Advanced Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and Governance (Online)

By attending this course, you will examine new and complex issues that are taxing the skills of even the most experienced directors. These include the potential for conflict between activist shareholders and the board, the emergence of Climate Change as a threat to global security, the requirements to report publicly on what is called the “stakeholder agenda”, and the increasing focus of regulatory bodies, such as the Financial Reporting Council, on how boards are managing risk. 

You will also 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 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.

The course will wrap with a summary of the key learning points, followed by an action planning exercise with a view to applying 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.

Institutional Investors and ESG Principles

• The role of institutional investors
• Investor activism
• The sustainable company

Regulation and Control on Corporate Behaviour

• Handling conflicts of interest
• Internal audit and other controls
• Regulatory Controls on Boards

Corporate Governance Models

• Listed and Unlisted companies – governance compared
• Independence – the watchword for Boards and Directors
• Corporate Governance Challenges in State-Owned Companies

Emerging Trends in Corporate Governance

• What are the emerging priorities for boards in the third decade of the 21st Century?
• ESG Issues and Climate Change
• Refreshing the board
• New Existential threats, such as cyber security

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?
• Are 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 from being considered sustainable?
• How should companies identify, assess and respond to sustainability risks?

Course Review

• Summary and recap of key learning objectives
• Action Planning

This course is suitable for:

• Non-Executive Directors want to understand their role;
• Other Board members wishing to refresh their knowledge and skills;
• Chairs of organizations, Chief Executives, Company Secretaries, and Other Heads of organizations;
• Professionals, practitioners, and managers in corporate investment, as well as leaders in state-owned enterprises, public, voluntary, and non-profit organizations;
• Those needing to get to grips with good governance such as Inhouse counsel and regulatory and compliance professionals.
• 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 are 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 are 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:

• Explain the wants and needs of institutional investors and how they may behave.
• Put into practice the duties of directors.
• Address the “stakeholder agenda”.
• Apply the FRC’s guidance on risk management and board effectiveness
• Explain how corporate governance can operate in different types of companies, including those owned by the state.
• Appreciate the emerging trends in corporate governance, such as ESG issues and Climate Change.
• Develop an understanding of what sustainability means for organizations.
• Unpick the different elements relating to “people, planet and profit”.
• Learn techniques to engage with stakeholders.
• Discuss approaches to prioritize action around material issues.
• Create the skeleton of a sustainability plan
• Dissect the ‘people dimension’ in sustainability.
• Consider how companies that behave irresponsibly risk damaging their staff, suppliers, customers or communities.
• Study the relevance of sustainability in the supply chain.
• Carry out a risk analysis concerned with unsustainable approaches in an organization.
• Construct an outline plan for sustainability reporting for their organizations.
• Implement an Action Plan at your workplace using the knowledge and skills acquired through the course.