Environmental Sustainability 101

COURSE CONTENT  |  ENROLLMENT OPTIONS    |   RECOMMENDATIONS    |   TUITION

Companies that assess, manage, and communicate their environmental performance  are known to reduce risk, identify cost savings, plus improve efficiency and business continuity. They also mitigate negative impacts on local communities and the planet. Today’s businesses can positively differentiate themselves by developing commitments that make good business and environmental sense. This course provides an overview of concepts, tools, and resources that can get you started. You will learn:

• What sustainability means for companies of all sizes and industries.
• The principles and leading practices of natural resource management.
• The regulatory and societal expectations of companies’ sustainability programs. 
• Global, national, and regional agreements, actions, and frameworks for sustainability measurement.
• How to set data-driven and science-based environmental targets.
• The trends that are shaping environmental sustainability including natural capital, biomimicry, and resiliency.

Enrollment Info

Enrollment Options

Take This Course Online, Starting Today (or Whenever You're Ready!)

This course is available in a fully-online, self-paced format. You can complete it at your desk, according to your schedule. Continue reading below for course content details, then click on the button that says "Register Here."

Course Content: Preview the Specific Units or Modules Included in This Course

 

COURSE STRUCTURE

Start and finish on your schedule: Courses take 15-17 hours, including video content and exercises.

Module 1: Introduction and Environmental Sustainability Overview

• Provides an overview of topics that will be covered in the course
• Discusses key issues and themes in environmental sustainability
• Activity: share your own key takeaways

Module 2: Sustainability in All Industries

• Presents and describes sustainability challenges across various industries, and the efforts that have been introduced in response to the challenges
• Activity: reflect on sustainability in various industries

Module 3: Trends in Sustainability

• Highlights key trends in sustainability practices
• Activity: reflect on the creation, use, and disposal of a company’s products

Module 4: Benefits of Environmental Sustainability Management

• Details a portion of the benefits (among many) of environmental sustainability management, including improved financial performance and increased competitive advantage
• Activity: review a case study

Module 5: The Regulatory Landscape

• Introduction to international institutions and bodies that oversee regulation for environmental sustainability and impact
• Describes elements of the regulatory landscape
• Activity: discussion on giving through a foundation and a corporate giving benchmark

Module 6: Supply Chain

• Discusses sustainability within the supply chain
• Explore a case study to apply knowledge of sustainability principles
• Activity: reflect on the supply chain within your company

Module 7: Lifecycle Analysis

• Learn about the concept and practice of lifecycle analysis
• Activity: analyze the lifecycle of a product

Module 8: Setting Targets and Measuring Progress

• Using the SMART plan, effectively design goal setting and activities to meet and measure those goals
• Activity: cultivate and communicate your vision for sustainability

Module 9: Agreements, Actions, and Frameworks for Reporting

• Present major frameworks for reporting environmental sustainability, including Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), and International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC)
• Activity: create your own action plan and apply knowledge gained

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

This course is designed for professionals with corporate citizenship responsibilities who wish to develop a solid foundation of knowledge in a sustainability space or who want to refresh their knowledge. This course is also helpful for individuals from other functional areas such as public and government affairs, public relations, marketing and communications who have direct contact with key company stakeholders and/or who work closely with their company's community involvement function (e.g. public and government affairs, sustainability, corporate responsibility, public relations, marketing and communications).

Suggested prior knowledge and skills:

Completion of the Center course Corporate Citizenship 101 or a broad knowledge of Corporate Citizenship.

Professional credentials earned:

5 certificate units toward a Certificate in Corporate Citizenship Practice. This is an elective course for a Certificate in Corporate Citizenship Practice.

 

TUITION

Member: $2,130.00
Non-Member: $2,900.00

Course discounts may be available when you enroll in multiple courses at once, either idependently or as part of a Summit (in-person learning experience) registration. See the chart below. If you are considering take multiple courses, connect with our team to better understand your options.