Sustainable Business Pitch

Overview

Students investigate how a small business can make responsible decisions about energy, resources and environmental impact. They apply this understanding to develop and justify a sustainable business idea, building on prior learning about business needs, resources and decision-making.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain how business activities affect the natural world.
• WALT compare current and alternative energy and resource choices.
• WALT evaluate business decisions using ethical, environmental and practical considerations.
• WALT communicate a justified recommendation for a sustainable enterprise.

Success criteria

• I can identify energy and resource choices made by a business.
• I can explain at least two environmental or ethical impacts of those choices.
• I can compare alternatives using clear criteria.
• I can recommend a sustainable option and justify it with evidence.

Curriculum links

• Science — evaluating current and alternative energy use using ethical and sustainability considerations.
• Science — analysing the impact of human activity on the natural world.
• Agriculture Technology — explaining industry practices in agricultural enterprises and systems, where the business example involves food production or land use.
• Business learning is integrated through enterprise decision-making, stakeholder needs, costs, benefits and responsible resource management.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and prior knowledge. Open with the opening business dilemma slide showing two takeaway cafés: one using cheap disposable packaging and grid electricity, the other using reusable packaging and renewable electricity. Ask, “Which café is more sustainable, and what information would a business owner need before deciding?” Students record an initial choice and explain one reason aloud or in writing.

2. 7–17 min · Direct teaching. Use the key concepts and comparison slides to clarify sustainability, renewable and non-renewable energy, resource use, stakeholders, ethical decisions and environmental impact. Model a simple decision matrix comparing paper, plastic and reusable cups against cost, waste, customer expectations and energy use. Students annotate the example and identify one trade-off.

3. 17–25 min · Guided investigation. Provide the sustainable business investigation worksheet and read the case study together: a small local farm shop sells vegetables, eggs and prepared food. Discuss its energy use, packaging, transport, water use and waste. Students highlight facts, list affected stakeholders and classify each decision as an environmental, ethical, financial or operational consideration.

4. 25–42 min · Independent enterprise task. Return to the enterprise challenge and planning prompts. Students choose one business: a farm shop, school lunch service, clothing repair business, market garden or mobile food van. They complete the worksheet by identifying two current practices, proposing two alternatives, and rating each option from 1–5 for sustainability, cost, practicality and fairness. Prompt the student to explain any conflict between profit and responsible practice.

5. 42–52 min · Recommendation conference. The student presents their preferred option to the teacher as a one-minute business pitch. Ask: “Who benefits?”, “Who may be disadvantaged?”, “What evidence supports your choice?”, and “What compromise might be needed?” Students revise their recommendation after feedback and add a short justification using the sentence frame: “The business should…, because… Although…, it could reduce the impact by…”.

6. 52–60 min · Plenary and assessment. Use the reflection and exit-question slide to revisit the opening café dilemma. Students complete the final worksheet response: “A sustainable business decision is not always the cheapest because…” and give one example of how a business can reduce its impact on the natural world. Review the response together and identify one target for the next business lesson.

Resources

• the sustainable business decision deck
• the sustainable business investigation worksheet
• Device or notebook for planning and presenting
• Calculator, if required for comparing scores or costs
• Highlighters or coloured pencils
• Optional real packaging, product labels or photographs for discussion

Assessment

• Listen for accurate use of sustainability, stakeholder, renewable, ethical and environmental impact during questioning.
• Check the worksheet for comparison of alternatives, recognition of trade-offs and a justified recommendation.
• Use the final response to assess whether the student can connect a business decision with its impact on the natural world and propose a responsible action.

Differentiation

• For support, work through the farm shop example first, provide a four-column prompt table, and allow oral answers recorded by the teacher. Use sentence starters and one decision criterion at a time.
• Offer dyslexia-friendly reading: use the worksheet’s clear sans-serif text, short paragraphs, generous spacing and key words in bold; read the case study aloud and allow text-to-speech or speech-to-text.
• Reduce the task to one business practice and two alternatives if the student experiences overload. Use a verbal conference instead of requiring a written pitch.
• For advanced learners, require a weighted decision matrix, consideration of supply-chain impacts and a response to a counterargument such as increased costs, customer resistance or unreliable renewable energy.
• As an extension, the student can design a simple sustainability policy for the chosen business with three measurable targets and a method for monitoring progress.