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Unit of study_

CLAW3209: The Environment, Law and Business

2024 unit information

The relationship between the natural environment and business practice is deep and complex, and a multiplicity of regulatory initiatives have been employed in an attempt to manage and influence their interaction. This unit of study aims to demystify environmental regulation as far as it is relevant to the running of a business. It begins with an analysis of the contemporary institutional framework surrounding the interaction between business and the environment with particular reference to the historical conditions which have given rise to it, before introducing major stakeholders in the development of environmental and business regulation (including nation states, international organisations and other non-state actors) and their respective roles. The unit then discusses international environmental regulation and situates Australian regulation within it in order to explain its impact on Australian businesses. The effectiveness of different regulatory styles in this area is assessed together with the argument that business can and should take ownership of problematic elements of their interactions with the natural environment. Different strategies developed to 'manage' a business' relationship with the environment and issues surrounding liability for environmental damage are also considered.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Business (Business School)

Study level Undergraduate
Academic unit Accounting
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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None
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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None
Assumed knowledge:
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None

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. demonstrate a detailed understanding of the framework of actors and regulation surrounding corporations in their interaction with nature
  • LO2. recognise and address environmental law issues in a commercial context and engage in a critical appraisal of the broader policies operating within the area
  • LO3. describe and evaluate the conceptual, political, and legal frameworks surrounding and structuring environmental and business issues
  • LO4. recognise and evaluate environmental, corporate and personal risk arising from the interaction between nature, the law and business
  • LO5. communicate, orally and in writing, to a professional standard
  • LO6. identify, explain and assess regulatory tools available in this area
  • LO7. describe and evaluate strategies available to businesses in their interaction with nature.

Unit availability

This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.

The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.

Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2024
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2020
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Semester 1 2021
Normal day Remote
Semester 1 2023
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2023
Normal day Remote

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Modes of attendance (MoA)

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