BA Business Studies, BA Business Management and BA International Business: Climate Change and Global Business Operations
This module introduces students to the relationship between climate change and global business operations. Lecturer Kevin Turner uses PowerPoint presentations taken from the IPCC reports to help his students get to grips with the science of climate change. These cover basic themes such as where CO2 comes from, where does green house gas come from and energy production methods.
In order to develop a more personal relationship with the subject matter, Kevin goes on to have them examine their own lifestyles and calculate their own energy consumption and consequent carbon emissions. Via internet research, they are asked to work out the carbon emissions of a list of regular appliances such as a phone recharging or a television on standby. Through this exercise they come to understand the concept and technicalities of carbon foot printing, and also became aware of the specific things they could do to reduce their won carbon footprint.
Kevin uses a guest speaker from the university Estates who comes in and talks through what the university have done in terms of reducing energy and water consumption, and this provides the students with a local example that they can relate to, especially those who have come straight from school with no experience in other businesses.
Following this, students chose a real life case study of emissions reductions in the business world and write up a report exploring options for mitigation and adaption, and the business case for such changes. For example, one student explored the debate around whether B&Q should be selling peat, and looking at how sustainability considerations could benefit the bottom line.
At an early stage this section, each student delivers a presentation on their chosen case study and is expected to provide feedback to two other presentations. This peer-to-peer feed back is valuable because, as Kevin says, 'the students might spot something or come up with an idea that we wouldn't have done'. And furthermore, the range of case studies presented ensures that students are getting as a broad snapshot of current business approaches to responding to climate change.
Kevin says that drawing upon his own experience working in a carbon intensive industry has been useful for teaching this module. However, he has never had formal science training and advises that 'if you can read the IPCC summary reports and understand it...that's about what you need'.
This module has received excellent feedback from students, one of them declaring that 'this has restored my faith in university education'.