Sustainable Business Project - ENV00120M
Module summary
In this module students will undertake a sustainable business project in collaboration with a business partner. Broad project ideas will be defined by business partners and then developed and implemented by student groups to help establish a sustainability consultancy problem-based learning environment. All projects will challenge students to develop strategies and collaborate together with industry partners to mobilise their skills, knowledge and values to lead on a change towards more sustainable business practice in a real-world setting.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2026-27 |
Module aims
This module focuses on giving students an opportunity to collaborate with a business partner to work on a sustainability challenge as a business project. The sustainable business project challenges students to mobilise their skills, knowledge and values in leadership for amore sustainable business practice in a real-world setting.
Module learning outcomes
- Research and analyse a complex sustainability problemforareal-world industry partner;
- Develop strategiesto identify business challenges with a real-worldindustry partnerseeking sustainable business solutions;
- Design and implement effective sustainable business case studies and strategy reports for a real-world industry partner;
- Collaborate effectively and professionally both face-to-face and online with fellow cohort members, course alumni and external business partners;
- Cultivate professional communication and advancewritten strategies as a consultant for a real-world industry partner.
Module content
At the start of the module, students will select a broad project idea from a list of project themes and sustainability challenges compiled in collaboration with our business partners. Project development and implementation will be supported with a set of workshops (2-hours), weekly meetings with our business partners (1-hour) and a review and feedback of the sustainable business report with staff and our industry partners during two seminars throughout the term.
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Special assessment rules
None
Additional assessment information
The Individual Project Report is developed in consultation with the work and guidance small groups to provide support and resources to develop your individual sustainability strategy. Groups are centred on project themes and allow opportunities to develop strategies collaboratively and provide a consultancy team support system. A formative assessment is prepared by each group that considers the direct feedback from staff and our business partners to shape and guide the final individual business reports.
The Individual Project Report is informed, developed and shaped by the simulated group consultancy collaborative work and engagement with business partners, which is assessed through a specific Individual Project Report marking criteria.
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100.0 |
Module feedback
Summative feedback will be provided on written feedback sheets as per Department of Environment and Geography assessment criteria.
Indicative reading
The following are suggested readings for the module:
Thomas, D. and Hodges, I. D. 2010. Designing and Managing Your Research Project: Core Skills for Social and Health Research. London: Sage Publications.
Chesebro, J. L. 2014. Professional Communication at Work: Interpersonal Strategies for Career Success. London: Taylor and Francis.
Madsen, S. 2015. The Power of Project Leadership: 7 Keys to Help You Transform from Project Manager to Project Leader. Kogan Page.
Lüdeke-Freund, F. (2020). Sustainable entrepreneurship, innovation, and business models: Integrative framework and propositions for future research. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(2), 665-681.
Ferlito, R., & Faraci, R. (2022). Business model innovation for sustainability: A new framework. Innovation & Management Review, 19(3), 222-236.
Gümüsay, A. A., Marti, E., Trittin-Ulbrich, H., & Wickert, C. (2022). Organizing for societal grand challenges (p. 320). Emerald Publishing.