General Information
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Description
This course is for MBA students interested in exploring how ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and sustainability concerns are changing the business conversation and landscape, spanning the formulation of strategy, the concept of value creation, interaction with stakeholders, expectations of capital markets and regulators, and collaborations with a variety of partners. In light of sustainability-related trends in government regulation, industry norms, and accounting standards, it is potentially relevant to virtually any career path in any industry.
Format
FTMBA Term 4 2024: 12 sessions over 6 weeks on Mondays and Thursdays from 4:15-6:15 pm
Course Mission
The environmental and social impact of business matter like never before. Diverse stakeholders—lenders and shareholders, employees and consumers, governments and activists—are wielding their power to make sustainability part of business decision-making and ensure that firms are transparent and accountable for their impacts beyond short-term financial performance. This course adopts the lenses of economics and strategy to consider how business leaders can and should respond to the rise of environmental and social concerns in a range of industries, drawing on independent research whenever possible to critically examine contemporary sustainability thinking. Rather than focus on social enterprises or on firms whose primary mission is to address social and environmental concerns, this course explores how ESG and sustainability affect ordinary companies in every sector.
Course Scope
A student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
- determine which ESG and sustainability considerations are material to a firm
- critically read diverse forms of ESG and sustainability reporting and disclosure
- understand which sustainability claims are backed by independent research and which are not
- think creatively about how to address sustainability issues through partnerships within the value chain and with other players in the broader business ecosystem
- assess the policy environment to identify important roadblocks and opportunities
Evaluation and Grade Breakdown
| Component | Due Date | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Class Participation | Ongoing | 10% |
| Short Write-Up 1 | Session 3 | 20% |
| Short Write-Up 2 | Session 5 | 20% |
| Short Write-Up 3 | Session 9 | 20% |
| Final Paper | Session 12 | 30% |
Required Resources
An HBS coursepack will be required. Links to additional readings are provided on the course webpage.