SUSTAINABILITY IN FINANCE PROJECT - 2027/8

Module Overview

This module offers an in-depth exploration of the critical intersections between societal, environmental, and financial imperatives. As sustainability becomes an increasingly prevalent and multifaceted concept, the module unpacks its meaning, significance, and implications for the modern financial landscape.

The first half of the module establishes a comprehensive understanding of sustainability and examines why it must form the foundation of strategic decision-making across every economic actor. It explores how sustainability shapes corporate strategies, integrates into accounting and reporting frameworks, informs performance metrics, and guides investment strategies and optimisation models.

The second half shifts focus to specialised topics from institutional and market perspectives. These include the functioning of carbon markets, the evolution of sustainable financial instruments, and the role of financial institutions and central banks in advancing sustainability goals. The module concludes with an exploration of emerging trends in the technological realm, such as the impact FinTech innovations bring to promote sustainability.

By the end of this module, students will have developed a nuanced understanding of how sustainability is increasingly driven by the imperatives of climate change, progressively embedded in corporate and financial systems, and financed through innovative mechanisms. Students will also be equipped with insights into its evolving trajectory and future implications for the financial sector.

Module provider

Surrey Business School

Module Leader

TASIOU Menelaos (SBS)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

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

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• The concept of sustainability: definitions, evolution, and relevance to finance
• Climate change science and its implications for financial decision-making
• Sustainability in accounting, reporting standards, and disclosure
• ESG performance measurement, metrics, and ratings
• Sustainable investment strategies and portfolio optimisation
• Carbon markets, emissions trading systems, and carbon pricing mechanisms
• Sustainable financial instruments: green bonds, sustainability-linked loans, and blended finance
• The role of banks, asset managers, and central banks in the sustainability transition
• Regulatory and policy landscape: taxonomies, stress testing, and prudential frameworks
• FinTech innovations and their impact on sustainable finance

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Resubmission of the capstone project.

Assessment Strategy

This assessment is designed as a Sustainability Due Diligence Analysis with Transparent Process Documentation (comprising a process log, annotated data extracts, analytical reflection, and a final due diligence report), requiring students to conduct an original sustainability analysis of a publicly listed company and produce an investment recommendation for an ESG-focused fund. The capstone project comprises interconnected components that together demonstrate genuine intellectual engagement, analytical rigour, and professional competence, and collectively map to the module learning outcomes.

The module places particular emphasis on formative assessment and feedback to support student development throughout the semester. Three structured formative checkpoints are built into the module at Weeks 3, 6, and 9, where students submit their evolving process log and preliminary work for individualised short feedback from the module team. Beyond the formal checkpoints, students receive ongoing feedback through multiple channels. Verbal feedback is provided during weekly seminars through case-based discussion, where students apply sustainability frameworks to real-world scenarios and receive immediate tutor and peer input on their reasoning. Structured peer workshop sessions at Weeks 4, 7, and 10 offer opportunities for students to present work-in-progress, receive constructive critique from peers, and refine their analytical approach in a collaborative setting. Students are also encouraged to attend one-to-one feedback and consultation meetings with the module team throughout the semester for personalised guidance on their capstone progress. Collectively, these formative mechanisms ensure that students receive regular, actionable feedback at multiple stages, enabling them to iteratively improve their work and arrive at the final submission with confidence.

Module aims

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of sustainability in finance, spanning foundational concepts through to advanced market mechanisms and institutional frameworks.
• Equip students with the analytical skills needed to evaluate sustainability-related risks, opportunities, and strategies within real-world corporate and financial contexts.
• Foster critical thinking, intellectual rigour, and professional competence in the application of sustainability principles to financial decision-making.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

This is an interactive module that combines theoretical foundations with practical application. Students are expected to take a hands-on approach to learning, using real-world data, case studies, and independent research to apply theory to practice.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Interactive lectures introducing key concepts and frameworks
• Applied learning seminars with case analysis and group discussion
• Use of data platforms in workshop material (e.g., WRDS, Bloomberg Terminal, Refinitiv)
• Structured peer workshop sessions for formative peer review
• Interim checkpoint submissions with individualised formative feedback

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: MAN3226

Other information

Surrey Business School is committed to developing graduates with strength in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capacities particularly in the following areas: Digital Capabilities: Throughout the module, students learn to navigate and utilise the Virtual Learning Environment and other digital resources to aid their learning. Students have the opportunity to use statistical software to carry out data analysis and use word processing and reference generating software to prepare the report. Employability: The module asks students to select a sustainable finance-related topic, undertake independent research and complete a report within a stipulated period. Students are encouraged to critically evaluate problems and apply knowledge into practice. Students will develop and enhance their transferable and professional skills through the research process and report writing. Resourcefulness & Resilience: Students in this final year module will further develop their confidence, adaptability, problem solving and decision-making skills by undertaking independent research. Feedback sessions are designed to provide students with the opportunity to ask questions and deepen their understanding of finance. Sustainability: This module provides students with the opportunity to select a topic in sustainable and green finance of their interests. In addition, this module teaches adaption to changing contexts in terms of technology, institutions, and markets. Students will develop the ability to solve sustainability challenges.

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 2027/8 academic year.