economic, environmental, and social impacts. It isn’t a “nice to know about” subject anymore; it is an essential aspect of business education, growing in importance to recruitment, career prospects, and professional development
The module tries to shift the focus from the negative, overwhelming inertia to the positive changes leading to a more sustainable future, learning how multiple individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses innovate to reach the set sustainability goals of Net-Zero by 2050.
Aim of the module:
You will develop a full understanding of what is meant by sustainability, who decides what constitutes sustainability principles, and how these principles are applied.
You will recognise perspectives of governments, business, and communities, and the challenges and conflicts these present.
You will explore the varied tools and techniques used to assess sustainability in business.
Prior learning requirements
No prerequisites. Available for Study Abroad? YES
Syllabus
The module syllabus is interdisciplinary and focuses on business in any sector, with case studies from food, fashion, construction, aviation, banking, insurance, technology, media, and other industry sectors. The module starts with an introduction to sustainability, trying to answer the question: why does it matter? Next, we explore the greatest sustainability challenges: climate change and biodiversity loss, and introduce systems thinking as a sustainability analysis paradigm. The following weeks are dedicated to key changes in the business world and ask to rethink how our world operates, incl. questions of sustainable growth and changing legal expectations of businesses. We analyse business risks and opportunities leading to the transformation to Net Zero and sustainable business case. Final classes look into greenwashing and sustainable branding, circular economy, sustainable production and consumption, and a variety of existing sustainable business models.
Additional activities include participation in Climate Fresk workshops.
Balance of independent study and scheduled teaching activity
The module is delivered via on-site lectures (streamed online) and seminars. Lecture materials, which use a wide range of communication means, incl. videos, graphics, maps, hyperlinks, and social media, are available online (Weblearn) in written (slides) and audio-video (session recording) form. Seminars act as arenas of discussion and research, investigating various sustainability parameters and indices designed to critically assess business progress in the adoption of sustainable business models. Use of case studies from around the world and various industry sectors allows students from every course to engage, contribute, and reflect on topics in the context of their own experiences and course-specific inclinations.
Students are expected to prepare for on-site teaching sessions by watching TED talks allocated for each week.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. To engage with the growing international debate and practice around sustainability, business, and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
2. To understand how sustainable policy and societal pressures challenge organisations and the business-as-usual model.
3. To use tools and techniques for evaluating and implementing sustainability in the business setting
4. To understand how changing environmental realities may affect business practice and recommend sustainable adjustments to the business model.