Legal Foundations for Sustainable Business
| Module title | Legal Foundations for Sustainable Business |
|---|---|
| Module code | LAW2115C |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Tiago De Melo Cartaxo (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 40 |
|---|
Module description
This module introduces you to legal requirements for a legal certification in environmental and social responsibility (e.g., B.Corp). Environmental and corporate governance are intrinsic to a safe, effective and sustainable operation of businesses and organisations within the limits of the planetary boundaries and will have an impact upon their operation. Which format will your business take? What areas should you focus on to get an environmental and social certification for your business? What relationships will you have with other businesses? Where will you source your materials, for example, and on what terms? How will you manage your products’ lifecycle and the business’ waste?
To be savvy in sustainable business, you need to be familiar with key areas of the law, as well as the required social and environmental standards for its operation. The certification is a tool to be utilised to increase competitiveness of your sustainable business and vast costs can be saved at mid- and long-term from simply understanding the legal requirements and how to improve the standards.
There are no pre-requisites for this module. The module is suitable for students entirely new to law and those studying on a Flexible Combined Honours pathway.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module is an important aspect of your (sustainable) business and law education and will provide a foundation for any career that you might wish to pursue when you graduate. A sound grasp of environmental and corporate governance is assumed of any accomplished businessperson, and to achieve this as part of your undergraduate study is sure to set you apart from competitors.
This module will provide a legal platform in business to ensure compliance with social and environmental standards, while arming you with the awareness and practical understanding you need to identify the impacts of a sustainable business when a legal professional might be required.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the key legal principles of sustainable business
- 2. Explain and apply the legal requirements of a certification in environmental and social responsibility
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Apply foundational principles of legal and business issue spotting
- 4. Identify the social and environmental impacts of businesses and present solutions
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Communicate ideas effectively in oral presentations
- 6. Communicate ideas effectively to businesses in writing
Syllabus plan
While the module’s precise content may vary, it is anticipated that it will cover the following topics:
- Introduction to sustainable corporate governance
- Introduction to social and environmental certifications, e.g., B.Corp
- Social standards for a sustainable business: workers, community, and customers
- Environmental standards for a sustainable business
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 125 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 10.5 | Lectures (1 x 1.5 hours + 9 x 1 hours) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 10 | Workshops (5 x 2 hours) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 3 | Surgeries (3 x 1 hour) |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 2 | Oral presentations (1 x 2 hours) |
| Guided Independent Study | 70 | Preparation of assignments |
| Guided Independent Study | 55 | Preparing for workshops and reading around the topics covered. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brief oral presentation | 1 minute | 1-6 | Oral |
| Blurb of a corporate sustainability policy | 300 words | 1-6 | Oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation | 30 | 3 minutes | 1-6 | Written |
| Corporate sustainability policy | 70 | 2,000 words | 1-5 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral presentation | Submission of a video presentation | 1-6 | Reassessment period |
| Corporate Sustainability Policy | Submission of Corporate Sustainability Policy | 1-5 | Reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
Lucy Jones, Introduction to Business Law (5th edn. OUP, 2019)
Alix Adams, Stephanie Caplan, Graeme Lockwood, Law for Business Students (10th edn. Pearson, 2020).
Emily Finch & Stefan Fafinski, Legal Skills (8th edn. OUP, 2021). The textbook explains how to find legal resources from statutes to cases and includes tips on legal writing.
S Helen Rutherford, Birju Kotecha, and Angela Macfarlane, English Legal System (5th edn. OUP, 2020)
Jonathan Herring, ‘12. Business ethics’, in Legal Ethics (2nd edn OUP, 2017)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Any additional resources shared in lectures, workshops, and surgeries.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 08/03/2020 |
| Last revision date | 04/11/2022 |
