Subject details

At the completion of this subject students will be able to:

  1. review contemporary economic approaches and methodologies to sustainability and climate change, including casual as well as responsive aspects
  2. analyse and synthesise sustainability-informed attributes of economic activities and how properties and meta data can be used to create taxa to organise data that are useful for decision-making, management accounting and monitoring for effective sustainability and climate change action
  3. understand sustainability-informed economic approaches to climate change can be applied at local scales and integrated with global parameters and initiatives
  4. work individually and within groups to develop and refine techniques, methodologies and concepts to enhance the workability and acceptability of sustainability-informed approaches
  5. create innovative approaches that demonstrate research skills across a variety of disciplines and which contribute to international academic and business understanding
  6. evaluate and communicate ideas orally, in writing and with technological applications to ensure the implementation and uptake of concepts and ideas is effective.

  • Topics

    • Introduction and Overview
    • Complexity and Sustainability
    • Reconceptualising Economics within Sustainability
    • Transitions to Sustainability
    • Reflexive Viability Analysis
    • Critical Overview of Existing Tools
    • Creating a sustainability accounting narrative
    • Sustainability-informed Management Accounting
    • Overview of New Developments in Business Informatics
    • Sustainability-informed System of National Accounts
    • A Sustainability-informed Taxation System
    • Summary, Overview and Student Presentations

  • Study resources

    • Instructional Methods

      • Disscusion forum/Discussion Board
      • Online assignment submission
      • Podcasting/Leacture capture
      • Standard Media
      • Web links

    • Print Materials

      • Book of readings
      • Study guide

    • Online Materials

      • Online Assessment
      • Audio-Video streaming

In order to enrol in this subject, you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:

Elective
  • OUA-PSU-GCE-2018
  • CUR-SCP-MAS-2018
  • CUR-SCP-GCE-2018
  • CUR-SCP-GDI-2018

Special requirements

  • OtherDetails -

    Additional materials

This innovative approach to economics focuses on policy implementation for climate action and sustainable development. It moves beyond conventional approaches by reframing economics, accounting and policy within sustainability principles, parameters and processes, so that climate-friendly actions and sustainable behaviours are rewarded, rather than penalised. The focus is on implementation through the re-evaluation of economic activities, the restructuring of accounting narratives, and the used of monitoring and management regimes that support continuous sustainability learning. The subject provides new relevance for many existing methods currently marginalised in conventional policy processes. Students will learn ways of thinking and techniques that utilise new information system technologies. Socio-cultural and biophysical understandings from other sciences are integrated in a range of theoretical and practical perspectives on complex issues that have local and international relevance. The skills developed will enhance the employment prospects for students with organisations that are keen to move beyond business-as-usual to embrace the new world of sustainability-informed accounting, governance, management and policy.

Please Note:  If it’s your first time studying a Curtin University subject you’ll need to complete their compulsory ‘Academic Integrity Program’. It only takes two hours to complete online, and provides you with vital information about studying with Curtin University. The Academic Integrity Program is compulsory, so if it’s not completed your subject grades will be withheld.

Find out more about the Academic Integrity module.

  • Essay 1 (35%)
  • Essay 2 (35%)
  • Presentation (30%)

Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a subject.

View textbooks

Related degrees

Postgraduate

Postgraduate Single Subjects

Postgraduate

Master of Sustainability and Climate Policy

Postgraduate

Graduate Certificate in Sustainability and Climate Policy

Postgraduate

Graduate Diploma in Sustainability and Climate Policy