Sustainable Business Foundations

There has never been a more urgent time for all business functions to understand sustainable business and how it can be achieved.

Whether you already have some understanding of sustainable business or are completely new to the topic, this course equips you with the latest insights from industry experts and practical solutions to drive sustainability in your organisation.

The learning is rooted in the latest sustainability thinking and can benefit employees across all levels, functions and industries within the business ecosystem.

Who the course is for?

The course supports professional development at an individual and organisational level. The knowledge and skills it develops will benefit individuals in all roles and sizes of organisations, who wish to gain a critical foundational understanding of global sustainability trends and the urgent, purpose-driven action needed.

• Learners looking to start their sustainability journey or refresh their knowledge with the latest insights into sustainable business practices; to deliver impact within and beyond their business.
• Organisations and individuals looking to deliver impact through skills development.
• Organisations looking to build a foundational understanding of sustainable business practices in specific teams or across their organisation.

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

The 5 modules of the course are delivered by experts from industry and academia and equip you with introductory understanding of essential sustainability themes. With this knowledge, you can unleash sustainable practices to innovate, collaborate and lead for the future. The course is assessed through in-learning quizzes, activities and submission of final assignment. The learners are also required to complete an end-of-course survey. Learners can retake all assessments as required throughout the 12-month licence period.

Module 1: Sustainability challenges: systems pressures and trends
Understand the impact of current global economic, social, and environmental pressures on your business sector.

Module 2: The impact on business: risk and opportunities and the business case
Apply systems thinking to determine the ways in which systems shape societal outcomes.

Module 3: The role of business in rethinking and rewiring economies
Appraise the value of integrating sustainability across your organisation, operations and supply chains.

Module 4: What 'good' looks like: examples of best practice
Evaluate how best to manage the risks and opportunities relating to your organisation’s impacts on, and dependencies on, society and the environment.

Module 5: Your personal action plan
How to drive sustainability in your organisation Create a personal action plan to contribute to the necessary change in your organisation or sphere of influence.

Meet your subject matter expert

This online learning course has been created in collaboration with leading sustainability experts from across a range of sectors, regions and areas of expertise, led by a Course Convenor and lead Subject Matter Expert.

Benefits and career impact

The benefits for you and your organisation of developing sustainable business skills:

• Clarifying and aligning your personal purpose and goals and knowing you are contributing towards a sustainable future.
• Finding sustainable purpose in your role, project, department or organisation, enhancing your professional position.
• Creating natural pathways for career transitions and helping you find opportunities for creating new forms of value in your business.
• Cultivating a holistic rather than top-down approach to leadership, with different perspectives feeding ideas into how to improve the business model and innovate for the future.

Getting the best out of employees who are better prepared to navigate the deep transformations ahead.

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 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 determine the steps needed to contribute to change in your role.
• 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.