SCOPESCOPE (Sustainability Co-Creation Programme)

This course offers students opportunities to acquire knowledge and skill to analyze the role of businesses to contribute to global sustainability. There is growing expectation for businesses to play more important roles toward solving global problems such as climate change, poverty and various forms of inequalities. More concretely, businesses are expected to work with their stakeholders to reduce negative impact across their value chains and deliver solutions to the challenging sustainability issues. In this course, through active learning such as students’ presentation and class discussion, students will proactively learn the current status and challenges of corporate efforts on various sustainability challenges on the planet.

Students should aim to be able to achieve the following goals:
(1)Understand the basic functions of companies including corporate/business strategy, organization, marketing, finance, and human resources.
(2)Learn about global sustainability challenges and how companies are tackling various problems.
(3)Analyze actual business cases with analytical frameworks learned in class.

Among diploma policies, "DP3" is related

英語 / English

The class consists of lectures, students’ presentation and group discussion.

Feedback on assignments submitted by students will be provided in class or through the Learning Management System.

Please note that the teaching approach may vary according to which threat level we are at. The details will be announced through the Learning Management System.

あり / Yes

なし / No

授業形態/methods of teaching：対面/face to face

※各回の授業形態は予定です。教員の指示に従ってください。

Week1[対面/face to face]：Introduction
Overview of business and sustainability (1)

Why sustainability matters for business

Week 2[対面/face to face]：Overview of business and sustainability (2)

Relation between sustainability challenges and business

Week 3[対面/face to face]：Key concepts of business and sustainability

Learn about ISO26000, CSR, CSV, SDGs and the Paris Agreement

Week 4[対面/face to face]：Sustainability and business strategy

Understand why and how sustainability needs to be integrated into business strategy

Week 5[対面/face to face]：Corporate sustainability and stakeholders

Understand various stakeholders for companies and what needs to be done to meet their needs

Week 6[対面/face to face]：Business and labor/human rights (1)

Understand labor and human rights issues to be addressed by companies

Week 7[対面/face to face]：Business and labor/human rights (2)

Understand labor and human rights issues to be addressed by companies

Week 8[対面/face to face]：Sustainability and supply chain

Understand global supply chain problems and what needs to be done to solve these problems

Week 9[対面/face to face]：Business and environmental problems (1)

Understand environmental problems impacting corporate management and actions taken to address them

Week 10[対面/face to face]：Business and environmental problems (2)

Understand environmental problems impacting corporate management and actions taken to address them

Week 11[対面/face to face]：COVID-19 crisis and business (1)

Understand how businesses have been impacted by COVID-19 crisis and how businesses are responding

Week 12[対面/face to face]：COVID-19 crisis and business(2)

Understand various efforts taken by companies to conquer the COVID-19 crisis

Week 13[対面/face to face]：Sustainability and financial industry

Understand unique opportunity for the financial industry to contribute to a sustainable society. Understand the impact of ESG investment and how businesses are greened through financing

Week 14[対面/face to face]：Sustainability and corporate governance

Understand the current trend of “ESG” management and how sustainability is integrated into a part of corporate governance

Students are expected to attend each class fully prepared by reading textbooks and references. Also, students are required to complete all assignments on time. If students want to maximize learning effectiveness, approximately 2 hours each for preparation and review for each class is required.

Academic literatures will be introduced during the orientation. For your reference, some key literatures reviewed and discussed in previous classes are as follows:
(1)Irene M Herremans “Sustainability Performance and Reporting” Business Expert Press, 2020
(2)Marc J. Epstein & Adriana Rejc Buhovac, “Making Sustainability Work: Best Practices in Managing and Measuring Corporate Social, Environmental, and Economic Impacts” (2nd Edition) Routledge, 2016
(3)Stuart L. Hart, “Capitalism at the Crossroads: Next Generation Business Strategies for a Post-Crisis World (3rd Edition)” FT Press,2010
(4)Andrew S. Winston, “The Big Pivot: Radically Practical Strategies for a Hotter, Scarcer, and More Open World” Harvard Business Review Press, 2014

References will be introduced in class.

Grading will be decided based on the following criteria:
(1) Active class participation (making comments and asking questions in class) : 35%
(2) Students’ presentation (on average two times): 35%
(3) Final writing assignments: 30%

NOTE: if you miss four or more classes, you cannot receive credit unless you have a justifiable reason. Even with a justifiable reason, if you miss four or more classes, your evaluation may be adjusted.

Instructor will provide individual feedback to help students improve their presentation skills.

No special equipment is needed in this course.

This course aims to deepen students' understanding of various business and sustainability topics mainly through student presentations and class discussions with lecturer’s facilitation. The language used in the class will be English. Therefore, students taking this course should understand that active class participation and sufficient English communication skills are essential.

Please note that if the number of students attending the first class significantly exceeds expectations, in order for the instructor to effectively manage the class, the number of students who are allowed to register for the course may be limited.