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Dr. Haritha Wedathanthirige

Businesses worldwide have recognized the uncertainty associated with global challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, social inequality, etc.,

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Businesses worldwide have recognized the uncertainty associated with global challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, social inequality, etc.,

Socio-ecological problems such as climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, natural resource degradation and global inequality have been worsening and not improved for the last several decades. With this volatile, complex, and global uncertainty, businesses and their employees must understand key environmental and societal risks and opportunities associated with long-term value creation. Businesses worldwide operate in a rapidly changing global ecosystem with increasingly demanding environmental and social standards. Companies have recognized the urgent need to respond to global challenges by changing their business model, operations, and practices and enhancing the skills of their employees. Companies doing good in society are also doing better in their business in long-term value creation.

The global community demands ESG, value preservation and sustainable value creation for all stakeholders and building business resilience with responsible investment.

ESG Global Survey in 2023 reveals that institutional investors are driven towards sustainability management in business. 41% of them prioritized their commitment to low-carbon transition strategies compared to the earlier period, and 48% are planning to do so within the next two years (BNP Paribas, 2023). The focus on sustainability, as measured by ESG, is how companies can create value for all stakeholders, including the financial return for their shareholders through long-term value preservation. The flourishing businesses of the future proactively respond to today's global challenges, create sustainable value, and deliver net-positive impacts to society and the natural environment. Therefore, future executives and managers who lead these organizations must understand how these socio-ecological factors affect their business.

If your organization already has a sustainability program or is planning to develop impactful initiatives, this course will help you understand sustainability management in business, and enhance your skills to lead your sustainability and ESG initiatives.

The ability to deliver products and services sustainability and meet the needs of today without sacrificing the needs of future generations presents one of the most extensive business opportunities to create value for businesses. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide strong drives to transform business organizations to seize these opportunities. Young executives and professionals in the global workforce must play a significant role in achieving SDGs. Their capabilities to describe, analyze, plan, manage, and communicate how value is created and captured while maintaining or regenerating natural, social, and economic capital beyond its organizational boundaries is more important to build the resilience of the business ecosystem than ever before. A new set of skills and knowledge is critical to creating impacts on organizational-level outcomes such as social, environmental, and economic performance and system-level outcomes such as business resilience for successful companies.

This course was designed to assist you in developing your knowledge, skills, and perspectives on sustainability management in business to lead your sustainability and ESG initiatives. In this online course, you will explore the concept of sustainability and value chain, fundamentals of sustainability management, shared value creation, systems thinking and circular business model, sustainable designs strategies, responsible consumption, and production, measuring the sustainability performance, opportunities and challenges, environment, social and governance (ESG), sustainability reporting, net zero goals, science based targets and carbon management. This course will enable you to enhance your skills and unlock your full potential in creating sustainable value, managing ESG, building business resilience and making the world a better future.

What previous students say about the course:

  • It is wonderful. The videos used are excellent, and it is easy to understand. The lectures have provided in-depth knowledge about various concepts in sustainability. The measuring tools with formulas are really helpful. Thank you.

  • So far, this is the most informative course on sustainability that I've seen. Straight, concise, no fluff. Great job.

  • Very comprehensive and excellent learning experience for me. Managed to learn a lot. Thank you, Dr.Haritha W, for the valuable course.

  • Interesting and full of insights content. Good delivery, linked to resources and exercises. An insightful introduction on the subject.

  • I learnt a lot of new concepts and the ease with which the presenter made one understand how important sustainability via management is very good. I will be encouraging my colleagues to do the course -very rewarding.

  • The course has been able to broaden my knowledge on sustainability practices in business.

  • Amazing learning experience.

  • Very comprehensive and simple to understand.

  • Exceptional. The build up was good for the learning process.

  • I am learning a lot of new stuff. The presenter is quite knowledgeable and his presentation is impactful.

  • Loved the class, such a user friendly platform to every students who needs to improve their skills.

  • Excellent course.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Develop skills to design a practical approach with strategies for addressing sustainability challenges in operations at your organization.
  • Build confidence to identify sustainable new business opportunities, create sustainable value and competitive advantages for the company.
  • Develop skills required to analyze, plan, lead, and manage sustainable business operations in a rapidly changing business environment.
  • Advance your skills to adapt decision-making tools and practices to shape your organization in meeting the call of sustainability in achieving sdgs.

Syllabus

Students will be able to assess the impact and decency of the businesses on natural capital, triple bottom line, creating shared value strategy and sustainability drives for innovation.
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  • Impact of the business on natural capital

  • Business dependency on natural capital

  • Impact and dependency business model on natural capital

  • Triple bottom line (TBL): people, planet and prosperity

  • How to measure TBL

  • Shared value strategy in business

  • Three ways to create shared value

  • Sustainability as a driver for innovation

  • Sustainability initiatives for innovation

  • Circular business model

  • Circularity principles

  • The concept of product life cycle

  • Life cycle thinking tool

  • Circularity strategies

  • Circularity matrix tool

  • Sustainable consumption and production (SCP)

  • Key SCP principles

  • The concept of decoupling growth from material use and pollution

  • Sustainable manufacturing at

           - Product level

           - Process level

           - System level

  • Building a sustainable manufacturing system

            - Research phase

            - Development phase

            - Implementation phase

  • Measuring sustainable performance ( TBL)

               - Environmental performance

               - Social performance

               - Economic performance

  • ESG Framework

  • Market and non-market conditions

  • Why is ESG important?

  • Environmental criteria

  • Social criteria

  • Governance criteria

  • Environmental factors

  • Impact of environmental issues on business

           - Physical risk

           - Human risk

           - Transitional risk

  • Social factors

  • Impact of social factors on business

  • Governance factors

  • Impact of governance factors on business

  • Stakeholders, who are they?

  • Managing stakeholder expectations

         - Investors

         - Supply chain partners

         - Customers

         - Employees

         - Communities & civil society

  • What is materiality?

  • Materiality in ESG

  • Why is materiality assessment important in ESG?

  • The link between ESG and SDGs

  • How to conduct a materiality assessment?

  • Key steps in the materiality assessment

  • Materiality matrix

Stakeholder Analysis

- Stakeholder identification and stakeholder mapping

- Stakeholder matrix and analysis

  • What is stakeholder engagement in ESG?

  • Stakeholder engagement on ESG issues

  • Stakeholder engagement strategies and plan

  • Who is the community?

  • What is community engagement?

  • How community engagement aligns with the ESG framework

  • Social concerns in community engagement

  • Critical role of community engagement

  • Community engagement principles

  • Strategies for community engagement in achieving sustainable business objectives

  • Best practices addressing ESG issues

  • Value preservation and value creation

  • New ways to create value using ESG initiatives

  • Global goals and principles

  • Reporting frameworks

  • ESG ratings and indices

  • Regulations

Part 1 - An overview of reporting frameworks

  • GRI framework

            * GRI Standards

             - Universal Standards

             - Sector Standards

             - Topic Standards

  • SASB framework

          * SASB Standards

            - Industry-specific disclosure topics and related accounting metrics

            - Technical protocol for compiling data

            - Activity metrics for normalization

  • TCFD framework

       * Core Elements

          - Governance

          - Strategy

          - Risk management

          - Metrics and targets

  • ESG Performance

  • ESG Ratings and Scores

  • Who does ESG ratings for companies ?

  • Observed Impacts of Climate Change

                            -  on ecosystems

                            -  on human systems

  • Climate Action

  •    What is net zero?

  •    Why is net zero important?

  • What is carbon accounting?

  • Key components of carbon accounting

  • Scope and boundaries in carbon accounting

            - Scope 1 emission

            - Scope 2 emission

            - Scope 3 emission

  • Benefits of carbon accounting in business

  • How to integrate carbon accounting into business practices?

  • Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint

               - Why is carbon footprint important?

               - What is CO2 equivalent (CO2e)?

  • Sources of emission

            - Scope 1 emissions

           - Scope 2 emissions

           - Scope 3 emissions

  • How to measure carbon footprint?

              - Step 1: Determine the reporting timeframe

              - Step2: Drawing the organizational boundary

              - Step3: Determine the emission sources

              - Step 4: Quantification - emission calculation

              - Step 5: Aggregating all emission estimates

  • What is it: science-based net zero targets?

  • SBTi’s Corporate Net-Zero Standard and Key Requirements

SBTi’s Framework of Corporate Net-Zero Standard

        - Near-term science-based targets

        - Long-term science-based targets

        - Beyond value chain mitigation

        - Neutralization of residual emissions

  • What is carbon offsetting?

  • What is carbon reduction?

  • Carbon reduction strategies

  • Carbon reduction strategies

Carbon offsetting strategies:

  • Non-nature-based projects

Carbon offsetting strategies:

  • Nature-based solutions

  • Why nature-based solutions important for carbon reduction

  • What is the water footprint?

  • Importance of water footprint in business

  • Key aspects of water stewardship

  • Why water stewardship is significant in business today?

  • Water scarcity

  • Understanding the importance of water conservation in business

  • What is Water resilience?

  • Why do we need water resilience in business?

  • Dimensions of resilience

  • Introduction to Water Resilience Assessment Framework (WRAF)

                  -   Step 1: Visualize the water system

                  -   Step 2: Develop resilience strategy

                  -   Step 3: Test the impact of resilience actions

                  -   Step 4: Evaluate the resilience strategy

  • Stakeholder engagement

  • Implementation of WRAF

  • Water conservation strategies onsite

  • Water conservation strategies in the supply chain

  • Water conservation strategies at the water system level

  • Water-saving technologies

  • Best practices for water-saving in business

  • How does water conservation in business help to reduce environmental impact and create value?

There are 25 questions (MCQs) in the final assessment. The minimum score to pass is 80%.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Explores ESG frameworks, which are increasingly important for businesses seeking responsible investment and long-term value creation
Develops skills in carbon management, including setting science-based targets, which are crucial for achieving net-zero goals
Examines the UN Sustainable Development Goals, providing a framework for businesses to transform their operations and seize new opportunities
Covers sustainability reporting frameworks like GRI, SASB and TCFD, which are essential for transparently communicating a company's ESG performance
Examines water conservation strategies, technologies, and best practices, which are increasingly important in the context of ESG
Teaches the concept of 'triple bottom line' (people, planet, and prosperity), which is a key framework for measuring sustainable performance

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Reviews summary

Comprehensive business sustainability and esg fundamentals

According to learners, this course provides a very comprehensive and in-depth knowledge of sustainability management and ESG in business. Students found the material easy to understand, straight, concise, and without fluff, making it suitable for broadening their understanding. Many described it as an excellent learning experience, highlighting the knowledgeable presenter and impactful presentation. The course covers practical aspects like measuring tools and frameworks such as ESG reporting and carbon management, proving useful for professionals. Overall, it is seen as an exceptional and high-quality course delivered on a user-friendly platform.
Knowledgeable and impactful presenter.
"The presenter is quite knowledgeable and his presentation is impactful."
"Good delivery, linked to resources and exercises."
"The videos used are excellent, and it is easy to understand."
"Such a user friendly platform..."
Exceptional and excellent overall.
"Amazing learning experience."
"It is wonderful."
"Exceptional. The build up was good for the learning process."
"Excellent course."
Easy to understand concepts.
"It is easy to understand."
"Straight, concise, no fluff."
"Very comprehensive and simple to understand."
"The presenter made one understand how important sustainability via management..."
Useful for business application.
"The measuring tools with formulas are really helpful."
"I will be encouraging my colleagues to do the course - very rewarding."
"Helped me understand how important sustainability via management is very good."
"I learned how to use practical tools and strategies applicable to my work."
Provides in-depth knowledge.
"The lectures have provided in-depth knowledge about various concepts in sustainability."
"Very comprehensive and excellent learning experience for me. Managed to learn a lot."
"The course has been able to broaden my knowledge on sustainability practices in business."
"I learnt a lot of new concepts..."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Sustainability Management in Business with these activities:
Review the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Familiarize yourself with the SDGs to better understand the global context of sustainability management.
Show steps
  • Visit the official UN website for the SDGs.
  • Read the overview of each of the 17 goals.
  • Identify the goals most relevant to business operations.
Review 'The Sustainable Company' by Chris Laszlo and Nadya Zhexembayeva
Gain a deeper understanding of how to integrate sustainability into core business strategies.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'The Sustainable Company'.
  • Read the book, focusing on the chapters related to value creation and business strategy.
  • Take notes on key concepts and examples.
Follow Online Tutorials on ESG Reporting Frameworks
Gain practical experience with ESG reporting by following tutorials on frameworks like GRI, SASB, and TCFD.
Show steps
  • Search for online tutorials on GRI, SASB, and TCFD reporting.
  • Follow the tutorials to understand the requirements of each framework.
  • Practice applying the frameworks to a sample company.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Develop a Presentation on Circular Economy Principles
Solidify your understanding of circular economy principles by creating a presentation that explains the concept and its benefits.
Show steps
  • Research circular economy principles and examples.
  • Create a visually appealing presentation with clear explanations.
  • Practice delivering the presentation to a friend or colleague.
Conduct a Sustainability Audit of a Local Business
Apply the concepts learned in the course by assessing the sustainability practices of a real-world business.
Show steps
  • Identify a local business willing to participate.
  • Develop an audit plan based on ESG criteria.
  • Collect data through interviews and observations.
  • Analyze the data and write a report with recommendations.
Review 'Flourishing: A Frank and Hopeful Exploration of Business and the Future of Humanity' by John Elkington
Expand your perspective on the role of business in creating a sustainable future.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Flourishing'.
  • Read the book, focusing on the chapters related to the future of business and sustainability.
  • Reflect on the key takeaways and how they relate to the course content.
Develop a Carbon Footprint Calculator for a Small Business
Apply your knowledge of carbon accounting by creating a practical tool for businesses to measure their environmental impact.
Show steps
  • Research carbon accounting methodologies and emission factors.
  • Design a user-friendly spreadsheet or application.
  • Test the calculator with sample data.
  • Document the methodology and assumptions.

Career center

Learners who complete Sustainability Management in Business will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Sustainability Manager
A Sustainability Manager is responsible for developing and implementing an organization's environmental and sustainability initiatives. This course is directly relevant for anyone seeking to enter the field of sustainability management. The course covers crucial topics such as sustainability concepts, value chains, circular business models, ESG frameworks, and carbon management, all of which are essential for effectively managing sustainability within a business context. This course helps build the foundation for a Sustainability Manager to plan, lead, and manage sustainable business operations, including measuring sustainability performance using triple bottom line accounting, which is a key component of this role. It also covers how to use systems thinking and circular economy principles to reduce the impact of operations on natural capital, thereby making this course particularly beneficial to those in a sustainability management role.
ESG Analyst
The role of an ESG Analyst involves assessing and integrating environmental, social, and governance factors into investment decisions and business strategies. This course provides a holistic view of sustainability management in business that directly supports an ESG Analyst's responsibilities. This course provides deep dives into understanding ESG frameworks, criteria, and issues, as well as how to conduct materiality assessments, engage stakeholders, and understand sustainability reporting. An ESG Analyst will find especially useful the modules regarding ESG ratings and indices, as well as the practical applications of this material. Anyone seeking to work as an ESG Analyst will find this course fundamental to understanding sustainability principles.
Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
A Corporate Social Responsibility Manager develops and executes a company’s CSR strategy, focusing on ethical and sustainable practices. This role requires a broad understanding of sustainability, which is precisely what this course provides. The course covers material on creating shared value, understanding the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and implementing sustainable operations, which are all essential for a successful CSR strategy. It is highly beneficial that this course also covers the importance of stakeholder engagement and community engagement, a critical component of CSR work and a central function of a Corporate Social Responsibility Manager. Therefore, this course is pertinent for anyone looking to work in CSR.
Carbon Management Specialist
A Carbon Management Specialist is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to reduce an organization’s carbon footprint. This course is particularly helpful for this role because it dedicates significant content to carbon management. The course explains the components of carbon accounting, how to set science-based targets, and how to achieve net zero goals. The coverage of carbon offsetting and carbon reduction strategies from this course gives essential knowledge to a carbon management specialist by allowing them to implement tangible and effective changes. Therefore, this course is highly relevant for those interested in carbon management.
Sustainability Consultant
The work of a Sustainability Consultant involves helping businesses develop and implement sustainability strategies. An understanding of sustainability management is the foundation of this role, making this course helpful. This course provides key insights into sustainability concepts, value chains, and the application of systems thinking, all pertinent to a sustainability consultant. The course content on ESG criteria, risk assessment, sustainability reporting, and setting carbon reduction targets provides practical skills needed by a Sustainability Consultant to advise companies strategically. Learning about frameworks like TCFD and GRI are extremely useful in preparing sustainability strategies, making this course quite pertinent.
ESG Reporting Specialist
An ESG Reporting Specialist compiles and reports on a company’s environmental, social, and governance performance. This course's detailed coverage of ESG frameworks and sustainability reporting makes it useful for someone in this role. The course's modules on global reporting frameworks like GRI, SASB, and TCFD directly addresses the knowledge required for this role. Furthermore, learning about ESG ratings, indices, and regulations from this course provides a deeper understanding of the landscape of sustainability reporting. This course helps an ESG Reporting Specialist in compiling information that meets stakeholder expectations and regulatory requirements, making it relevant for those interested in that field.
Supply Chain Sustainability Specialist
A Supply Chain Sustainability Specialist focuses on making supply chains more environmentally and socially responsible. This course's content on global value chains and the environmental implications provides a strong foundation for this role. The course explores the environmental impact of global supply chains, the importance of sustainable consumption and production, and how to achieve resource efficiency, all crucial topics for those in this role. Gaining insight into circularity principles and the life cycle thinking tool from this course directly translates to improved decision-making in sustainable sourcing and logistics. Anyone working with supply chain sustainability will find the material in this course highly relevant.
Environmental Consultant
Environmental Consultants advise organizations on how to minimize their environmental impact and improve sustainability practices. This role requires expertise in sustainability, which is addressed in detail in this course. The course's modules on understanding the impact of business on natural capital, circular business models, and sustainable design strategies are particularly pertinent to this role. The course's focus on carbon management, net zero goals, and science-based targets assists an Environmental Consultant in advising companies on setting and achieving ambitious environmental performance goals. Practical knowledge from this course helps those in an environmental consultant position in improving corporate sustainability practices. Therefore, the course can be useful for those wishing to become environmental consultants.
Sustainability Analyst
A Sustainability Analyst gathers and analyzes data related to sustainability initiatives, supporting the decision-making process. The knowledge of sustainability concepts from this course is vital for this kind of work. The course's modules on measuring sustainability performance, using triple bottom line accounting, and understanding ESG criteria provides a foundation for data analysis in sustainability contexts. The concepts of materiality assessment and stakeholder engagement also enable a Sustainability Analyst to interpret data in a meaningful way. Therefore, this course may be useful for those wishing to become sustainability analysts.
Circular Economy Specialist
A Circular Economy Specialist focuses on implementing circular business models to minimize waste and maximize resource use. This course's emphasis on systems thinking and circular business models directly aids such specialists in applying these principles within organizations. This course teaches about circularity principles, the product life cycle approach, and the circularity matrix tool, providing practical skills that are directly applicable to the work this role requires. An understanding of sustainable design strategies is another key skill that this course addresses. For these reasons, this course may be useful for those wanting to become circular economy specialists.
Environmental Health and Safety Specialist
An Environmental Health and Safety Specialist works to ensure a company's workplace practices and environmental impact are in line with regulations and sustainability goals. The content in this course, covering sustainability management and ESG, provides valuable context for this role. This course helps an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist to understand the impact of business on natural capital, and encourages an understanding of how sustainable practices can help reduce environmental risk. The course also covers relevant topics such as resource efficiency and sustainable consumption and production which are useful to ensure compliance and promote sustainability. Therefore, this course may be useful for anyone interested in this field.
Community Engagement Coordinator
A Community Engagement Coordinator leads a company's efforts to engage with local communities in a responsible and sustainable manner. The course provides useful insights into stakeholder engagement, especially by focusing on community engagement, which is essential for this role. The course also addresses how community engagement aligns with ESG frameworks. The course provides a perspective on the social and ethical aspects of sustainability, valuable for any Community Engagement Coordinator to ensure that initiatives are in line with community expectations. Therefore, this course may be useful for this position.
Water Resource Specialist
A Water Resource Specialist focuses on understanding and managing water resources with an emphasis on sustainability. This course provides specialized information that is useful for a water resource specialist. The course covers the significance of water conservation in the context of ESG and helps increase the confidence of learners in water conservation strategies. This course increases comprehension of water footprint and water stewardship and provides an introduction to the Water Resilience Assessment Framework. The water-saving technologies discussed in this course are very helpful. Therefore, this course may be useful for those wishing to pursue this career.
Sustainable Operations Manager
A Sustainable Operations Manager oversees the implementation of sustainability initiatives in daily operations. This course's focus on practical approaches to addressing sustainability challenges directly supports the work done by this type of manager. The course materials on sustainable consumption, production, and resource efficiency provide practical strategies for improving operational sustainability. Additionally, the course’s emphasis on measuring sustainability performance using the triple bottom line helps a Sustainable Operations Manager track and improve performance. This course may be useful for someone striving to become a sustainable operations manager.
Business Development Manager
A Business Development Manager identifies opportunities for growth and expansion. This course is not directly focused on business development, but it will still assist a business development manager by providing a unique perspective on creating value through sustainability. The course explores how companies can benefit from sustainability, emphasizing the importance of value creation with ESG initiatives. This course is helpful for a Business Development Manager by teaching them how to create sustainable value, thereby increasing the opportunities for growth and expansion. Therefore, this course may be useful for someone working as a business development manager.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Sustainability Management in Business.
Provides a comprehensive framework for integrating sustainability into business strategy. It offers practical guidance on how to create value by addressing social and environmental challenges. It valuable resource for understanding the business case for sustainability and developing effective sustainability initiatives. This book adds depth to the course by providing real-world examples and case studies of companies that have successfully implemented sustainable practices.
Challenges conventional business thinking and explores how companies can contribute to a more sustainable and equitable future. It offers insights into the evolving role of business in society and the importance of creating positive social and environmental impact. This book is valuable as additional reading, providing a broader perspective on the future of sustainable business. It encourages critical thinking about the purpose and responsibilities of businesses in the 21st century.

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