ESG Fundamentals for Sustainable Business

Has your organization just committed to a net zero target? Are you being tasked with producing the first ESG report for your organization? Are you receiving requests from suppliers, customers, and investors for ESG data and compliance information? Are you facing mandatory reporting requirements, or are you simply curious about ESG?  

Whether you’re looking to expand your understanding of ESG principles or you’re already immersed in ESG, sustainability and impact roles, this course will equip you with essential skills and insights needed to drive meaningful ESG initiatives within your organization. This course is designed to help you navigate these challenges:

• Addressing Critical Global Challenges: Global issues such as Climate change and social inequality have made adopting ESG principles a necessity, not an option.
• Turning Principles into Practice: The real value of ESG lies in its successful integration into daily business operations. This operationalization is key to making ESG an integral part of business culture and decision-making processes.
• Keeping Pace with Regulatory Developments in ESG: With ESG compliance increasingly mandated, businesses must stay informed and skilled in these principles, aligning with the global shift towards responsible business.
• Meeting Evolving Stakeholder Demands: High demands for transparency and ethics in business are driving accountability. Consumers, investors, and employees expect active and responsible ESG engagement.  Learn more

This course is ideal for sustainability/ESG enthusiasts (change champions) and those whose jobs are currently being impacted by ESG change initiatives, including functional managers such as HR, operations, finance and project managers, and specialists in business analysis, marketing and communications. Sustainability professionals will also benefit from this course by gaining fluency and strong familiarity with key ESG business concepts and frameworks.

• Explain the key principles of ESG, their impact on business, and how it is changing all roles across the organization
• Develop an ESG Materiality Assessment
•  Evaluate ESG risks and opportunities, and develop strategies to mitigate them
• Identify industry best practices and global standards for ESG reporting and disclosure
•  Develop a comprehensive understanding of stakeholder engagement and analysis, environmental management, social responsibility, and corporate governance
• Understand change management for sustainability
• Perform sustainability trend analysis
• Design a Climate Action and Sustainability (CAS) strategic roadmap and action plan for your organization

The course follows a successful inaugural session with participants from Port of Vancouver, BC Hydro, the Government of British Columbia and UBC Sustainability. It includes guest lecturers from sustainability leaders such as MEC, Vancity, TELUS, Aritzia, BDC and PwC.