LAU44036 Law and Sustainable Investments

ECTS weighting 5
Semester/term taught HT
Cohorts Available SS Law, Law Major, Joint Honours, Law Minor
Contact Hours and Indicative Student Workload 17 lecture hours (11 x 1.5 hours per week) / 33 hours pre-class reading (11 x 3 hours per week) / 50 hours essay assignment25 hours group project assignment
Module Coordinator/Owner Felix Mezzanotte

Learning Outcomes

Having successfully completed this module, students should be able to:

LO1. Identify and explain key concepts, tools and rules governing sustainability investments and the protection of investors in the European Union

LO2. Apply key concepts, tools and rules to resolve problems involving sustainable investments and investors.

LO3. Critically analyse the problems that investors face when deciding to invest sustainably, and evaluate legal, regulatory and policy solutions that mitigate such problems

LO4. Communicate ideas, opinions and findings effectively in oral and written modes.

LO5. Conducting research independently to address specific questions of investor protection in the context of sustainability

Module Content

This module covers the EU legal framework that governs sustainable investments. The module develops around four main pillars. First, the conceptualisation of sustainability in investments, products and metrics. Second, the rights and restrictions applicable to investors’ decisions to invest in a sustainable manner. Third, greenwashing risk and information disclosure obligations. Fourth, the discussion of policy options that further promote investor protection including effective rule enforcement and investors’ literacy. The students registering to this module will be interested in the integration of sustainability in financial markets and willing to learn and discuss issues of law and policy, including the utilisation of interdisciplinary resources. The module is assessed through a maximum 4000-word essay (70%) and group project (30%).

This module is a valuable complement other modules connected to investors, sustainability and the financial sector including the module in Financial Services Law [LAU 44132] and the module in Responsible Business, ESG and Ethics [LAU34261]. It also provides a critical knowledge base for those students interested in the Capstone Module: Law, Sustainability and Finance [LAU 44015]

 

Assessment
Assessment Component Assessment Description LO(s) addressed % of total Week Due
Essay Assignment Max. 4000-word Individual essay; Topic chosen by the student among the course topics. Turnitin Submission LO1; L03; LO4; LO5 70% of the total End of the module
Group Project The groups will be formed and the project instructions introduced in class, week 4.
Following this, the group will meet outside class to write a letter (max 2000 words) addressed to the government advocating for reform and proposing a plan of action/solution.
The group will submit the letter to the lecturer for marking.
The group will present the content of this letter in class.
LO1; LO2; LO4; LO5 30% of total mark. This mark is based on the group written submission. Each group member will receive the same mark
Presentation Week 11: on a pass/fail basis; each member of the group presents.

Submission of letter and presentation will take place in week 11