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Course 2018-2019 a.y.

20412 - GREEN MANAGEMENT AND CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY

Department of Management and Technology

Course taught in English

Go to class group/s: 31

CLELI (6 credits - II sem. - OP  |  SECS-P/08)
Course Director:
STEFANO POGUTZ

Classes: 31 (II sem.)
Instructors:
Class 31: STEFANO POGUTZ


Class-group lessons delivered  on campus

Prerequisites

To feel comfortable in this course, students should be familiar with basic concepts in management, strategy and economics.


Mission & Content Summary
MISSION

Human activity has become the prime driver of change bringing our Planet into a new geological era, the Anthropocene. Preserving the integrity and the resilience of social-ecological systems is fundamental to build a sustainable society. Climate change, ecosystem degradation, energy are among today’s most pressing issues, receiving broad attention from political institutions, advocacy groups, consumers, and public opinion. Companies are influencing climate change and ecosystem transformations as emitter of pollutants and greenhouse gases, and as users of ecosystem services and natural resources. These challenges have emerged as key drivers for many businesses and organizations all over the world. Companies are expected to tackle sustainability issues leveraging on their knowledge and competencies to develop and diffuse green technologies, sustainable business models, and innovative practices. These challenges are altering the social and competitive arena, creating new market opportunities that are pivotal to success in the 21st century. The course is intended to familiarize graduate students with these challenges. The course provides knowledge of climate change and energy risks, relevant regulatory frameworks (the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement) and corporate strategic responses. Specific emphasis is oriented to firm innovation processes, new business models and the development of sustainable supply chain.

CONTENT SUMMARY

The course contents are organized into 4 Modules and 2 Tracks.

  1. Modules 1 and 2, are common for all students, and they covers the following topics:
    • Anthropocene, planetary boundaries and social-ecological systems.
    • Climate change, energy scenarios and ecosystem services.
    • Regulations, policy and economic tools for climate change (UNFCCC, Paris Agreement, etc.).
    • Why companies engage in sustainability: Corporate sustainability and sustainability leadership.
    • The business case for sustainability.
    • How companies engage in sustainability: Sustainability strategies.
    • Sustainable supply chains and sustainable innovation.
    • Developing a business plan for sustainability.
  2. Then the course divides into 2 Tracks (Modules 3 and 4):
    • Track 1 focuses on innovation, sustainable supply chain and new business models (e.g. circular economy) and is associated with a field project organized with the collaboration of leading companies.
    • Track 2 is associated with the Model UNFCCC CEMS Climate Change Strategy Role Play, and focuses on measures to address climate change, negotiation and 2 days of off-campus role play. The number of students accepted in Track 2 is limited. Preference is accorded to CEMS students.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO)
KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...

The course will equip students with skills and competencies to address quantitative and qualitative problems related with these new challenges. Students who complete this course will:

  • Be able to recognize the main challenges of the Anthropocene epoch.
  • Acquire basic notions of planetary boundaries, climate change science and energy scenarios.
  • Understand the interdependences between the social-ecological system and business.
  • Gain an understanding on the role of global policy approaches and regulations to tackle climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • Understand new managerial approaches and concepts such as sustainable supply chain and green innovation, sustainable business models.
  • Acquire basic knowledge on the main tools to manage environmental and sustainability issues.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course student will be able to...
  • Analyze and compare firm strategies and practices to address the sustainability challenges.
  • Evaluate and assess sustainable supply chain strategies and sustainable innovation.
  • Track 1 students: learn to develop a specific plan for a company applying the concepts such as sustainable supply chain or sustainable innovation.
  • Track 2 students: learn the basic principles of negotiation, and gain a better understanding of bilateral-multilateral negotiation dynamics, and practice their skills in the climate negotiations.

Teaching methods
  • Face-to-face lectures
  • Guest speaker's talks (in class or in distance)
  • Company visits
  • Case studies /Incidents (traditional, online)
  • Group assignments
  • Interactive class activities (role playing, business game, simulation, online forum, instant polls)
DETAILS

The course uses multiple teaching approaches to favour active learning processes.


Assessment methods
  Continuous assessment Partial exams General exam
  • Written individual exam (traditional/online)
  •     x
  • Group assignment (report, exercise, presentation, project work etc.)
  •     x
  • Active class participation (virtual, attendance)
  •     x
    ATTENDING STUDENTS
    • Written exam (30%).
    • Field project assignment (50%).
    • Class participation (20%).
    NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
    • Written exam (100%).

    Teaching materials
    ATTENDING STUDENTS
    • Selection of papers and cases made available to the students at the beginning of the course.
    • Selected chapters from: R. SARDA', S. POGUTZ, Corporate Sustainability in the 21st Century. Increasing the Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018.
    NOT ATTENDING STUDENTS
    • Selection of papers and cases made available to the students at the beginning of the course.
    • R. SARDA', S. POGUTZ,  Corporate Sustainability in the 21st Century. Increasing the Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2018. 
    Last change 10/06/2018 07:54