Training Course: Sustainable Business Strategy

Introduction

The aim of this Sustainable Business Strategy training course is to develop an understanding of sustainable business by exploring changing relationships between businesses, communities, and the environment around the world.  This training course aims to investigate the impact of sustainability on management practice through critical evaluation of corporate activity, drawing on a range of case study examples.  It aims to encourage sustainability thinking, challenging delegates to articulate creative ideas for how companies might align resource allocation with environmental and social responsibilities, building a positive climate for engaging people in organisations with sustainability issues.

This training course explores the meaning and role of business sustainability from a management perspective.  It will discuss the emergence of, and rationale for employee engagement, encouraging delegates to reflect on how sustainability challenges are affecting, and being affected by business activity.  The training course will consider how management’s responsibility to shareholders for delivering financial returns might be balanced with meeting wider stakeholder expectations, highlighting mutual benefits to people, organisations and economies. This training course will invite delegates to reflect on how sustainability policies might be integrated with business strategy and operations, and how this may link with competitiveness and brand integrity.

Course Objectives

• Critically evaluate the meaning and role of sustainable business strategy.
• Demonstrate innovative thinking for overcoming sustainability challenges from a management and organisational perspective.
• Examine the links between sustainability and corporate activity.
• Identify creative solutions to embed sustainability in different organisations.
• Analyse the role of sustainability in corporate strategy, organisational culture, and operations.

Course Outlines

Day 1: The Sustainable Vision

• The meaning of sustainability in business.
• How perspectives on strategy influence sustainability.
• The history and challenges of sustainability.
• The pillars of corporate social responsibility
  • People.
  • Profit.
  • Planet.

Day 2: Developing a Sustainable Strategy

• Sustainability leadership: Challenges and Responsibilities.
• Identifying the corporate ambition.
• Understand how sustainability issues are considered as part of strategic planning and product development.
• Identify the opportunities and challenges posed by sustainability issues.
• Engagement with key stakeholders.
• Sustainability as part of competitive positioning.

Day 3: Sustainable Operations 

• Operational functions for sustainability.
• Sustainable entrepreneurship.
• Sustainable procurement.
• Sustainable supplier management.
• Sustainability across the supply chain.

Day 4: The Role of Innovation in Addressing Sustainability Challenges

• The role of technology in a sustainable business.
• Sustainability and the future of energy.
• Sustainable quality.
• Sustainable design.
• The sustainable marketing mix.

Day 5: Sustainable finance

• The importance of sustainable finance.
• Measuring sustainability.
• Sustainable business risks.
• Investments and corporate performance.
• Green and socially responsible investment opportunities.