Module: Finance for Sustainability

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Finance for Sustainability
Module Code	EF5116 (ITS) / FBA1017 (Banner)
Faculty	DCU Business School	School	DCU Business School
Module Co-ordinator	-
Module Teachers	Ruth Finnegan
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	5
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

None

Description

This module will develop students’ knowledge of the tools and techniques of understanding how sustainable projects get financed. This will include detailed analysis of project finance structures, risk allocation, and contract structures. Students will develop their knowledge of the critically-important project finance market, and place the challenges in financing sustainability in context.

Learning Outcomes

1. Critically evaluate types of project finance structures deployed by governments, financial and non-financial corporations
2. Evaluate structuring arguments for and against risk allocation to project parties.
3. Critique methodologies for financial evaluation of projects, introduction to financial modelling, financial ratios and other key financial tools.
4. Summarize the sustainable/renewable energy financing market - total market size, breakdown of funding types, key countries and project types.
5. Explain the diverse sources of finance and applications, including project finance, corporate debt, private equity / venture capital, public sector – Grants/EU funds and the EU Project Bond Initiative

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	24	The lecturer will present the essential ideas and core concepts pointing students towards resources where they can get further information
Independent Study	36	Preparation for, and reading after lectures
Group work	25	Group work on topics assigned by the Lecturer
Assignment Completion	40	Individual work on topics agreed with the Lecturer
Total Workload: 125

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Sustainable finance market overview
Overview of sustainable/renewable energy financing market - total market size, breakdown of funding types and key countries. Included in this topic will be an overview of the different types of projects being financed in the market i.e. Wind, Solar, Biomass, Biofuels, LFG, Marine & Energy Efficiency • Outline of key Irish and EU legislation and legal framework • Irish and global key risks

Sources of finance
• Overview of different source of finances and applications to sustainable financing o Project Finance o Corporate debt o Private Equity / venture capital o Public sector – Grants/EU funds/EU Project Bond Initiative o Carbon credits

Introduction to Project Finance
• Understanding the key basic principles and structure of project finance • Key contract and legal issues • Financial analysis - Capital structures, cashflow analysis, project valuations • Standard banking and legal terms & conditions

Project finance structuring
• Analysis of key project risks including government policy, technology, feedstock and project counterparties etc • Managing project risk and how it affects the capital structure • Case studies: Focus on 2/3 transactions (1 project finance, 1 equity finance and 1 other Public sector/Carbon credits), outline structures, financing approach etc

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	0%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Group assignment	Group assignment	20%	As required
Project	Individual Project	30%	As required

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category -

Indicative Reading List

K. Tang: 2009, A Guide to Carbon Finance: Carbonomics for a Credit Constrained World, Risk Books,
S. Labatt, R. R. White: 2007, Carbon Finance: The Financial Implications of Climate Change, Wiley,
R. A. Brealey, S. C. Myers, F. Allen: 2011, Principles of Corporate Finance, 10th, McGraw Hill,

Other Resources

None