BUSINESS SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABILITY (ONLINE) - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module provides students with an insight into the issues which a business has to manage if it is to remain a going concern.
It explores the tension that arises between profit and delivering the UN sustainable development goals (SDG) adhering to environment, society, and corporate governance (ESG). The module will also examine the additional risk management which is associated with embedding sustainability into a business. 
The module will enable students to forensically evaluate the contribution of ethics, governance, and risk management to responsible management in existing companies in different industry sectors. This will facilitate students experiencing the decision making that is involved when integrating sustainability and responsible management into business.  
The module will use recent examples of business which are exemplars of sustainability as well as companies that compromise sustainability for profit and responsible management. 
The module will use a number of case studies to illustrate the importance of SDGs, ESG and responsible management.

Module provider

SOL - Sustainability, Civil and Env Eng

Module Leader

PARCHMENT Ann (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Context of sustainability in business

• The global context in which sustainability and business exists.


• The impact and status of sustainability on existing and emerging industry sectors.


• Evaluation of a business using publicly available information.

• Identification of global governance structures that encourage sustainability.


• Corporate structures and governance responsibilities - The board of directors and committees.

• The role of risk management in the corporate attainment of SDGs.


• The impact of ESG on the financial sustainability of companies.


• Risk managing historical liabilities. 

• Framework approaches to business ethics.


• Individual responsibility and integrity in the context of business.

• Technovation and adaptation for polycrisis.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate understanding, application and critical analysis of sustainability, governance , risk management and ethics to responsible management. Consolidation of knowledge across the four pillars is evidenced in the final individual essay.
The summative assessment for this module consists of a post-module individual written assignment (maximum 3000 words) from a supplied list of essay topics, with scope for tailoring of topic by student in agreement with module leader (100% of module mark).
Formative assessment:
Students will be given the possibility to complete an online test at the end of each unit so as to gauge their level of knowledge.
Feedback: 
Written feedback on students’ formative assessment will be provided to help students address the summative assessment.

Module aims

• Apply key frameworks to publicly available information to establish how companies contribute to the UNSDGs.
• Critically evaluate the risks that result from UNSDGs and ESG.
• Identify the corporate governance and ethical requirements that corporations have to navigate to remain a going concern.
• Understand and identify the tensions that corporations need to negotiate to adapt and embed sustainability in a climate of uncertainty while ensuring responsible management.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The Learning and Teaching strategy is designed to support the development of professional responsible business management. Students are encouraged to: -. 

• Understand the need for a business to remain a going concern while achieving its objectives via responsible management.


• Develop knowledge of key frameworks in the three pillars and apply this knowledge to the real world.


• Provide explicit evidence of academic and applied knowledge which results in effective learning experiences developing the attributes needed for tomorrow’s responsible managers.


• Develop critical analytical skills by examining case studies.


• Demonstrate confidence in problem solving which is evidence based.


• Identify ethical dilemmas, gaps in corporate governance and poor risk management.

• Online interviews, videos, and short documentaries.


• Live chats and group discussions.


• Main assessment writing guides.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENGM315

Other information

This module embeds the five pillars of the university’s curriculum framework. This is achieved by: -

1. Knowledge and skills development underpin employability.
2. Supporting the sustainability of organisations to remain a going concern. 
3. The module adheres to the nuances of global and cultural intelligence by embedding the inclusion of the principles of responsible management education. 
4. Understanding of the attributes of ethics underpins the requirement to adhere to corporate governance and achieve sustainability development goals through emerging technology and exposure to digital risks. 
5. The interconnectivity of sustainability, ethics, governance, and risks validates the continuous development of resourcefulness and resilience as life skills for business.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.