Responsible Investment and Sustainability Reporting

Module Provider: Business Informatics, Systems and Accounting
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Module version for: 2016/7

Summary module description:
Aims:
This module aims to provide third year undergraduate students with an understanding of the concepts, theory and practice of responsible investment and sustainability reporting in order to broaden their knowledge of accounting and financial management to incorporate issues of social and environmental accountability.

Assessable learning outcomes:
By the end of the module it is expected that students will be able to:

1. explain the historic development of responsible investment and sustainability reporting
2. assess the need for institutional investors to adopt the Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) at a global level
3. evaluate the need for companies to disclose social, ethical and environmental information for their investors
4. comment on current debates on responsible investment, sustainability reporting and integrated reporting
5. discuss the materiality of social, ethical and environmental issues to the institutional investment community
6. evaluate the competing theoretical frameworks which seek to explain why companies report sustainability information voluntarily as well as theories underlying the growth of ethical and responsible investment
7. appreciate the growing importance of integrating social, ethical and environmental issues into accounting and institutional investment

Additional outcomes:
Structured activities are designed to develop transferrable skills such as written, presentation and communication skills necessary for working in a business environment.

Outline content:
1. theories of voluntary social, ethical and environmental reporting
2. theories underlying ethical and responsible investment
3.materiality of social, ethical and environmental information to institutional investment
4. strategies of ethical and responsible investment
5. quality and quantity of sustainability reporting
6. assurance of sustainability reports
7. biodiversity accounting in a global context
8. climate change reporting and climate change funds

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
Lectures of two hours per week will be used for the exposition of the major concepts, principles and techniques under consideration. Tutorials of one hour?s duration will be used for problem solving, group discussions and presentation based on case study materials.

Contact Hours
Lectures 20
Practicals Classes and Workshops 8
Guided Independent Study 155
Total Hours By Term 183

Summative Assesment Methods
Written Exam 70%
Written Assignment Including Essay 30%

Other information on summative assessment:
Formative assessment methods:
Formative assessments are available in the class for most weeks of the module to enable students to gain the necessary practice.

One 3-hour unseen written paper

Requirements for a pass:
40%

Reassessment arrangements:
By examination only (one 2-hour unseen written paper) in August/September