Advanced Strategic Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability

By attending this course, you will consider the principles and practices of corporate responsibility, looking at how it has evolved from philanthropic and religious roots into an enterprise-wide philosophy and a call to action for sustainability. It will consider why adopting a sustainable approach makes business sense for companies today, how it applies to different sectors, and why organizations need to take account of their various stakeholders when developing a sustainability plan.

This course will also consider the “people dimension” in sustainability. This includes the staff, customers, suppliers and communities that the organization is involved with and who benefit or suffer from its business practices. The course also examines sustainability within supply chains from a materials management perspective. Sustainability reporting is now an important way for companies to demonstrate transparently that they are taking non-financial measures into account when pursuing their business strategies. And we will apply the principles of risk management to corporate behaviour which could be seen as irresponsible.

This course will look at sustainability from a global, environmental perspective. Following on from the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is refocusing on global warming and climate change, and what actions companies and citizens can take to slow the negative impacts of CO2 emissions. Many organizations avoid the consequences of their unsustainable business practices, and seek to “externalize” – that is to say, transfer- the costs of pollution and climate change to others. Meanwhile the poorest countries suffer from poverty, poor sanitation, hunger or lack other fundamental human rights. Our training course considers collaborative initiatives from a range of corporate and global actors, such as the United Nations, allowing us to unpick the threads of sustainable development, globalization, climate change and environmental sustainability.

The course will wrap with a summary of the key learning points, followed by an action planning exercise with a view to apply the acquired knowledge and skills immediately upon your return to work. Post-course support is also available in relation to the implementation of your action plan, up to six (6) months following course completion.

Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility

• From CSR to Sustainability
• Beyond philanthropy and charitable giving
• Criticisms of CSR

Business Drivers for Sustainability & Responsibility

• Why is sustainability good for business?
• The Language of Sustainability
• Sectoral issues in sustainability
• Planning for sustainable business practices

Engaging Stakeholders to Build a Sustainable Plan

• The Materiality assessment – what are the key issues?
• How do we impact our stakeholders?
• Stakeholder engagement
• Developing and implementing a sustainability plan

Measuring Stakeholder Impact

• The CSR Project – how it contributes to corporate sustainability.
• What projects are taking place?
• What is the value of such projects?
• Is sustainability and CSR the same thing?

The Responsible and Ethical Corporate Board

• Sustainability – the ‘people dimension’
• Sustainability and the Community
• Sustainability and our employees
• Sustainability and customers

Green Strategy and Sustainability

• Is my supply chain sustainable?
• Hallmarks of a responsible supply chain
• Typical supply chain abuses
• How supply chain irresponsibility can damage the company

Sustainability Reporting Standards

• Purpose of Sustainability reporting
• Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting standards
• Other International Reporting frameworks: ISO26000 Guidance, OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
• UN Global Compact and UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights

External Assurance Assessment

• The risks of irresponsibility.
• Principles of managing risk.
• What are the key risks that can prevent companies being considered sustainable?
• How should companies identify, assess and respond to sustainability risks?

Socially Responsible Investment

• ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) investing
• The shareholder perspective on ESG
• Principles for Responsible Investment
• The links between responsible investing and financial performance

Sustainable Development Principles

• Sustainable Development
• UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Sustainability in Developing Economies

Globalization and Corporate Sustainability

• The costs of carbon on climate change and how are these being mitigated?
• The Paris Climate Agreement
• What does “”Net Zero”” mean for emissions?
• What initiatives are taking place to accelerate the decarbonization of the economy?

Dealing with Activism and Climate Change

• Developing Trends in the Sustainability agenda
• Recent anti-globalization trends
• The impact of Covid-19 on the sustainability agenda
• Will a global recession make sustainability unaffordable?

Course Review

• Summary and recap of key learning objectives
• Action Planning

This course is suitable for a wide range of professionals but will be of real value to:

• Community Relations managers and executives
• Health, Safety and Environmental managers and officers
• Risk managers and professionals
• Legal and compliance managers and professionals
• Managers and staff who wish to develop business practices to help their organizations act in a responsible way.
• Managers and staff concerned with influencing or implementing corporate strategies that consider environmental, social and governance issues.
• Managers and staff responsible for CSR projects.
• Managers and staff who plan and implement corporate policies in relation to community relations, environmental protection, health and safety, procurement and the supply chain.
• Any member of the organization who is tasked with developing sustainability or corporate responsibility initiatives or strategies.
• Executives tasked with delivering business results while at the same time protecting and enhancing their company’s reputation for responsible behaviour.

Upon completion of this course, you will have:

• Developed an understanding of what sustainability means for organizations.
• Unpicked the different elements relating to “people, planet and profit”.
• Learned techniques to engage with stakeholders.
• Discussed approaches to prioritize action around material issues.
• Created the skeleton of a sustainability plan
• Dissected the ‘people dimension’ in sustainability.
• Considered how companies that behave irresponsibly risk damaging their staff, suppliers, customers or communities.
• Studied the relevance of sustainability in the supply chain.
• Carried out a risk analysis concerned with unsustainable approaches in an organization.
• Constructed an outline plan for sustainability reporting for their organizations.
• Understood how investors apply ESG measurement techniques when selecting investments.
• Considered the purpose of Sustainable Development and the global initiatives to deal with it.
• Debated the aspirations for a carbon-neutral economy to reduce the impact of Climate Change.
• Developed an Action Plan to be implemented at your workplace using the knowledge and skills acquired through the course.