Dr Richard Perkins STC.413

This course is available on the BA in Geography, BSc in Accounting and Finance, BSc in Economic History and Geography, BSc in Environment and Development, BSc in Environmental Policy with Economics and BSc in Geography with Economics. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit and to General Course students.

This course seeks to explore and critically interrogate the governance of environmental sustainability by corporate and financial actors - commonly framed in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable and responsible investment (SRI), respectively. Drawing on a range of theoretical ideas, the emphasis of the course is on providing students with an understanding of the motives, practices and outcomes of market actors’ growing involvement in sustainability. Topics covered include strategic CSR, corporate self-regulation, governing through environmental ratings, international climate finance, green bonds, greenwashing and the relationship between financial and environmental performance.

20 hours of lectures and 9 hours of classes in the MT.

Students on this course will have a reading week in Week 6.

Students will be expected to produce a formative issue brief in the Michaelmas Term.

Blowfield, M. and A. Murray (2014) Corporate responsibility: A critical introduction, 3rd edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Other (100%) in the LT.

Issue Brief with Critical Reflection (3500 words)