Having a sustainability strategy is becoming more and more important for all businesses today. For some it’s not part of their overall strategy to stay ahead and improve their market share. Others are pushed into it through business requirements. Discover more about sustainability and how it can make a difference to your own organisation.
About the course
This free online course will cover the basic definitions and history of sustainable development and sustainability in business - from a niche interest to the present day.
You will find out how and why businesses now routinely incorporate sustainable development, via corporate social responsibility policies, product innovation and new business models.
You will explore the key drivers to sustainability: the use of standards; the importance of stakeholder engagement; governance (including the use of codes of conduct); innovation for sustainability; the use of metrics and indicators; and the application of management tools.
You will also touch on international perspectives towards sustainable development and how these impact on business activities around the world.
The course will help you assess each topic in relation to your own business experiences, whatever sector interests you and wherever in the world you’re based. You’ll explore how you can use your personal interests to influence sustainable development in your company.
What topics you will cover
- What is sustainability and why is it important?
- Key drivers for sustainability
- Getting on and staying on track
- Innovation for sustainability
- How are we doing?
- Be the change
What you will learn
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain where the concept of sustainability comes from and describe how humans are at the centre of sustainable development issues;
- Explain how individual attitudes influence drivers, the way policy motivates behaviour and be able to recognise key drivers in business for putting sustainability on the agenda;
- Describe stakeholder engagement strategies and identify appropriate strategies for managing sustainability;
- Describe patterns and scale of technology and business innovation;
- Identify key standards, define metrics and indicators and apply a range of environmental assessment tools;
- Explore how, as an individual, you can influence organisations and society.
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Requirements
No previous subject knowledge is required. You will be asked to get involved throughout the course, giving you the opportunity to think deeply about the topics covered and relate the teaching to your own experiences.
About the instructor
Dr Emma Emanuelsson is the Lead Tutor of the 'Make an Impact- Sustainability for professionals' course. She is also a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Bath. Emma’s main research interest is to analyse, optimise and design chemical, biochemical, and photocatalytic reactions and reactors.
Starting date: 23 October, 2017
Duration: 6 weeks, 3 hours per week
Language: English
Instructors: Emma Emanuelsson
Institution: University of Bath
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