Sustainability Innovation Strategy for Businesses and Entrepreneurs
Innovation is needed to create business value in line with a positive direction for society and the environment, and this brings opportunity for forward-thinking businesses to create innovative solutions and new sustainable business models.
This self-paced online course has been developed by CISL's innovation team, drawing on its work with sustainability innovators and entrepreneurs. This collaboration means we have created a unique course which draws on our real-world experience from supporting both major businesses and entrepreneurs around the world to harness sustainability innovation and scale their innovations.
The course shares these insights, along with frameworks to help you and your business integrate sustainability into your innovation strategy. The critical skillset you will gain will support your growth and professional development, equipping you to become an effective leader of sustainability-led innovation and positive change. Your business will gain competitive advantage through building an innovation pipeline informed by global trends and a positive direction for all stakeholders in society.
Who the course is for?
The knowledge and skills this course develops will benefit a wide range of entrepreneurs, investors, policy makers and businesses across industries, geographic regions and roles. It is ideal for:
- Intrapreneurs or entrepreneurs who may come from small and medium-sized enterprises, startups, scaleups, large corporations, the public sector, non-governmental organisations or investors.
- Individuals working in a variety of roles including chief innovation officer, chief sustainability officer, learning and development, research and development, supply chain, procurement and strategy.
- Individuals with up to 10 years of work experience with an interest in gaining a broad understanding of sustainability innovation strategy.
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Course Format: 100% online, self-paced
Access: Flexible, 12-month licence, so you can re-visit the learning whenever you need it.
Price: £139 + VAT if applicable (discounts available for bulk purchases)
Learning time: 6-8 hours, start and progress at your convenience within 12-month period.
Assessment: In-learning quizzes, activities and submission of final assignment.
Award: Digital badge from University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Course content
This course supports professional and personal development, equipping you with a critical skillset to become an effective
leader of sustainability-led innovation, across 5 core modules:
- The case for sustainability innovation
- Applying systems thinking to enable innovation
- Sustainability innovation opportunities: trends, stakeholders and emerging technologies
- Designing and implementing sustainability solutions
- Sustainability innovation impact: measurement, reporting
and communication
Meet your course creators
The experience of the CANOPY team who created Sustainability Innovation Strategy for Businesses and Entrepreneurs has been acquired from a range of industries, harnessing CISL’s cross-sector expertise.
James Cole, Chief Innovation Officer, CISL
James has spent over 15 years working at the intersection of business, sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship. As part of CISL's senior leadership team he works across business policy and finance initiatives.
Sam Laakkonen, Senior Director Sustainable Innovation and Entrepreneurship, CISL
Sam has been actively involved in the technology innovation ecosystem for over 20 years. He has been an early employee in unicorns like Spotify and helped 250+ startups accelerate growth.
Jie Zhou, Head of International Engagement, CANOPY, CISL
A circular economy expert with a systems-thinking mindset, Jie Zhou brings 15+ years of experience driving sustainability across industries. Her interdisciplinary and international background allows her to empower organisations & startups.
Viola Jardon, Director of Innovation Programmes, CISL
Viola is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience supporting sustainability-driven startups and innovators. Her extensive experience in fostering partnerships and scaling initiatives has made her a key figure.
Håkan Nordkvist, CEO Net Zero Company and Advisory Board Member, CANOPY, CISL
Håkan is a recognised expert in corporate innovation with a focus on sustainability, spending 11 years as head of sustainability innovation at IKEA.
What will I learn from the course?
Your learning begins with building your understanding of the imperative for sustainability-led innovation, applying systems thinking tools to map complex problems and generate innovative solutions. Case studies and reflective questions bring concepts to life, advancing your understanding. By the end of the course, you will have gained the mindset and tools to help you through the process, challenges and opportunities of building sustainability-focused ventures – from influencing decision makers and investors, to taking a systematic approach to design and implementation. You leave with a personal action plan to drive sustainability innovation within your organisation.
Progressing through 5 modules, delivered by sustainability innovation experts, this course enables you to:
- Understand the key concepts and principles of sustainability innovation and its role in addressing global challenges and rewiring the economy.
- Analyse these challenges through a systems thinking lens, identifying leverage points for intervention and creation of innovative solutions.
- Identify opportunities for innovation that address sustainability challenges and create positive impact, analysing market trends, consumer needs, the role of stakeholders and the emerging technologies shaping the future of sustainability.
- Apply a systematic approach to designing and implementing sustainability solutions.
- Discover the value of measuring sustainability performance and the role of communication and gain tools for impact assessment and reporting.
Learning experience
You can complete the 6-8 hours of learning that make up the course in your own time, progressing through modules which contain videos, case studies, notes, exercises, quizzes and self-assessments. Benefits of the self-paced online course include:
- Access to course content for 12-months, allowing you to revisit the learning even once your course is complete – whenever you need it.
- Flexible learning throughout the year, with recommended reading and optional content available to supplement your learning.
- Development of a Personal Action Plan to drive sustainability innovation within your organisation.
- Award of a digital badge from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, upon successful completion of the course.
CPD certified
Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is upon you. CISL and University of Cambridge Online accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.
