96179 - Sustainability Transition Management M

Learning outcomes

The overarching aim of the course is to provide students with frameworks and tools to understand Sustainability Transition Management, particularly regarding the role of business and innovation.

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Explain sustainability transitions, their different dimensions, and their relevance for business.
• Design a sustainability pathway for an organisation, integrating transition and innovation perspectives.
• Critically assess the implementation and use of sustainability management tools.
• Evaluate climate mitigation and adaptation strategies considering scientific, regulatory, and strategic dimensions.
• Communicate sustainability analyses and strategic recommendations effectively in written and oral form.
• Demonstrate autonomous learning in identifying and applying relevant sustainability management instruments.

Course contents

Prerequisites

No prerequisites are required for this course. Given that the course will be delivered in English, good reading, writing and listening English skills are expected.

 

Introduction to sustainability transition

We will explore how sustainable businesses have evolved with time and the scope of sustainability management, from the focal firm operations to their whole value chains. An introduction to sustainability transition theory will be provided exposing its interdisciplinary nature. The role business can play in sustainability transitions will be detailed. The first part of the course concludes with an overview of sustainable business models and practical examples.

 

Sustainability strategy

Companies need to develop a sustainability strategy to incorporate sustainability into their activities; however, this might be a challenging task. The second part of the course will focus on the steps related to developing a sustainability strategy and associated instruments that can assist in this process. 

 

Climate action

Climate change is one of the main challenges companies are currently facing. We will explore climate change and the physical science behind it. We will discuss how companies can develop strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Current guidelines and instruments associated with climate action will be presented.

Readings/Bibliography

A complete set of readings will be available at UniBo Virtuale Platform (virtuale.unibo.it). The readings are pre-readings, which should be completed prior to each day’s session.

Teaching methods

• Lectures.
• Case studies.
• Hands-on exercises and Group Work.

Assessment methods

1. Attending students:

• Group work assignments – 50%: Three assignments will be conducted in groups during the course. All groups need to provide a short written output for each assignment (2-3 pages). Each group will present one of the assignments orally to the whole class.
  
  
• Individual participation in in-class exercises – 15%: A set of in-class exercises will be done throughout the course. At the end of each exercise, the student must submit an individual written response to an analytical question on Virtuale.

• Individual written exam – 35%: A written exam with 20 multiple-choice questions on the whole program will be done at the end of the course.

 

2. Non-attending students: 

• Individual written exam:

• A set of theoretical questions (multiple-choice) on the whole program - 35% of final grade;

• Two written open-handeded questions on the whole program - 25% of the final grade;
  
  

• Oral exam - 40% of final grade.

The exam will take place according to the timetable of the School and communicated through the platform AlmaEsami (https://almaesami.unibo.it [https://almaesami.unibo.it/] ).

 

USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

AI can be a useful tool to support individual study through further exploration,summaries, and self-assessment activities.

With regard to the assessment of learning, each examination format has different restrictions:

Individual written test and oral examination: The use of AI is prohibited. Any use constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

In-class exercises and group work: Limited, disclosed, and non-substantial use of AI is permitted for support activities (e.g., summarising and rephrasing). Substantial use of AI to complete parts of the assessment is not permitted.

 

WORKING STUDENT

Students who have obtained working-student status may request an alternative examination date for each exam session. Students must contact the instructor before the beginning of the examination session so that a common date can be identified for all requests received.

Teaching tools

Slides, readings and complementary material for the group work development will be provided to students.

Office hours

See the website of Leticia Canal Vieira