Students

ENVS8544 – Environmental and Sustainability Consulting

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Anthony Chariton
anthony.chariton@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
80cp at 8000 level and Admission to MEnv or MEngProfEnvEng or MSusDev
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit provides students the opportunity to bring together what they have learned in other units through working in small teams to undertake environmental and sustainability consultancy projects for real clients. The real-life problems requested by clients are chosen to represent typical situations likely to confront graduates from our programs. The final report of each group will be expected to be of a high quality and equivalent to a consultant's report to a client. Students will learn to define and scope a project, understand the context, prepare a project proposal for a client, work with colleagues to complete the project, prepare a written report for the client, practice Indigenous ethics in consulting, and present the group's findings in person to the client. The unit is of value to students in environmental management, environmental planning, sustainable and sustainable development.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Sustainable Cities and Communities; Climate Action; Life on Land

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: Apply broad environmental/sustainability knowledge to respond effectively to a client's project brief with a clearly defined and manageable project proposal.
  • ULO2: Demonstrate an ability to work cooperatively and professionally in a team to plan and manage an environmental/sustainability reporting project.
  • ULO3: Produce a professional quality environmental/sustainability consultancy written report relevant to the client's situation and specifications.  
  • ULO4: Prepare and present a professional quality oral and visual presentation and respond effectively to questions.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Project Report 60% No Wk12 Individual and Group No Open
Presentation of Report 15% No Wk13 Individual and Group No Observed
Project Proposal and Context 25% No Wk 4 Individual and Group No Observed

Project Report

Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 70 hours
Due: Wk12
Weighting: 60%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

Produce a professional quality written environmental/sustainability consultancy report relevant to the client's situation and specifications
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an ability to work cooperatively and professionally in a team to plan and manage an environmental/sustainability reporting project.
  • Produce a professional quality environmental/sustainability consultancy written report relevant to the client's situation and specifications.  

Presentation of Report

Assessment Type 1: Presentation task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: Wk13
Weighting: 15%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

A summary of the report is presented orally with visual means; questions are answered
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Prepare and present a professional quality oral and visual presentation and respond effectively to questions.

Project Proposal and Context

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: Wk 4
Weighting: 25%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual and Group
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

Respond to client brief with a scoped project proposal, work plan and notional budget with context outlined
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply broad environmental/sustainability knowledge to respond effectively to a client's project brief with a clearly defined and manageable project proposal.

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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

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 https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

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 2026.01R of the Handbook