Module Directory

In the past decade, it has become evident the need to operate businesses by adopting a sustainable development approach. How businesses impact the environment, and our society is at the centre of the attention of investors, regulators, and other stakeholders. This module will introduce students to the accounting principles and techniques that businesses should follow to account for their environmental and social impacts and promote sustainable development.

The module will start by introducing students to the concepts of sustainability reporting and its conceptual foundation. It will provide an overview of the current regulatory requirements in relation to sustainability reporting and discuss in detail the reporting issues associated with key sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, water management, waste management, workforce and local communities. The module will also explore how key capital market participants and corporate stakeholders incorporate information on these key sustainability issues into their decision-making processes. From this module, students will take away a solid understanding of how sustainability reporting can contribute to the achievement of sustainable development, the current regulatory requirements for reporting on a series of key sustainability issues and the usefulness of sustainability reporting for investors and stakeholders.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide students with an understanding of the sustainability challenges and issues of organisations including the implications of markets, society, and regulation on reporting practices.


• To develop students’ knowledge and skills in applying sustainability reporting standards and the theoretical framework in a range of reporting items.


• To advance students’ knowledge of key sustainability reporting issues and their ability to critique current sustainability practices.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Have a comprehensive knowledge of the main issues that inform our understanding of sustainable development.


2. Explain and discuss the role of markets, society, and regulation in shaping sustainability reporting standards and firm reporting practices.


3. Prepare a sustainability report that conforms with the current regulatory requirements.


4. Account for sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, water management, waste management, workforce, and local communities, in line with the current regulatory requirements.


5. Critically analyse the information included in sustainability reports and use them for decision-making purposes.


6. Have a critical awareness of current challenges faced by companies in relation to sustainability reporting and of the potential new opportunities that arise from it.

 Skills for your Professional Life (Transferable Skills) 

By the end of this module, students will also be expected to have gained the following transferable skills:

1. To deal with complex sustainability challenges both systematically and creatively, making sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicating their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences.


2. To apply critical analytical skills, self-direction, and originality in tackling and solving problems, and acting autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level


3. To summarise and communicate ideas in a written format to a professional audience.


4. To develop the ethical awareness and the independent learning ability required for continuing professional development in the area of sustainability.

This module covers a range of sustainability reporting issues including the conceptual frameworks for sustainability reporting, reporting for climate change, biodiversity, water management, waste management, workforce and local communities and the usefulness of sustainability reporting for investors and stakeholders.

Syllabus information

• The conceptual foundation of Sustainability Reporting.


• The Sustainability Reporting Regulatory Framework.


• Climate Change. Current reporting practices.


• Climate Change and capital market.


• Reporting standards on Biodiversity.


• Water Management reporting.


• Waste Management reporting.


• Own workforce.


• Workers in the value chain.


• Local Communities.

This module will be delivered via:

• One 1-hour lecture per week.
• One 1-hour seminar per week

Students are expected to undertake the reading before the seminars and be prepared to engage in discussion.