Sustainable Development for Business (P.Grad. Cert.)

Overview

Course Overview

Momentum towards a sustainable business model is a high priority on all top performing business agendas. This course addresses the increasing pressure organisations and their decision makers are under to balance environmental and societal impacts with maintaining competitive advantage and profitability.

This shift in focus, when done strategically, can align a business closer to customers, investor demands, market trends and emerging regulatory requirements and create a competitive advantage in a sustainability conscious society. Designed to tackle the increasing need for sustainable business transformation, participants completing the programme will be equipped with the tools to create long-lasting change throughout their organisation.

A key feature of the programme is an action learning module where participants design a sustainability project for their employer organisation, their business or for a project partner organisation where a “blueprint” for implementation is developed.

This course provides participants with the knowledge and tools to address important sustainability challenges by becoming purpose-driven business leaders, understanding the wider socio-economic impact of their business, and the skills to develop smart strategies for implementing sustainable business. In addition, this course seeks to promote increased dialogue between leaders in business, government, academia, and NGOs to work towards a zero-carbon economy and to deliver on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Is This Course For Me?

This programme is designed for:

• Mid-level and senior executives from across the private sector, public sector and third sector looking to examine their organisations’ impact on society as well as the environment, and gain a firm understanding of how they can drive competitive advantage through a sustainable business model.
• Experienced managers in diverse functions – including CSR and sustainability, legal and compliance, procurement, operations and external affairs
• Recently promoted executives who are facing new leadership challenges in the area of sustainability.

Career Opportunities

This course allows executives to examine their organisation’s environmental and societal impact, and gain an understanding of how they can impact real environment change within their own organisations. This course tackles the increasing need for sustainable strategy in business by giving participants the tools to create long-lasting change in their organisations.

Course Structure

This Postgraduate Certificate programme is 30 credits delivered over a 9 month period from October to June. The five modules are delivered over a series of workshops (three per module) held in-person on a Thursday evening and all day Friday, once a month, to minimise interference with busy work schedules.

Course Content

The programme has five modules delivered over two twelve-week semesters within a 9-month period: The Sustainable Green Organisation, Sustainability Measurement and Reporting, A Practical Toolkit for Sustainable Business, Purpose-Driven Systemic Change, Sustainability in Action Project.

Participants are assessed on a module-by-module basis through a variety of practical assignments combining group work and individual work.

The emphasis throughout the programme is focused on the practical application of knowledge to benefit the participant, their team and their organisation. The programme culminates in an action learning project where participants will work to blueprint a sustainable business project within their organisation or a participating project company.

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