Sustainability and Financial reporting
Course evaluation
Additional course evaluations for FÖ0497
Academic year 2024/2025
Sustainability and Financial reporting (FÖ0497-20128)
2024-11-01 - 2025-01-19
Syllabus and other information
Syllabus
FÖ0497 Sustainability and Financial reporting, 15.0 Credits
Hållbarhetsrapportering och finansiell redovisningSubjects
Business AdministrationEducation cycle
Master’s levelModules
| Title | Credits | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainability reporting and theory, 10 hp | 10.0 | 0001 |
| Agricultural and forest accounting, 5 hp | 5.0 | 0002 |
Advanced study in the main field
Second cycle, has only first-cycle course/s as entry requirementsMaster’s level (A1N)
Grading scale
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.
Language
EnglishPrior knowledge
Knowledge equivalent to180 credits
75 credits business administration
30 credits business administration G1F level
15 credits business administration G2F or G2E level
English 6
Objectives
The purpose of this course is to facilitate students in gaining a deeper knowledge of both sustainability reporting and financial reporting.
After completing the course, the student should be able to:
- Analyze sustainability reporting disclosures.
- Assess the entity’s stakeholder impact.
- Propose solutions for practical implementation of sustainability reporting demands in management control systems.
- Compare and contrast financial reporting and sustainability reporting.
- Examine accounting from a broader economic and social perspective.
- Conduct advanced analysis of financial statements
- Illustrate the interrelatedness of accounts within financial reporting and synthesise the logics of accounting principles.
- Develop critical analysis skills in applying theoretical knowledge to current issues in practice.
- Compare internal reporting and external reporting needs, demonstrating the links between internal and external reporting.
Content
*Subject content: *
This course consists of two segments: sustainability reporting and financial reporting. The sustainability reporting segment will be conducted first, with a focus on both the history and practical application of sustainability reporting and regulations, as well its theoretical grounding. The financial reporting segment will be conducted second, with a focus on the history and logic of accounting principles as well as the preparation and analysis of financial statements. The focus will be on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS’s) that aid in valuation particular to agriculture, forestry and resources. Further emphasis will be placed on analysis of financial statements from an external investing perspective. Connections will be drawn between sustainability and financial reporting on a theoretical level.
*Course implementation: *
The course uses different teaching methods to promote students' learning and discussions through:
Lectures, seminars and written assignments.
The course focuses on the following general competences:
Critical thinking, problem solving, oral communication, written communication, teamwork, ability to work autonomously.
The following components are compulsory:
Written assignments and seminars.
Cooperation with the surrounding society takes place through:
Possible guest lectures, real case studies during lectures, real company reports for exercises.
Grading form
The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.Formats and requirements for examination
Passed exam.
Approved written assignments.
Active participation in compulsory components.
If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.
The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.
If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.
For the assessment of an independent project (degree project), the examiner may also allow a student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Other information
The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.
If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.
Responsible department
Department of Economics
Further information
Litterature list
For the accounting part lectures will solely be based on powerpoints and lecture material.
**Lectures: Sustainability, goals, circularity**
Milne, M. J., & Gray, R. (2013). W(h)ither ecology? The triple bottom line, the global reporting initiative, and corporate sustainability reporting. *Journal of business ethics*, 118(1), 13-29.
Bjørn, A., Matthews, H. D., Hadziosmanovic, M., Desmoitier, N., Addas, A., & Lloyd, S. M. (2023). Increased transparency is needed for corporate science-based targets to be effective. Nature Climate Change, 1-4.
Korhonen, J., Honkasalo, A., & Seppälä, J. (2018). Circular economy: the concept and its limitations. Ecological economics, 143, 37-46.
Geissdoerfer, M., Pieroni, M. P., Pigosso, D. C., & Soufani, K. (2020). Circular business models: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 277, 123741.
Lectures on** Sustainability reporting foundations, guidelines and regulations**
Gottlieb, U., Johed, G., & Hansson, H. (2022). Accounting and accountability for farm animals: Conceptual limits and the possibilities of caring. *Critical Perspectives on Accounting*, 84, 102409.
Adams, C. A., & Abhayawansa, S. (2022). Connecting the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing and calls for ‘harmonisation’ of sustainability reporting. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 82, 102309.
Rodrigue, M., & Laine, M. (2022). Shadow accounts and alternative portrayals. In Handbook of Accounting and Sustainability (pp. 157-172). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Alsahali, K. F., & Malagueño, R. (2021). An empirical study of sustainability reporting assurance: Current trends and new insights. Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, 18(5), 617–642.
Dumrose, M., Rink, S., & Eckert, J. (2022). Disaggregating confusion? The EU Taxonomy and its relation to ESG rating. Finance Research Letters, 48, 102928.
**Reading list on management control and carbon accounting **
Laine, M., Tregidga, H., & Unerman, J. (2021). *Sustainability Accounting and Accountability*. Routledge. Chapter 4. Sustainability management accounting and control. (On Canvas)
Ligonie, M. (2021). Sharing sustainability through sustainability control activities. A practice-based analysis. Management Accounting Research, 50, 100726. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2020.100726
He, R., Luo, L., Shamsuddin, A., & Tang, Q. (2022). Corporate carbon accounting: A literature review of carbon accounting research from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement. Accounting & Finance, 62(1), 261-298. https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12789
Deconinck, K., Jansen, M., & Barisone, C. (2023). Fast and furious: the rise of environmental impact reporting in food systems. European Review of Agricultural Economics, 50(4), 1310-1337.