• Deakin University

Introduction to Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis

Boost your sustainability career as you gain the practical skills to conduct an environmental cost-benefit analysis.

455 enrolled on this course

Introduction to Environmental Cost-Benefit Analysis

455 enrolled on this course

  • 2 weeks

  • 3 hours per week

  • Accreditation available

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Open level

Find out more about how to join this course

The CPD Certification Service

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.

Discover tools to reduce your company’s carbon footprint with Deakin University

Reducing your organisation’s carbon footprint can provide many benefits beyond helping the environment. You can save on operating costs, improve your reputation, and prepare for potential carbon regulations in the future.

However, it can be difficult to know where to start and how to make your carbon reduction decisions align with business goals.

This two-week course will arm you with the skills to be able to choose and implement strategies for carbon reduction in your organisation.

What’s more, you’ll gain expertise in environmental cost-benefit analysis to translate climate action into real value for your company.

Gain skills for strategic decision-making

You’ll start by exploring practical issues in environmental benefits and costs.

This will help you learn how to evaluate options through an environmental lens to make strategic yet sustainable decisions.

Understand cost-benefit analysis and environmental economics

To help you conduct a thorough environmental cost-benefit analysis, you’ll gain an understanding of environmental economic concepts such as property rights and market failures.

With this knowledge, you’ll stand out in your practical abilities to drive positive climate impact through data-driven decisions.

Learn the importance of ESG reporting

Finally, you’ll learn how to leverage Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks to strengthen your organisation’s sustainability.

Guided by industry experts, you’ll develop career-advancing skills to become a sustainability leader in your organisation.

After completing the course, further your knowledge and earn university credits with our ‘Environmental Cost Benefit Analysis’ microcredential.

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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 free open course will provide you the groundwork for learning about environmental cost-benefit analysis in business, and will set the scene for our full credit-bearing microcredential.

Skip to 0 minutes and 41 seconds Across these two weeks, you will learn about basic concepts, like scarcity of resources, opportunity cost, and static efficiency. We will also introduce various property right frameworks to categorise different goods and services and discuss some market failures in relation to environmental sustainability. These concepts will eventually prepare you for conducting an environmental cost-benefit analysis developed with industry partners in the full course.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Decision-making and the environment

    • High angle shot of a group of business colleagues holding a budding plant growing out of soil in their hands

      Let's get started

      Meet your teaching team and other learners, and find key information about this course, including useful tips and links to help you get the most out of your learning.

    • Business people in a contemporary modern office reviewing small coloured notes on board

      Introductory concepts

      Scarcity and opportunity cost, static efficiency and economic surplus, and competitive markets and equilibrium.

  • Week 2

    Property rights and the environment

    • Person throwing metal bucket of money against black background

      Market failures associated with property rights

      Property rights and market failures, and externality, inequity and unsustainability.

    • A dollar symbol made out of wood with leaves growing from it's top

      Course wrap

      Reflect on the key ideas presented throughout this course.

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Recognise basic concepts of economics
  • Differentiate between different property rights structures.
  • Identify different types of market failures

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone interested in understanding the value of the environment to help you make more informed business decisions and reduce your organisation’s carbon footprint.

To further hone your skills, you can join our follow-on microcredential ‘Environmental Cost Benefit Analysis’.

Who will you learn with?

Shuddha Rafiq

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

Hemant Pullabhotla

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

Helen Scarborough

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

Mehmet Ulubasoglu

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.

Who developed the course?

Deakin University

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

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$54/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Tests to boost your learning
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Limited access

Free

Sample the course materials

  • Access expires 19 Feb 2025

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

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