BAAC 580A 001 1

Syllabus
BAAC 580A 001 1 As of February 24, 2024
MBA
COURSE INFORMATION
Course title: Climate and ESG accounting and reporting
Course code: BAAC 580A Credits: 1.5
Session, term, period: 2024 W2, Period 4 Class location: HA 132
Section(s): 001 Class times: Tuesday/Thursday 8 to 10 AM
Course duration: March 11th – April 19th 2024
Division: Accounting
Program: FT MBA
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Instructor: Jocelyn Li, CPA, MPAcc
Office location: HA 349, D8 Office hours: Tues/Thurs 10 to 10:30 AM, by
appointment (see Canvas)
Email: Jocelyn.li@sauder.ubc.ca
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Environment, social and governance (ESG) accounting, reporting and disclosure has become a business
focal point. Boards, leaders, investors, regulators, NGOs, consumers and the broader public are looking
to ESG information to understand business risk, enhance enterprise value, examine impact, and make
sound operational, strategic and investment decisions.
This course provides a comprehensive overview of ESG accounting and reporting, covering core topics
including materiality, popular reporting frameworks and standards, the regulatory environment, targetsetting, GHG accounting, and also highlight ESG in industries key to the Canadian context; financial
institutions, extractive industries and consumer goods. Throughout the course, we will examine these
topics from the internal (management and board), external (investors and regulators) and public
perspective.
COURSE FORMAT
Classes will be held in person, and 100% attendance is expected. Class time will be a combination of
lecture, discussion, cases, and presentations. Guest speakers will also be invited.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Define sustainability and materiality, and critically analyze and evaluate ESG metrics, disclosures,
and reports
2. Understand the application, differences and challenges of various reporting frameworks,
standards, calculation methodologies and guidance in GRI, SASB, CDP, ISSB and TCFD.
3. Identify and appreciate the evolving global and regional regulatory requirements and their
impacts on reporting practices, methodologies, and the role of the accounting skillset
4. Develop an understanding reporting trends, context, opportunities, challenges and
measurement practices in key industries and material topics salient in Canada, including (1)
financial institutions, (2) oil & gas and other extractives, and (3) retail & consumer goods
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5. Appreciate the various rating agencies, their methodologies and implications for reporting
companies, investors and other stakeholders
6. Unpack and understand the ESG target-setting process, net zero goals and the SBTi in particular
7. Understand the complexity and nuances in GHG emissions data and GHG protocol, and perform
basic GHG accounting calculations
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)
At UBC Sauder, we are committed to responsible business practices that can have transformative
impacts on society. One of the ways we are reinforcing our commitment to responsible business is by
showcasing relevant content in our courses via the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals. In this course, we will touch on topics that relate to certain goals. In this course, we will touch on
topics that relate to the following goals:
Sustainable Development Goal Description of how and when the goal is covered in the course.
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global
Partnership for Sustainable Development
Throughout this course, we will discuss means for improving
international cooperation, data collectoi and sharing and cross sector
collaboration. This will be a key binding theme across all classes as
reporting standards and frameworks, GHG accounting and target
setting all aim to contribute to improving global cooperation on key
topics covered by the SDGs.
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable
industrialization and foster innovation
We will discuss information needs of investors, sustainable finance
mechanisms and commitments, frameworks and standards relevant
to the financial services sector in class 7 and 8. These initiatives seek
to promote inclusive and sustainable finance, innovation, access to
credit, access to technology and resilient infrastructure to support the
achievement of the goals.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
We will discuss this throughout the course, from how to calculate
GHG emissions (class 4) to setting climate targets (class 6), and how
heavy-polluting and key Canadian industries are fighting climate
change (class 9). Climate will also be discussed in the context of
reporting, investor needs and the regulatory environment.
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Circularity, waste and consumption will be covered generally as part
of reporting and frameworks, and spotlighted as part of our class on
the retail and consumer goods sector (class 10).
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ASSESSMENTS
Summary
Component Weight
Participation, attendance, and preparedness 20%
Discussion board (x4) 10%
Pre-class quizzes (x5) 10%
Group project
Benchmarking report quality (excel) 10%
Evaluating reporting frameworks and TCFD responses (memo/excel) 10%
Evaluating material topics and climate reporting (deck) 10%
Rating agencies and commitments (memo or other) 10%
Roadmap and final class presentation (in person) 20%
Total 100%
Details of Assessments
Participation, attendance, and preparedness (20%)
Your mark for this portion will be based on your willingness to participate and quality of contributions in
the many opportunities presented to you to engage in the subject matter. The material is challenging,
therefore, engaging in discussion enhances the learning experience significantly for you and your peers.
The 15% requires you to be present in each class and engaged, managing distractions from cellphones
and non-course related web browsing. To achieve full marks, you are expected to participate, ask
questions, discuss and share insights with peers and prepare adequately for class.
Discussion board (10%)
Articles, cases, and other materials will be shared weekly for discussion and response (2% x 5 weeks).
You will have the option of asking a question, or responding to your peer’s questions. Your participation
should be insightful, apply and link course concepts, and encourage further critical thinking and
research. You can also read peer project deliverables and comment/include them in your discussion.
Pre class quizzes (10%)
These short quizzes will contain a combination of quantitative and qualitative questions that must be
completed in a specified time period. It may include multiple choice and short answer questions.
Responses are evaluated on the student’s ability to 1) prepare for class thoroughly, 2) apply the
fundamental concepts and principles correctly, and 3) formulate a reasonable and practical response to
the problems. Quizzes will be delivered through Canvas once a week. They are open book, but are time
bound.
Group project (60%)
In groups of 4, students will take the role of an external consultant and deliver on a series of projects, all
relating to the same company. Deliverables will have deadlines over the 5 week course, with the final
presentation taking place during exam week.
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Each of the five deliverables are due at 6:00 PM and must be submitted on Canvas. See Course Schedule
for details. For learning and review purposes, all deliverables and executive summaries/approach slides
will be shared on Canvas.
Week 0: Company selection
Wednesday March 13th 2024, or ASAP
No grading
Requirements • Select a leading reporter in the industry of your choice
• Your company of choice must have robust sustainability reporting and report on
TCFD, CDP (Climate Change at minimum), and GHG emissions. TCFD report may
be an index, standalone or integrated.
Format Email Jocelyn at Jocelyn.li@sauder.ubc.ca
Rubric N/A
Week 1: Benchmarking report quality
Monday March 18th 2024 10%
Requirements Perform benchmarking on report quality against your company’s peers to help your
client understand their performance relative to peers and areas for improvement.
Generate a long list of ten potential peers and select 3 peers (at least two of which
who is reporting on TCFD). Briefly explain how these peers were selected. Next,
develop a list of 5-8 parameters/questions to evaluate report quality and define
criteria of how peers will be evaluated against the parameters/questions. Finally,
evaluate the peers and the company’s performance. Summarize findings and
recommendations
Format Deliverable will be in an Excel spreadsheet and submitted via Canvas
Rubric Ease of use and overall presentation and professionalism 15%
Communication and writing 15%
Long list of peers and selection of peers 10%
Relevance and clarity of report quality parameters and criteria 20%
Application of criteria and parameters 20%
Summary of findings and recommendations 20%
Week 2: Evaluating reporting frameworks and TCFD responses
Monday March 25th 2024 10%
Requirements Part 1: Reporting frameworks
Identify the reporting frameworks used, explain why they have been selected, and
evaluate if they are appropriate. Identify any potentially applicable emerging
frameworks or regulations that may apply or that should be considered, and why.
Part 2: TCFD response evaluation
Critically evaluate the company’s TCFD Strategy and Risk Management disclosures
and perform a gap assessment, referencing TCFD reporting guidelines and the 2023
Status report. Identify areas where recommendations are not being met and areas
for improvement. Where helpful, provide best practice examples based on peer
reports.
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Finally, summarize any framework and TCFD gap assessment findings and
recommendations
Format Deliverable will be in a word file memo (uploaded as a PDF) and submitted via
Canvas. Tables and figures may be used as relevant. Part 1 should be a maximum of
4 pages and Part 2 should be a maximum of 5 pages.
Rubric Ease of use and overall presentation and professionalism 10%
Communication and writing 15%
Evaluation of existing frameworks 15%
Evaluation of emerging frameworks or regulations 15%
Evaluation of TCFD disclosures and gap assessment 25%
Summary of findings and recommendations 20%
Week 3: Evaluating material topics and climate reporting
Monday April 1st 2024 10%
Requirements Part 1: Material topics benchmarking
Compare the company’s material climate topics with peers. Evaluate and comment
on any gaps, differences or similarities.
Part 2: GHG reporting evaluation
Review and comment on the company’s GHG reporting, including datatables,
narrative, footnotes and methodology. Evaluate the appropriateness of the GHG
reporting with reference to GHG protocol and peers as relevant.
Part 3: Climate/environment target assessment
Select 5 targets and associated base year and/or current year progress disclosed and
assess the appropriateness of calculation methodologies, clarity of disclosure and
relevance to the industry. If methodologies are unclear, recommend changes based
on review of peers, other disclosure standards or industry best practice. Comment
with reference to GHG protocol, SBTi, peers and other frameworks as relevant.
Format Deliverable will be in a report slidedeck (uploaded as a PDF file) and submitted via
Canvas. Total deck should be a maximum of 25 slides including any appendices.
Rubric Ease of use and overall presentation and professionalism 20%
Communication and writing (including graphics and diagrams) 15%
Material topic benchmarking 15%
GHG reporting evaluation 25%
Climate/environment target assessment 25%
Week 4: Rating agencies and commitments
Monday April 8th 2024 10%
Requirements Part 1: Rating agency change impact evaluation
Assume your company submits a CSA as part of the S&P rating process. Review the
2024 proposed CSA methodogy updates for Energy Programs, Stakeholder
Engagement, Waste and Water and determine if and how the proposed changes
would impact your company. Respond to each of the proposals by: (1) Determining if
the change impacts your company, (2) Describing if the company is in support of the
change and why, ie. how will the change impact their performance, (3) Evaluating
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how the company could respond based on existing reported information (and where
you found it). If the information does not yet exist, evaluate the level of difficulty
and next steps to obtain the information.
Part 2: Commitments and pledges review
Determine what commitments, alliances or pledges the company has made. Assess if
the company’s participation in these is appropriate, and why. Comment on the
company’s progress on the commitments and contributions. Identify if there are any
other commitments they should consider, or any they should consider ending.
Finally comment on the company’s progress relative to the 3 peers selected in week
1. If peers have not signed on to similar commitments, attempt to explain why.
Format Deliverable will be in a word file memo (uploaded as a PDF) and submitted via
Canvas. Tables and figures may be used as relevant. The memo should be a
maximum of 10 pages.
Rubric Ease of use and overall presentation and professionalism 10%
Communication and writing 20%
Rating agency change impact evaluation 25%
Commitment and pledges review 25%
Commitment and pledges peer comparison 20%
Week 5: Roadmap for improvement
Deck due Thursday April 15th 2024
Presentation week of April 15th 2024
20%
Requirements Part 1: Summary of Weeks 1 to 4 and recommendations
Summarizing and drawing on the 4 previous parts, identify key strengths,
weaknesses, and opportunities for the company to present back to the executive
team. Where relevant, provide background on outcomes of previous work and
approaches taken. Develop a maximum of 5 key recommendations and a roadmap
for overarching ESG strategy and reporting improvements. Provide details on
implementation, timing, requirements, and personnel involved.
Part 2: Executive team presentation
Prepare and present Part 1 to the company’s executive team. 15 mins + 10 minute
question and answer. The focus of the presentation should be on key findings and
content relevant to executive management.
Format Deliverable will be in a presentation slidedeck (uploaded as a PDF file) and submitted
via Canvas. Total deck should be a maximum of 25 slides including any appendices.
Rubric Overall presentation and professionalism 15%
Communication (verbal and visual) 15%
Summary and organization of Week 1 to 4 findings 20%
Recommendations and roadmap 25%
Presentation skills (storytelling, clarity, pace, tone, effectiveness) 15%
Peer evaluation of presentation 10%
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LEARNING MATERIALS
There is no textbook for this class, and instead, frameworks, articles and academic papers will be shared
throughout the course as part of class preparation. You are expected to read or skim those resources.
Sample resources below:
• ESG Trends in 2023, by PwC
• Big Shifts, Small Steps: Survey of Sustinability Reporting 2022, by KPMG International
• The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, by WRI
• Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard, by Greenhouse Gas Protocol
• A closer look at the GHG Protocol, by CPA Canada
• GRI 1 Foundation, by Global Reporting Initiative 2022
• Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures: 2022 Status Report, by TCFD
• SEC Proposes Rules to Enhance and Standardize Climate-Related Disclosures for Investors, and
Proposed Rule, by Securities Exchange Commission
• Understanding the SEC’s proposed climate risk disclosure rule, by McKinsey & Company
• The Global GHG Accounting and Reporting Standard for the financial industry, Partnership for
Carbon Acccounting Financials
• The regulatory and legal implications of Canada’s Modern Slavery Act, by PwC
COURSE-SPECIFIC POLICIES AND RESOURCES
Missed or late assignments, and regrading of assessments
Academic Concessions
If extenuating circumstances arise, please contact the RHL Graduate School program office as early as
reasonably possible, and submit an Academic Concession Request & Declaration Form. If an academic
concession is granted during the course, the student will be provided options by RHL, or by the
instructor in consultation with RHL, per UBC’s policy on Academic Concession.
POLICIES APPLICABLE TO COURSES IN THE ROBERT H. LEE GRADUATE SCHOOL
Attendance
Excepting extenuating circumstances, students are expected to attend 100% of their scheduled class
hours. Absent students limit their own academic potential, and that of their classmates, and cause
unnecessary disruption to the learning environment. Students missing more than 20% of the total
scheduled class hours for a course (including classes held during the add/drop period) without having
received an academic concession will be withdrawn from that course. Withdrawals, depending on
timing, could result in a “W” or an “F” standing on the transcript.
COVID-19 Policies for Attendance & Academic Concessions:
If a student feels unwell, they should stay home and send a courtesy email to each impacted instructor
and cc their program manager. The student should also submit an Academic Concession Request &
Declaration Form.
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If a student suspects possible COVID-19 infection, they should use the BC Ministry of Health’s selfassessment tool, to help determine whether further assessment or testing for COVID-19 is
recommended.
Punctuality
Students are expected to arrive for classes and activities on time and fully prepared to engage. Late
arrivals may be refused entry at the discretion of the instructor or activity lead. Students arriving later
than halfway through a scheduled class will be treated as absent for that class.
Electronic Devices
Devices such as laptops, tablets, and cell phones are not permitted to be used in class unless directed by
the instructor for in-class activities. Students who do not follow the School’s policy in this regard may be
required to leave the room for the remainder of the class, so that they do not distract others. Research
shows that students’ use of laptops in class has negative implications for the learning environment,
including reducing their own grades and the grades of those sitting around them.
Citation Style
Please use the American Psychological Association (APA) reference style to cite your sources.
Details of the above policies and other RHL Policies are available at:
http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,199,506,1625
UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND RESOURCES
UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but recognizes
that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access including those for survivors
of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas of all members of the academic
community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated nor is suppression of academic freedom.
UBC provides appropriate accommodation for students with disabilities and for religious observances.
UBC values academic honesty and students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others
and to uphold the highest academic standards in all of their actions. Details of the policies and how to
access support are available on the UBC Senate website at https://senate.ubc.ca/policies-resourcessupport-student-success.
Respect for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The UBC Sauder School of Business strives to promote an intellectual community that is enhanced by
diversity along various dimensions including status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person,
race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, political beliefs, social class, and/or
disability. It is critical that students from diverse backgrounds and perspectives be valued in and wellserved by their courses. Furthermore, the diversity that students bring to the classroom should be
viewed as a resource, benefit, and source of strength for your learning experience. It is expected that all
students and members of our community conduct themselves with empathy and respect for others.
Academic Integrity
The academic enterprise is founded on honesty, civility, and integrity. As members of this enterprise, all
students are expected to know, understand, and follow the codes of conduct regarding academic
integrity. At the most basic level, this means submitting only original work done by you and
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acknowledging all sources of information or ideas and attributing them to others as required. This also
means you should not cheat, copy, or mislead others about what is your work. Violations of academic
integrity (i.e., misconduct) lead to the breakdown of the academic enterprise, and therefore serious
consequences arise and harsh sanctions are imposed. For example, incidences of plagiarism or cheating
may result in a mark of zero on the assignment or exam and more serious consequences may apply if
the matter is referred to the President’s Advisory Committee on Student Discipline. Careful records are
kept in order to monitor and prevent recurrences.
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Generative AI Permitted Where Specified With Attribution
For this course, students may use generative artificial intelligence (AI), including ChatGPT, for specific
assessments or coursework, where it is expressly specified by the instructor. In these cases of permitted
use, students must disclose any use of AI-generated material as per the assessment guidelines. At a
minimum, this will include proper attribution, including in-text citations, quotations and references.
COPYRIGHT
All materials of this course (course handouts, lecture slides, assessments, course readings, etc.) are the
intellectual property of the instructor or licensed to be used in this course by the copyright owner.
Redistribution of these materials by any means without permission of the copyright holder(s)
constitutes a breach of copyright and may lead to academic discipline and could be subject to legal
action. Any lecture recordings are for the sole use of the instructor and students enrolled in the class. In
no case may the lecture recording or part of the recording be used by students for any other purpose,
either personal or commercial. Further, audio or video recording of classes are not permitted without
the prior consent of the instructor. Students may not share class Zoom links or invite others who are not
registered to view sessions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
UBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the
xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history, and
traditions from one generation to the next on this site.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Subject to change with class consultation. See discussion board and quiz deadlines in Canvas.
Class Date Topic Sub topics Assessments due
1 March
12
Sustainability reporting
101
History of ESG reporting, defining
ESG, report quality and
materiality
2 March
14
Reporting frameworks
and standards
UNSDGs, ISSB (TCFD), GRI, SASB
and CDP
Group project:
Benchmarking (18th)
3 March
19
Regulatory reporting
environment
SEC, CSA and European
requirements
4 March
21
GHG emissions
accounting
GHG Protocol, Scope 3, offsets,
RECs, VPPAs and carbon pricing
Group project:
Reporting Frameworks
& TCFD (25th)
5 March
26
Accounting for other
climate impacts
Waste, water and biodiversity,
TNFD
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6 March
28
Target setting and net
zero
KPI development and
methodogies, SBTi, incentive pay,
base year policies
Group project: Material
topics & climate
reporting (1st)
7 April 2
Overview of certifications,
rating agencies and how
they work
CDP, BCorp, MSCI, Sustainalytics,
S&P, DJI, the investor lens
8 April 4 Key industries: finance Sustainable finance, NZAM PRI,
PRB and PCAF
Group project: Rating
agencies &
commitments (8th)
9 April 9 Key industries: oil, gas and
other extractives
Energy transition, climate change,
indigenous partnership, and
governance
10 April 11 Key industries: retail and
consumer goods
Retail trends, modern slavery, ecolabelling, NGO pressure and
circularity
Group Project:
Roadmap for
improvement (15th)
11 Final
week Final presentation (15 mins + 10 min Q&A)

BAAC 580A 001- P4 2024- Syllabus