School: Business and Law

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Contemporary Issues in Sustainability Accounting
  • Unit Code

    ACC6035
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    5
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Nirosha KAPU ARACHCHILAGE

Description

The unit provides an introduction to contemporary issues in the context of sustainable development. It introduces concepts relating to 'Triple Bottom Line Accounting' and considers both external and internal reporting aspects of corporate social and environmental sustainability and the ways in which such information can be incorporated into decisions made within the entity. The implications of such information for the assurance function are also explored.

Prerequisite Rule

Students must pass ACC6025

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate the sustainability issues in contemporary accounting practice.
  2. Analyse complex sustainability accounting issues considering ethical and social consequences.
  3. Execute personal autonomy and accountability in the conducting of a substantial research or industry project.
  4. Synthesise knowledge and skills with initiative and/or creativity to new situations.

Unit Content

  1. Introduction to sustainable development and corporate sustainability.
  2. Sustainability accounting and accountability.
  3. Key concepts on stakeholders, materiality and externalities.
  4. Value and frameworks of sustainability reporting.
  5. Climate change and carbon management strategies.
  6. Environmental management accounting
  7. Modern slavery
  8. Sustainability reporting and assurance process.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 2 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered
Semester 213 x 2 hour seminarNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students are expected to actively engage in group discussions, case analyses, and presentations on regular basis. Group discussions are carried out regularly to provide the opportunity for students from different backgrounds to exchange views. Communication and presentation skills are enhanced through students' presentations and project based work. A guest speaker/s from industry will provide insights into latest trends.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationIn class discussion activities10%
Reflective PracticeReflection on the social elements of sustainability20%
ProjectEmissions reporting and initiatives project40%
PresentationProject and poster presentation30%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ParticipationVirtual class discussion activities10%
Reflective PracticeReflection on the social elements of sustainability20%
ProjectEmissions reporting and initiatives project40%
PresentationProject and poster presentation30%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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