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Organisational Stream


Leading organisations are embedding sustainability into their core business – mitigating risks, increasing resilience, and enhancing value in the short and long term. PCSB is uniquely designed to encourage students to go beyond the practical application of tools and models, to develop new insights and world views that can help their organisation make sense of sustainability in a systemic way, unleashing the development of profitable opportunities to bring about organisational change.

The content is explored through two workshops, supported by essential reading and practical assignments:

  • Workshop 1 builds awareness of key sustainability risks and opportunities and their relevance to business, exploring the strategic business case for responding to them and seeing them as new opportunities for profitability and competitive advantage.
  • Workshop 2 focuses on the various organisational levers that can help organisations create value for society and the environment, as well as economic value, and on the ways through which organisations can catalyse change in wider systems (finance, policy, industrial systems, communities).

 

Crosscutting themes such as innovation, systems thinking and leadership are embedded within and/or interspersed between the main sessions.

 

“The course is intelligent, insightful and innovative, covering multiple aspects and contexts of sustainability leadership. Once you start the journey, you won't want it to ever end.”

Kishore Ravuri, UN Global Compact Network, Malaysia, PCSB

 

Indicative themes for Organisational Stream workshops

 

Workshop 1

Understanding the global risks and opportunities, and what needs
to change

Workshop 2

Catalysing change within and beyond the organisation

Themes 

  • Environmental, social and economic pressures and drivers
  • Sustainability concepts and frameworks
  • Systems thinking
  • Sustainability risks and opportunities
  • The business response to sustainability
  • Leadership for sustainability
  • Strategic planning for action
  • Levers for organisational-level change
  • Tools and frameworks to embed sustainability at different organisational levels, products and services
  • Communication and influence
  • Leadership for change

 

Assignment tasks

Group Project theme scoping

Analysis Paper preparation

Group Project research and drafting

Strategic Action Plan preparation 

 

Value Chains Stream


 

Value Chains are an integral part of strategic planning for many businesses today. Within leading companies there may be many ‘islands’ of good practice, including, for example, responsible sourcing, cleaner production, and developing new ‘green’ products; however, to achieve an interconnected perspective, a systems approach is needed. 

PCSB: Value Chains stream is uniquely designed to go beyond themes such as 'sustainable supply chains' and 'green procurement', and empower leaders to bring about systemic, collaborative change across entire value chains.

The content is explored through two workshops, supported by essential reading and practical assignments:

  • Workshop 1 builds the awareness of key sustainability risks and opportunities, exploring the strategic business case for building resilient, more sustainable value chains
  • Workshop 2 develops an appreciation for the variety of institutional responses to the risks and opportunities identified, and builds capacity to apply ‘best practice’ tools and techniques to achieve sustainable value chains

Cross-cutting themes such as innovation, systems thinking and leadership are embedded within and/or interspersed between the main sessions.

 

“There are many sustainability courses, but PCSB: Value Chains stream is unique. The Cambridge setting, the faculty's knowledge, the people you meet, the social and personal experience. This programme will remain a highlight in my educational career.”

Sascha Reimann, Postgraduate Certificate, Value Chains stream

 

Indicative themes for Value Chains stream workshops

 

Workshop 1

Understanding the global risks and opportunities, and what
needs to change

Workshop 2

Catalysing change across the value chain

Workshop themes 

  • Environmental, social and economic pressures and drivers
  • Sustainability concepts and frameworks
  • Systems thinking
  • Critique of existing tools and enablers
  • Building the business case for sustainable value chains
  • Leadership for sustainability
  • Partnerships and collaboration
  • Business model innovation
  • Circular economy
  • Generating and leveraging change across the value chain
  • Communication and influence
  • Leadership for change

Assignment tasks

Group Project theme scoping

Analysis Paper preparation

Group Project research and drafting

Strategic Action Plan preparation 

 

Finance Stream


Leading organisations are embedding sustainability into their core business – mitigating risks, increasing resilience, and enhancing value in the short and long term. PCSB is uniquely designed to help finance professionals understand how they can support and encourage that change, in a way conducive to systemic change and new opportunities for profitability.

The content is explored through two workshops, supported by essential reading and practical assignments:

  • Workshop 1 builds awareness of key sustainability risks and opportunities and the relevance to business, exploring the strategic business case for responding as a financial institution.
  • Workshop 2 focuses on the opportunities to rethink financial institutions, products and the interactions between financial-business-and public sector organisations to catalyse change in the wider system 

Crosscutting themes such as systems thinking, innovation and leadership are embedded within and/or interspersed between the main sessions.

 

Indicative themes for Finance Stream workshops

 

Workshop 1

Understanding the global risks and opportunities, and what needs
to change

Workshop 2

Catalysing change in and beyond the organisation

Themes 

  • Environmental, social and economic pressures and drivers
  • Sustainability concepts and frameworks
  • Systems thinking
  • Sustainability risks and opportunities to change financial systems
  • The changing context for financial systems
  • Leadership for sustainability
  • Strategic planning for action
  • Deploying capital for creating economic, social and environmental value
  • Integrating sustainability in portfolios and insurance decisions
  • Levers to rewire financial systems
  • Communication, influence, engagement and stewardship
  • Leadership for change

Assignment tasks

Group Project theme scoping

Analysis Paper preparation

Group Project research and drafting

Strategic Action Plan preparation 

 

 

Students are supported throughout their studies by a supervisor who will guide their learning on both individual assignments and group projects. Find out more about some of our most recent supervisors.