Students

AFIN8011 – Business and Global Environmental Change

2025 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-intensive, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Grace Lepone
grace.lepone@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(Admission to MActPrac or MFin or MSusDev) or ACST6003 or AFIN6013 or ECON6049 or ECON8091
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of the sustainability challenges facing organisations, and to highlight business risks and opportunities that are emerging as a consequence of global environmental change. Furthermore, the unit is designed to enable students to challenge the status quo of "business-as-usual" and to search for innovative solutions to some of the pressing issues impacting organisations, including changes in ecological parameters through climate change, more frequent and/or severe extreme weather events and natural resource scarcity. The unit seeks to use frame-breaking approaches to problem solving and the development of organisational strategies.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Explain the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions. 
  • ULO2: Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of policy development related to sustainability and climate change.
  • ULO3: Consider the rational and process for undertaking a greenhouse gas/carbon emission and energy audit. 
  • ULO4: Use a framework to help identify the innovation and response needs of an organisation. 
  • ULO5: Work productively in a group to prepare and present a research project. 

General Assessment Information

Late Assessment Submission Penalty (written assessments) 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.  

For any late submissions of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, students need to submit an application for Special Consideration.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Professional Practice: Applied business and environmental change 30% No Week 8
Professional Practice: Business and environmental change research 50% No Week 12
Professional Practice: Critical reflection 20% No Week 9

Professional Practice: Applied business and environmental change

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 30%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to gain expertise in applications in business and global environmental change.

You will apply frameworks and concepts discussed in the unit to produce a presentation.

Skills in focus: - Communication and collaboration - Critical thinking and problem solving - Global, ethical, and environmental citizenship - Work readiness

Deliverable: Presentation [max 20 minutes] Group assessment

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions. 
  • Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of policy development related to sustainability and climate change.
  • Consider the rational and process for undertaking a greenhouse gas/carbon emission and energy audit. 
  • Use a framework to help identify the innovation and response needs of an organisation. 
  • Work productively in a group to prepare and present a research project. 

Professional Practice: Business and environmental change research

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: Week 12
Weighting: 50%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to develop skills in researching an issue in business and global environmental change

You will apply frameworks and concepts discussed in the unit to produce a research report.

Skills in focus: - Communication - Critical thinking and problem solving - Discipline knowledge - Global, ethical, and environmental citizenship

Deliverable: Research report [max 3,500 words] Individual assessment

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions. 
  • Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of policy development related to sustainability and climate change.
  • Consider the rational and process for undertaking a greenhouse gas/carbon emission and energy audit. 
  • Use a framework to help identify the innovation and response needs of an organisation. 

Professional Practice: Critical reflection

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Week 9
Weighting: 20%

 

The purpose of this assessment is for you to critically reflect on your learning throughout the session.

You will reflect on both the content and application of the activities completed and knowledge gained throughout the session.

Skills in focus: - Communication - Critical thinking - Global, ethical, and environmental citizenship - Work readiness

Deliverable: Reflection report [max 2,500 words] Individual assessment

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Explain the range of challenges organisations are facing resulting from changing environmental conditions. 
  • Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of policy development related to sustainability and climate change.
  • Consider the rational and process for undertaking a greenhouse gas/carbon emission and energy audit. 
  • Use a framework to help identify the innovation and response needs of an organisation. 

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

6 whole day work shops between 10 am and 5 pm.

resources are provided via iLearn

Unit Schedule

As shown on iLearn

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2025.04 of the Handbook