Online Microcredential in Business & Management

Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis in Business

Gain the decision-making skills to analyse environmental costs and benefits and implement strategies to mitigate climate change.

Created by

Deakin UniversityDeakin University

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Co-created by

HycelHycel

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In collaboration with

Wannon WaterWannon Water

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In collaboration with

Transit South WestTransit South West

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In partnership with

CEDACEDA

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Learn how to choose strategies that will reduce carbon emissions

As we look to tackle the climate crisis, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to include carbon reduction strategies in their operations. An environmental cost-benefit analysis (ECBA) is a vital new tool to help you make decisions that will reduce your carbon footprint and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

This microcredential will equip you with the skills to use an environmental cost-benefit analysis for effective business and policy decision-making.

You’ll learn how to choose and implement strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change and reduce carbon emissions. Using sensitivity simulations, you’ll also investigate accelerating the adoption of different carbon abatement mechanisms.

Gain decision-making skills to tackle environmental issues

You’ll start by exploring decision-making in business and how to improve your skills to use in your context.

Next, you’ll examine the role of sustainability and environmental issues in decision-making and how you can use this knowledge to make more climate-friendly business choices.

Learn how to evaluate trade-off in a cost-benefit analysis

A cost-benefit analysis helps you avoid bias in your decision-making as you determine the strengths and weaknesses of a decision.

On the microcredential, you’ll gain the skills to evaluate different trade-offs as you conduct a cost benefit analysis. Using Excel, you’ll discover how to use the discounting process to project future costs and benefits.

With this knowledge, you’ll then delve into the environmental cost benefit analysis. You’ll explore the prospects and challenges of valuing the environment as well as how to determine the value your consumer has for environmental goods or services.

Explore policies for pollution control

Next, you’ll explore the policies and practices for pollution control and the method of carbon pricing.

You’ll learn key techniques to allow for efficient allocation of pollution in your cost-benefit analysis.

Learn practical skills with Deakin University

Finally, you’ll see different environmental cost benefit analyses in practice to see how it works across different industries.

With this knowledge, you’ll have the practical skills to create business cases which are better informed by environmental benefits and costs, risks and uncertainty, and the relevant time frames in business decision-making.

How will this microcredential help me develop in my career?

As more climate change mitigation policies and legislations begin to be implemented, it will become essential for businesses to measure and reduce their carbon footprint. The green skills you learn on this course will be transferable across industries as you can help businesses make decisions based on carbon reduction strategies.

What’s more, the environmental cost-benefit analysis tool addresses recent Australian legislative arrangements to reduce carbon footprint and the need for firms and businesses to adapt the legislation.

How will I be assessed?

You’ll complete an assessment task in two parts. First, you’ll use Excel to create a hypothetical environmental cost benefit analysis and submit both your spreadsheet and analysis report.

Second, you’ll develop a proposal for an ECBA study to assist a business or government decision.

Will I receive University credits?

Upon successful completion of the microcredential and assessment, you’ll receive 0.5 Deakin University credits and a digital certificate.

Download video: standard or HD

Skip to 0 minutes and 6 seconds SHUDDHA RAFIQ: Is your business affected by new environmental and sustainability-related regulations? Does your organisation need to respond to changing stakeholder expectations? How will your day-to-day decision making be shaped by new policies and legislations? This microcredential will equip you with the knowledge and practical skills to implement environmental cost-benefit analysis.

Skip to 0 minutes and 36 seconds With readily available data and real life cases from water and energy industries, we will explore possible methods to deal with environmental policies, like carbon pricing, carbon tax. We will also undertake sensitivity analysis in various contexts of risk, uncertainty, and time frames. By taking this course, you will develop skills to incorporate environmental and climate change-related events and policies into your business decision making. We hope you’ll join us.

What skills will you learn?

  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Environmental cost-benefit analysis
  • Decision-making

What you will achieve

By the end of the microcredential, you’ll be able to...

  • Explain cost-benefit analysis and its sensitivity to time and uncertainty.
  • Incorporate non-market valuation and climate policy into cost-benefit analysis.
  • Reflect on cost-benefit analysis findings including their complexity and subjectivity.

Are you eligible for this microcredential?

This microcredential is designed for anyone interested in the sustainability industry. It will also benefit those involved in decision-making in any business.

Is this microcredential right for you?

Whether you’re just starting out in your career or you’re looking to develop in your existing career, this microcredential will arm you with the skills to make decisions based on environmental costs and benefits.

Syllabus

What happens before, during, and after your microcredential

  • Before learning

    You’ll have access to the welcome area to introduce yourself and familiarise yourself with the microcredential structure and course materials.

  • Course

    From 28 Aug 2023

    Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis in Business

    Gain conceptual and practical skills required for Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis.

    6 weeks

    10 hours per week

    • Week 1

      Decision-making and the environment
      • Let's get started
      • Introductory concepts
      • Market failures
      • Weekly wrap
    • Week 2

      Cost-benefit analysis and the environment
      • Introduction to cost-benefit analysis
      • Analysing the future
      • Analysis in Excel
      • Weekly wrap
    • Week 3

      Environmental valuation
      • Introduction to environmental valuation
      • Revealed preference methods
      • Stated preference methods
      • Weekly wrap
    • Week 4

      Cost-benefit analysis for pollution control
      • Efficient allocation of pollution
      • Policies for pollution control
      • Weekly wrap
    • Week 5

      Case study and recent developments
      • The Great Tasting Water project
      • Weekly wrap
    • Week 6

      Assessment, summary, and next steps
      • Assessment preparation and submission
      • Course wrap
  • After learning

    You’ll receive a statement of completion from FutureLearn and digital certificate from Deakin University.

What you will receive

0.5 Deakin Credit Points at Postgraduate level from Deakin University

You’ll receive a digital Credly badge worth 0.5 postgraduate level credits. With these credits, you can build towards a degree from Deakin University.

Find out how credits work and where you can use them in our FAQs.

A Digital Badge from Deakin University and Credly

image ⬅️ Click this image to see more information about the digital badge you will receive upon successful completion, validated by Credly.



Learn more about this organisation

Additional benefits

Complete your course within 6 weeks, including the assessment, or take extra time and use the regular assessment submission windows to complete within 20–26 weeks of your enrolment.

What is a microcredential?

Microcredentials are designed to upskill you for work in rapidly-growing industries, without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. Your microcredential can stand alone as an independent credential, and some also offer academic credit to use towards a degree.

Learn online with expert instructors

Complete online courses led by experts over multiple weeks with a dedicated group of professionals.

Complete project-based assessments

Test your understanding with online tutor-marked assessments and exercises.

Earn a professional credential

Finish your learning and pass your assessments to gain an accredited credential.

Advance further in your career

Use your microcredential as evidence of your specialised skills and progress further in your industry.

Career-focused learning by Deakin University

Deakin University is one of Australia’s largest universities with more than 61,000 students and over 15,000 online.

  • Established

    1974
  • Location

    Melbourne, Australia
  • World ranking

    Top 280Source: QS World University Rankings 2021

Career-focused learning by Hycel

Hycel is a regional hub of hydrogen expertise in south west Victoria, Australia, focused on hydrogen mobility applications, education and social licence.

This microcredential is in collaboration with Wannon Water

This microcredential is in collaboration with Transit South West

This microcredential is in partnership with CEDA

Delivered by experts

Dr Helen Scarborough has extensive experience as a researcher, teacher and professional economist with a passion for environmental economics.

Dr. Shuddha is Senior Lecturer at Deakin Business School. He specialises in sustainability issues relevant to energy, environment & climate change.

Hemant Pullabhotla is a Lecturer of Economics in the Department of Economics, Deakin Business School.

Mehmet Ulubasoglu is a Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at Deakin Business School. Mehmet is currently the Head of the Department of Economics.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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When would you like to start?

We aim to run our microcredentials every few months. Join on the date that suits you or register to hear about future runs and updates.

  • Join by 20 Dec 2024 at 00:00This microcredential started 8 Nov 2024

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FAQ

We can accept payments made by card (Visa, Mastercard and American Express) or PayPal via our online system.

You will have 14 days from the day the course starts to apply for a refund. If this Microcredential has any non-refundable costs they will be stated in the ‘Overview’ section above. You can find more information in our cancellation and refund policy.

Microcredentials are designed to fit around your life and timezone.

There may be live events as part of your studies, but these will be recorded and can be watched afterwards if you aren’t online for the live broadcast.

No, microcredentials are designed to be taken anywhere in the world. You won’t need the right to study in the country where the university offering the microcredential is based.

Want to know more? Read the microcredential FAQs, or contact us.