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Sustainability and Financial Management (SFM)

20 undergraduate courses in the 2025–26 Undergraduate Calendar.

SFM 101 Introduction to Sustainability and Financial Management0.50 units

Introduction to foundational concepts in sustainability through an exploration of the interaction between business, society, and the natural environment from multiple perspectives. The course will emphasize ways to mobilize inclusive blended knowledge for sustainability and innovation.

Prerequisites
Antirequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
      • ENBUS102 - Introduction to Environment and Business (0.50)
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 102 Sustainability Economics0.50 units

This course provides an introduction to the basic concepts and tools of microeconomics and macroeconomics from the perspective of economic approaches to the environment.

Prerequisites
Antirequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
      • COMM103 - Principles of Economics (0.50)
      • ECON100 - Principles of Economics (0.50)
      • ECON101 - Introduction to Microeconomics (0.50)
      • ECON102 - Introduction to Macroeconomics (0.50)
      • ENVS220 - Ecological Economics (0.50)
    • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in:

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 201 Social Issues in Sustainability0.50 units

This course is an examination of a variety of social issues in sustainability. Foundational topics include human rights, labour, gender equality, children's rights, education, and diversity and engagement of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 205 Advancing Sustainability: A Systems Approach0.50 units

The interconnectedness of multiple systems (e.g., economic, social, ecological) adds complexity to the task of advancing sustainability. This course explores approaches to decision making and communication in such contexts, often characterized by highly complex and interconnected objectives, ambiguity, and imperfect information.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed the following:
    • SFM101 - Introduction to Sustainability and Financial Management (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 299 Special Topics in Sustainability and Financial Management0.50 units

A course offered from time to time on a significant sustainability management issue.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 301 Enterprise Carbon Accounting0.50 units

This course is an exploration of carbon markets and regulations. It investigates best practices in greenhouse gas measurement and management in the focal firm and across the supply chain, including greenhouse gas information management system, verification and auditing processes, and strategies for emission reductions target setting.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 309 Sustainability and Business Ethics0.50 units

This course focuses jointly on business ethics and the ethics of sustainability. Ethical issues commonly encountered by finance and accounting professionals are explored. Ethical issues regarding the compatibility of commercial activity and sustainability are also examined with a particular lens on the role of corporate governance, culture, and social responsibility.

Prerequisites
Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
    • AFM311 - Connections to Ethical Context (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 310 Sustainability in Capital Markets0.50 units

This course examines financial market tools, processes, and institutions which influence the environmental and the channels by which they can be utilized to promote sustainable and socially responsible long-term growth.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • AFM272 - Global Capital Markets and Financial Analytics (0.50)
    • AFM273 - Financial Instruments and Capital Markets (0.50)
Antirequisites
  • Not completed nor concurrently enrolled in any of the following:
    • ENBUS310 - Introduction to Sustainable Finance (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 311 Social Systems Finance0.50 units

This course examines the influence of social system factors in asset pricing. The course will explore how an organization’s actions related to social issues such as human rights, labour, gender, equality, diversity, and inclusion impact operational outcomes and accordingly influence asset values.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 328 Sustainability Integration Consulting Group - Junior Strategist0.25 units

This course provides students hands-on training in strategic integration of sustainability objectives and measurement within the firm with guidance from industry experts and supervision by faculty. This will generally be the first course that students take when they join the Sustainability Integration team. Junior strategists will attend consulting group meetings, assist in firm research and materiality assessments, and assist in the preparation of consulting reports/recommendations.

Prerequisites
  • Complete all of the following
    • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
      • AFM285 - Introduction to Sustainability and Sustainable Business (0.50)
      • AFM485 - Approaches to Measuring Value (0.50)
      • ENBUS102 - Introduction to Environment and Business (0.50)
      • ENVS195 - Introduction to Environmental Studies (0.50)
      • ENVS205 - Sustainability: The Future We Want (0.50)
      • SFM101 - Introduction to Sustainability and Financial Management (0.50)
    • Students must be in level 2B or higher

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 329 Sustainability Integration Consulting Group - Senior Strategist0.25 units

This course provides students hands-on training in strategic integration of sustainability objectives and measurement within the firm with guidance from industry experts and supervision by faculty. This course is normally taken after a student has completed one term as a junior strategist with the consulting group. Senior strategists interface with firm representatives, lead the consulting student team, and oversee consulting reports/recommendations.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed the following:
    • SFM328 - Sustainability Integration Consulting Group - Junior Strategist (0.25)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 401 Social and Human Capital Accounting0.50 units

This course examines approaches and methodologies used by firms to understand and measure the value added by social and human capital, to assess positive and negative impacts, and to provide information for decision-making that informs and influences external and internal stakeholders.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 402 Natural Capital Accounting0.50 units

This course examines approaches and methodologies used by firms to understand and measure natural capital, to assess positive and negative impacts on natural resources, and to provide information for decision-making that informs and influences external and internal stakeholders.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 403 Integrated Planning, Reporting, and Risk Management for Sustainability0.50 units

This capstone course will review channels by which social, human, natural, and financial capital feed into strategic planning and environmental risk management. Students examine effective and ineffective attempts to embed an understanding of the interdependency among social, human, sustainability, and financial factors and complete a project critically analyzing the planning, reporting, and/or risk management practices of a firm.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 411 Natural Systems Finance0.50 units

This course examines the influence of natural system factors in asset pricing. The course will explore how an organization’s actions related to natural environment issues such as carbon output, biodiversity, water, and pollution impact operational outcomes and accordingly influence asset values.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 412 Investor Behaviour0.50 units

This course examines the influence of non-financial factors in asset prices. The psychological and emotional factors that influence investor behaviour and decision making will be examined in the context of resultant market anomalies. The course will also examine the extent to which investors view sustainability factors in natural and social systems as material in asset values.

Prerequisites
  • Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
    • AFM272 - Global Capital Markets and Financial Analytics (0.50)
    • AFM273 - Financial Instruments and Capital Markets (0.50)

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 413 Integrating Natural and Social Systems in Finance0.50 units

In this capstone students will consider the sustainability performance of an entity from a number of perspectives including tracking, reporting, communications, regulations, ethical considerations, and compensation.

Prerequisites

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 497 Special Topics in Sustainability Reporting and Measurement0.50 units

A course offered from time to time on a significant sustainability reporting and measurement issue.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 498 Special Topics in Sustainability Finance0.50 units

A course offered from time to time on a significant sustainability finance issue.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines

SFM 499 Special Topics in Sustainability Accounting0.50 units

A course offered from time to time on a significant sustainability accounting issue.

Archived calendar entryRequirements, Fall 2025Course outlines