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 supply 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 aim to be able to achieve the following goals:
(1)Learn about global sustainability challenges and how companies are tackling various problems.
(2)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’ presentations 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。

Week 1[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, ESG and the Paris Agreement

Week 4[対面/face to face]：Corporate sustainability and stakeholders

Understand why companies need to communicate with their stakeholders and meet their needs

Week 5[対面/face to face]：The price of not considering sustainability
Case study: Teachings of Minamata disease (1)

Learn about the history of Minamata disease and understand its causes, damage, social and economic impact, etc.

Week 6[対面/face to face]：The price of not considering sustainability
Case study: Teachings of Minamata disease (2)

Understand how series of wrong corporate decisions and practices caused devastating effect on people and community

Week 7[対面/face to face]：Business and labor/human rights (1)

Understand labor and human rights issues to be addressed by companies

Week 8[対面/face to face]：Business and labor/human rights (2)

Understand human rights issues in the supply chain through case studies

Week 9[対面/face to face]：Sustainability and business strategy (1)

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

Week 10[対面/face to face]：Sustainability and business strategy (2)

Case studies of companies successfully integrating sustainability considerations into business strategy: Canon

Week 11[対面/face to face]：Sustainability and business strategy (3)

Case studies of companies successfully integrating sustainability considerations into business strategy: Japan Food Ecology Center

Week 12[対面/face to face]：Climate change and business (1)

Understand the climate change issues that are having a major impact on business and how companies are responding to them

Week 13[対面/face to face]：Climate change and business (2)

Learn corporate climate change strategies through various case studies

Week 14[対面/face to face]：Climate change and business (3)

Understand the TCFD disclosures that increasing numbers of companies are rapidly responding to

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 for preparation for each class is required.

*Michael E. Porter, Mark R. Kramer (2011) “Creating Shared Value” Harvard Business Review January–February 2011.
*Takashi Yorifuji, Toshihide Tsuda and Masazumi Harada(2013) “Minamata disease: a challenge for democracy and justice” Late lessons from early warnings: science, precaution, innovation, EEA Report No 1.

Other academic literatures will be introduced during the orientation.

References will be introduced in class.

Grading will be decided based on the following criteria:
(1) Active class participation: 30%
(2) Students’ presentation: 35%
(3) Final writing assignments: 35%

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 class, your evaluation may be adjusted.

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

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.