Sustainability Consulting

Dr. Jonathan Tomkin

Sustainability Consulting will look at the techniques and careers of people who aid individuals, companies, governments, and other organizations in their efforts to pursue sustainability goals. Students will learn core concepts and tools sustainability consultants use (including Life Cycle Analysis). The course will also critically examine common sustainability consultant practices, including ESG, footprinting, and the role of LEED and other sustainability standards.

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Syllabus

Course Orientation

You will become familiar with the course, your classmates, and our learning environment. The orientation will also help you obtain the technical skills required for the course.

Module 1: Introduction

This week we’ll be introducing the field of sustainability consulting and the key idea of life cycle thinking. A sustainability consultant works with organizations to help them improve their sustainability performance, or to certify that performance. This might mean making sustainability assessments –strategic planning, implementation of sustainability programs, or reporting on sustainability performance. These workers make these judgments using life cycle analysis to make quantitative, replicable determinations of environmental impact. All sustainability consultants either explicitly or implicitly use this technique in their work, and we’ll start the course by learning about this approach.

Module 2: Life-Cycle Assessment

This week we will be continuing our discussion of life-cycle assessment. This will enable us to see how consultants interpret LCA results: by identifying the significant inventory and impact results, evaluating the reliability and conditions of those results, and finally by stating their conclusions and recommendations. We’ll also begin to look at case studies - starting with Christmas trees!

Module 3: Social Sustainability

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) refers to a set of criteria used to assess the sustainability and ethical impact of investments or business practices. ESG has become an increasingly important concept in recent years as more regulators, investors and customers have become more concerned about measuring the wider impacts of corporations. But the way ESG is rated is not without controversy - and nor are the ways in which companies improve their ESG scores. This week we will apply our life cycle thinking to understand what lots of consultants do, and why it might not always be making the world more sustainable.

Module 4: Certifying Sustainability

For many companies, sustainability certifications are a large part of the value in hiring the services of sustainability consultants. They provide a mark of approval that can help them send the right message to their various stakeholders - be they customers, employees, regulators, or even their peers. These certifications possibly even make the world more sustainable. Good consultants rigorously assess the companies they work with, and as we’ll see this week, their is a wide variety of settings in which these assessments take place. Sometimes sustainability workers even help companies from within.

Course Conclusion

You will find out where to go next after completing this course and be able to share any thoughts you have on this course experience.

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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 Consulting with these activities:

Review Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Concepts

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Familiarize yourself with the concepts of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) before the course to enhance your understanding of the methods used to analyze environmental impacts throughout a product's lifespan.

Browse courses on Life Cycle Assessment

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Read introductory materials on LCA
Review the LCA framework and its phases
Explore case studies of LCA applications

Review basic concepts of sustainability

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Start the course with a refresher on the core concepts of sustainability, including environmental, social, and economic considerations. This will provide a strong foundation for understanding the topics covered in the course.

Browse courses on Sustainability

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Read introductory articles or blog posts on sustainability.
Review notes or textbooks from previous courses or readings on sustainability.
Look up unfamiliar terms and concepts related to sustainability.

Participate in Sustainability Projects

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Gain practical experience in sustainability by volunteering with organizations working on environmental or social impact projects. This will allow you to apply your knowledge in a real-world setting.

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Identify organizations involved in sustainability initiatives
Contact the organizations to inquire about volunteer opportunities
Commit to a project and contribute your skills

Seven other activities

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Explore ESG Reporting Frameworks and Standards

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Expand your knowledge of ESG reporting frameworks and standards to stay updated with industry practices and enhance your ability to assess corporate sustainability performance.

Browse courses on ESG Reporting

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Review the GRI Standards
Explore the SASB Standards
Examine the TCFD Recommendations

Practice life cycle assessment calculations

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Engage in practice drills to solidify your understanding of life cycle assessment calculations. This skill is crucial for analyzing the environmental impact of products and processes in sustainability consulting.

Browse courses on Life Cycle Assessment

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Find practice problems or case studies involving LCA calculations.
Attempt to solve the problems on your own, using the principles and formulas taught in the course.
Check your answers against provided solutions or consult with peers or instructors for feedback.

Attend Sustainability Industry Webinars or Conferences

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Connect with professionals in the sustainability field by attending webinars or conferences. This will broaden your perspectives and provide opportunities for collaboration.

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Identify relevant webinars or conferences
Register and attend the events
Network with speakers and attendees

Calculate Environmental Impacts Using LCA Tools

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Enhance your practical skills by using LCA software or online tools to quantify environmental impacts. This will strengthen your ability to apply LCA in sustainability consulting.

Browse courses on Life Cycle Assessment

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Choose an LCA tool or software
Define the goal and scope of your assessment
Collect data on inputs and outputs
Calculate the environmental impacts

Follow tutorials on sustainability reporting

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Enhance your understanding of sustainability reporting by following tutorials. This will equip you with the skills to communicate the sustainability performance of organizations effectively.

Browse courses on Sustainability Reporting

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Find online tutorials or webinars on sustainability reporting.
Follow the tutorials and complete any exercises or assignments.
Apply the principles and techniques you learn to real-world sustainability reporting scenarios.

Develop a Sustainability Consulting Proposal

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Showcase your understanding of sustainability consulting by creating a comprehensive proposal that outlines a plan to address a specific sustainability challenge for an organization.

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Identify the organization and its sustainability needs
Research industry best practices
Develop a tailored proposal
Present your proposal

Develop a case study on sustainability practices

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Create a case study that analyzes the sustainability practices of a company or organization. This will allow you to apply your knowledge of sustainability principles and identify areas for improvement.

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Select a company or organization to focus on.
Research the company's sustainability initiatives and practices.
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the company's sustainability efforts.
Develop recommendations for improvement based on your analysis.
Write up your case study, including an introduction, methodology, results, discussion, and conclusions.