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2015/2016  KAN-CCBLC1003U  Edinburgh-Copenhagen Urban Challenge

English Title
Edinburgh-Copenhagen Urban Challenge

Course information
Language English
Course ECTS 7.5 ECTS
Type Elective
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Quarter
Start time of the course Spring
Timetable Course schedule will be posted at calendar.cbs.dk
Max. participants 15
Study board
Study Board for BSc og MSc in Business, Language and Culture, MSc
Course coordinator
  • Kristjan Jespersen - Department of Intercultural Communication and Management (ICM)
Main academic disciplines
  • CSR and sustainability
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Finance
Last updated on 16/02/2016
Learning objectives
To achieve the grade 12, students should meet the following learning objectives with no or only minor mistakes or errors:
  • An understanding of the main techniques, methods, and tools for climate change mitigation planning and financial appraisal.
  • The ability to critically analyse the utility and limitations of different methods and approaches.
  • The ability to analyse a sustainability challenge/problem, and to develop appropriate and workable solutions.
  • The ability to interpret and respond to client/partner requirements, constraints and concerns, including an appreciation of reputationally sensitive issues.
  • Demonstrable skills in data collection and in the use of carbon accounting/financial appraisal techniques.
  • Skills in problem-solving, group-work, prioritising and sharing tasks, working to deadlines, and presenting outputs to external audiences.
Prerequisites for registering for the exam
Number of mandatory activities: 2
Compulsory assignments (assessed approved/not approved)
Midterm project presentations in groups after the first two weeks.

Final project presentation after the four weeks of exchange to teachers and case company.
Examination
Written report:
Exam ECTS 7.5
Examination form Home assignment - written product
Individual or group exam Individual
Size of written product Max. 15 pages
Assignment type Project
Duration Written product to be submitted on specified date and time.
Grading scale 7-step scale
Examiner(s) One internal examiner
Exam period Spring
Make-up exam/re-exam
Same examination form as the ordinary exam
Description of the exam procedure

Home assignment - 20 pages submitted individually.

 

Task of the group/home assignment will be to prepare a final report driven analysis followed by a design of a business proposal upon the Edinburgh-Copenhagen Challenge theme of climate change mitigation, involving carbon accounting, finance and management. The assignment will be developed in trans-disciplinary student groups.

 

The groups are to develop their analysis in relation to a concrete climate change mitigation, involving carbon accounting presented by a private partner. As such, the application and use of ‘Carbon Finance’ must be an integral part of the projects.

 

The groups are to analyze the efficacy and synergies generated from their insights and proposals, and they should in the process and delivery involve other civil and private collaborators. Finally, the groups are to consider the scaling opportunities of the proposals in the cross-cultural settings of Edinburgh and Copenhagen.

 

Students will be expected to use the literature and theories introduced in the course as well as to identify additional literature where appropriate.
Course content and structure
 

Course Description:

The Edinburgh-Copenhagen Urban Challenge is offered jointly by the University of Edinburgh Business School and Copenhagen Business School to postgraduate students from both universities. The course focuses on theoretical transdisciplinary teaching with practice-oriented project work led by academic staff from the University of Edinburgh Business School, Copenhagen Business School and The Ecological Sequestration Trust and supported by policy makers and business leaders from Edinburgh and Copenhagen.

 

The programme involves bringing together a cohort of students from both business schools to work together for four weeks in total, of which two weeks are held in each city. The vision behind the Edinburgh-Copenhagen Urban Challenge is to create a trans-disciplinary, cross-institutional, and cross-cultural higher education course to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, investigate past, current and future experiences and accelerate innovation for urban sustainability. The specific focus of the programme is climate change mitigation, involving carbon accounting, finance and management. The programme brings together students, teachers, municipalities, and businesses to work together on real-world challenges in the two cities.

 

Goals of the Edinburgh-Copenhagen Urban Challenge:

The Edinburgh-Copenhagen Urban Challenge programme intends to achieve the following:

  • Build a lasting collaboration between faculty and students at the University of Edinburgh Business School and Copenhagen Business School.
  • Develop trans-disciplinary, cross-institutional, and cross-country approaches to research, teaching and learning related to urban sustainability.
  • Stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship skills of higher education researchers, teachers, graduate students, municipalities and practitioners within urban sustainability.
  • Progress integrated systems thinking with regard to solving city scale sustainability challenges.
  • Establish a dialogue and close collaboration with key business stakeholders and thereby strengthen the relationship between universities, cities and businesses.

 

Course Description:

The Edinburgh-Copenhagen Urban Challenge is centred on carbon policies and CO2 emission reduction, and focuses on real-world carbon accounting/finance challenges relevant to municipal and/or business partners, in Edinburgh and Copenhagen. Students will be introduced to a number of methods, standards, and tools for addressing the challenge they are presented with, including different forms of carbon accounting and a city-scale resource flow platform developed by the Ecological Sequestration Trust called resililience.io, that supports and facilitates financial investment decisions within sustainable urbanisation. The resilience.io platform connects to a new Urban Development and Investment Fund, which supports a portfolio of projects for sustainable low carbon development specifically in cities.

 

The structure of the programme is intended to facilitate the sharing of lessons between the partner cities, universities, and the participating student cohorts.  The case study partners in Edinburgh are the City of Edinburgh Council and Transport for Edinburgh.

 

The Copenhagen case partner is the Greater Copenhagen Region. The Danish capital is moving rapidly toward a zero-carbon future, as it erects wind farms, transforms its citywide heating systems, promotes energy efficiency, and lures more people out of their cars and onto public transportation and bikes.

                                                                                      

Several of the investments will result in savings on the power and heating bills while others will form the basis for the jobs of the future. The new solutions being developed and tested in Copenhagen present a unique export potential to cities all over the world which also require solutions to reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions and improving the environment.

 

Principles in the preparation of the CPH 2025 Climate Plan to keep Costs down:

  • The transformation takes place gradually over a long time period.
  • Sound financial initiatives are set in motion as soon as possible.
  • The shift to green transport, which is relatively expensive, starts with development projects in most cases.
  • As well as reducing carbon emissions, initiatives should also, if possible, create green growth and enhance the quality of life
Teaching methods
The Edinburgh-Copenhagen Urban Challenge programme is a total of four weeks, with two weeks in each partner city. Up to 15 students from each university (30 in total) will work together throughout the programme in mixed study groups across cultural and disciplinary backgrounds. The stays in Edinburgh and Copenhagen are structured through lectures, seminars, site visits, individual study time, group work, and project presentations.

Participants are expected to take part in all planned activities, and help make the summer school a great experience for everyone, both academically and culturally.

Dates
The course will take place in Edinburgh and Copenhagen. The dates are:
Edinburgh: May 23th – June 3rd
Copenhagen: June 6th – June17th
Student workload
Lectures 60 hours
Preparation 50 hours
Site visits, group work, field work, project presentations 55 hours
Written report 40 hours
Further Information

Each student will receive a student stipend at € 275, but will have to cover any additional costs.

 

There are plenty of opportunities for study grants, e.g. through www.legater.info/rejselegater/,  www.studierejser.dk, or www.legatmidler.dk

 

Applyicants should send their CV and Application Form to Project Coordinator Julie Jo Nygaard jn.ino@cbs.dk. 

 

The deadline for applying is April 4th 2016. All applicants will be notified shortly hereafter. 

 

Read more about the course, application procedure, and the Urban Challenge Programme on our website:   www.urbanchallengealliance.com 
Expected literature

Ascui F. and Lovell H. (2011) ‘As frames collide: making sense of carbon accounting’, Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 24(8), pp. 978–999. doi: 10.1108/09513571111184724.

 

Brander M., Carstairs S. and Topp C. F. E. (2013) ‘Global protocol for community scale greenhouse gas emissions: a trial application in the West Highlands of Scotland’, Greenhouse Gas Measurement and Management, 3(3-4), pp. 149–165. doi: 10.1080/20430779.2013.877313.

 

Crang MA & Cook I 2009. Doing ethnographies. Sage, London.


 

Denzin NK 2001. The reflexive interview and a performative social science. Qualitative Research 1: 1 , 23-46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/146879410100100102.

 

Dowling R 2010. Power, subjectivity, and ethics in qualitative research. In Hay I (eds). Qualitative Research Methods in Human Geography, 26−39. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

 

Ecological Sequestration Trust (2015): Smart ways to mobilise more efficient and effective long-term investment in city regions. Available at: http://ecosequestrust.org/latest/smart-ways-to-mobilise-more-efficient-and-effective-long-term-investment-in-city-regions-report/

 

Ecological Sequestration Trust (2014). Platform Report. Available at:  http://ecosequestrust.org/?s=platform+report&submit=SearchLapan

 

SD, Quartaroli MLT & Riemer FJ 2012. Qualitative research: an introduction to methods and designs. John Wiley & Sons, San Francisco.


 

Eisenhardt KM 1989. Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review 14: 4, 532−550.


 

Foxon T 2010. A coevolutionary framework for analysing a transition to a sustainable low carbon economy.Ecological Economics 70: 12, 2258-2267. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.07.014.

 

Geels FW 2010. Ontologies, socio-technical transitions to sustainability and the multi-level perspective.Research Policy 39: 4, 495-510. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2010.01.022.

 

‘Greenhouse Gas Protocol - Policy and Action Standard - Executive Summary’ (2014). Available at: http://www.ghgprotocol.org/files/ghgp/Policy%20and%20Action%20Standard%20-%20Executive%20Summary.pdf

 

Kaesehage, K. (2016). The Smart Accelerator. How to Create Smart Project Partnerships. A Qualitative Process Evaluation. ClimateXChange, Edinburgh.

 

Pacala S. (2004) ‘Stabilization Wedges: Solving the Climate Problem for the Next 50 Years with Current Technologies’, Science, 305(5686), pp. 968–972. doi: 10.1126/science.1100103.

 

Seyfang G & Longhurst N 2013. Desperately seeking niches: grassroots innovations and niche development in the community currency field. Global Environmental Change 23: 5. 881-891. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2013.02.007.

 

Smith A, Voss JP & Grin J 2010. Innovation studies and sustainability transitions: the allure of the multi-level perspective and its challenges. Research Policy 39: 4, 435-448. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2010.01.023.                   
Last updated on 16/02/2016