NCI Courses

The first half of the module will give students an understanding of the challenges that corporations face within the context of the natural environment and globalisation, and why businesses need to consider environmental criteria to continue successful operation in the long term.

The evolution of environmentalism is examined with an emphasis placed on the historical corporate impact on the environment, using case studies such as the Union Carbide gas leak in Bhopal; the 1952 London smog disaster; The Exxon Valdez oil spill; and Three Mile Island near nuclear disaster. As part of this section, we will discuss a wide range of seminal environmental literature, such as Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring””; Garrett Hardin’s “Tragedy of the Commons”; and Jared Diamond’s “Collapse”. This section will give students an understanding of the development of environmental ethics in society.

The technical concepts underlying the environmental issues facing business and society will be explained. The environmental issues under investigation will include global climate change, air and water pollution, soil contamination, energy, and biodiversity, among others. The role of business in the cause and prevention of these issues will be examined.

This section will explain the need for environmental legislation and introduce the various approaches to regulatory development, such as the “command and control” and “self-policing” approaches and the “technology forcing” concept. We will examine current and future legislation, both in Europe and elsewhere in the world, related to the environmental issues studied in section ii. Students will gain an understanding of the regulatory requirements facing businesses today with respect to the environment. From a business perspective, significant regulatory requirements include legislation on product take-back and waste disposal; the protection of endangered species and air and water resources; and new legislation relevant to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.

Sustainability is now a fundamental component of international agreements, business charters, and government policies. Understanding sustainability as the incorporation of environmental and related social and economic considerations provides a foundation for solving global business challenges. This section will define the concept of sustainability and include discussion on topics such as sustainable agriculture and sustainable development, both from an urban planning perspective and an international development perspective.

Environmental management tools include environmental accounting, reporting, auditing, stakeholder management, risk management and insurance schemes. This section examines processes and procedures for monitoring and managing corporate environmental activities. Students will learn how to critically evaluate corporate environmental programs. In addition, they will study a number of internationally recognised guidelines and standards put forward and these set up structured environmental management systems that can be applied across many types of business, such as the Equator Principles and ISO-14001

The second half of the module (Part II) will give students an understanding of the opportunities corporations can avail of when they embrace the concept of corporate environmentalism through the examination of environmental issues in each of the main areas of business described below.

Environmental accounting considers how organisations can "quantify" an organisation’s positive and negative impacts on the natural environment by quantifying environmental costs and benefits. This section will teach students how to convert environmental impacts (externalities) into monetary value (natural capital), and how to understand the value of basic tools of environmental accounting, reporting and auditing in assessing the environmental performance of businesses. Students will also examine the concepts of 'ethical investing' and emissions trading.

Environmental marketing concerns with all aspects of corporate-consumer exchanges. Students will develop an awareness of the environmental attributes of goods and how they can be made known to consumers. They will also learn about utilising environmental concepts for product differentiation and addressing green consumer behaviour.

"Greening" business operations involves determining how environmental issues can be incorporated into business practices, such as building techniques and product manufacturing, which can significantly reduce input and operating costs for firms. Students will learn about closed-loop supply chains and learn how to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment.

Product innovation and eco-entrepreneurship are ways of “doing well while doing good”. This section will explore how organisations can address environmental issues through development of new products. Products such as Food Cloud, compostable plastic, and electric vehicles may be used as examples of successful Eco-Entrepreneurship.

The Competitive Advantage: In a global economy, competitive advantage between organisations is associated in part with good environmental citizenship. This section will discuss how corporations are increasingly collaborating with non-profit organisations, governmental bodies and private companies to address global environmental issues. Students will develop an understanding of the benefits of “green alliances” and corporate social responsibility. The Body Shop International and Ben and Jerry’s are examples of potential case studies that could be used to illustrate examples of successful environmental stewardship.