Imperial Sustainability Leadership Programme

Make a real impact on your organisation’s bottom line

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Course Dates

STARTS ON

26 March 2024

Course Duration

DURATION

15 weeks, online
6–8 hours per week

Course Fee

PROGRAMME FEE

£2,880 and get £300 off with a referral

Course Information Flexible payment available
Course Fee

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Application Details

Tuition assistance is live as per below schedule. The full programme fee is £3000 as of the start date.

programme fee

£2,880

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Hold your business to a higher standard

Imperial Sustainability Leadership is an online certificate programme designed to help you create a responsible business model for lasting economic value – one that is purpose-driven to deliver positive environmental and social impact for all stakeholders. Over the course of 15 weeks, you will develop new methods and a new mindset. You will evolve as a business leader while refining a sustainability innovation strategy for your organisation that rises to the challenge of environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.

Why now?

Sustainability is no longer optional. Consumers, employees and investors are pushing hard for organisations to dedicate resources to making a positive contribution to society in line with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Prioritising corporate social responsibility offers a world of opportunity for your organisation to do well while it does good.

Through at least 2023

the sustainability spend is increasing and will be resilient

Source: Gartner

18%

of respondents in a 2021 study indicated having a sustainable IT strategy with well-defined goals and target timelines in their organisation

Source: Capgemini

73%

of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products

SOURCE: Nielsen IQ

Testimonials

"The programme takes you through the introduction to new tools, processes and ways to establish, implement and measure better ESG initiatives within the business. My intent was always there, but I was often unsure how to implement it. Access to experts from around the world gives you a unique opportunity to learn from them."

— Lisa Munro, Managing Director, Europe, Marke Creative Merchandise

"The optional and mandatory assessments were excellent and really made me think and apply the learning to real-life scenarios (i.e. my own business). I feel I have come out of the programme with a tangible action plan as well as useful knowledge of sustainability innovation strategy."

— Helen Shellabear, Managing Director, Shellwin PLC

"The programme created an appreciation of sustainability topics and gave us tools to address these as leaders. Live sessions, networking opportunities and office hours were engaging and great for learning."

— Priyavarta Vedasen, Vice President, Credit Suisse

"The good breadth of subject matter and the delivery through short articles and videos made this very accessible. I have mild dyslexia and was concerned about the prospect of reading lengthy journals or research papers. The content was easy to consume, relevant and applicable."

— Alan Bastey, Customer Relationship Director, Zenith

"I thoroughly enjoyed the optional assignments. I completed all of them, and I felt it helped to put my learning into practice. I also really enjoyed all the readings and case studies."

— Laura Huff, Head of Product Sales Specialists, Amazon

Why take the Sustainability Leadership programme?

The innovative thinking at Imperial College London has made the school a worldwide leader in the fusion of business, technology and an entrepreneurial mindset. The Imperial Sustainability Leadership programme delivers a curriculum balanced between strategy and finance, created with the goal of helping you reinvent your business as a sustainable organisation:

  • Cultivate the mindset to create lasting change.
  • Identify the connections between business and social responsibility.
  • Evaluate your organisation’s sustainability-related metrics.
  • Develop a change plan in the direction of a flourishing organisational culture.
  • Use the six Ps model to evaluate your organisation’s sustainable development.
  • Integrate stakeholder needs into corporate governance structures.
  • Explore relevant sustainability case studies.
  • Receive personal support from a dedicated learning team throughout the programme.
  • Earn a verified digital certificate from Imperial College Business School Executive Education.

By the end of this 15-week online certificate programme, you will be able to:

  • Create a sustainability transformation plan for your organisation.
  • Develop a sustainability mindset.
  • Communicate to key stakeholders the connections between economic and environmental success.

Imperial Sustainability Leadership Programme has been awarded the 2022 Financial Times Responsible Business Education Award for driving societal change, promoting sustainable development, and demonstrating novel ways to teach digitally in a more inclusive way.

What you will learn

Throughout the programme, your learning will be centred around two threads:

  • Data-informed: with insights from the thought leaders at Imperial's Leonardo Centre on Business for Society, which houses the GOLDEN database, you will learn about experimental designs for organisations that help examine the impact of stakeholder-orientated change at the core of business.
  • Reflective: cultivate a sustainability mindset through an optional meditation track, which research proves is crucial for creating lasting change.

This programme will guide you to maximise the positive environmental and social impact of your business decisions over the course of 15 weeks. You will hear from expert speakers, complete activities and assignments and, in every module, work on establishing the connection between sustainability and mediation.

Module 1:

The Environmental Impacts of Business

Discover how businesses use innovative practices to assess global climate and social challenges, identify how companies can become part of the solution, evaluate strategies for carbon reduction and analyse how global programmes set goals for long-term practices.

Module 2:

The Social Impacts of Business

Draw strategic connections between sustainability and social inequality by evaluating how business can contribute to reducing or eliminating humanity’s most pressing challenges and defining the metrics for evaluating a successful socially innovative initiative.

Module 3:

Assessments and Operations

Learn how rating agencies evaluate how well organisations meet sustainability goals, explore value chains, trace ESG metrics through the supply chain, identify your organisation’s sustainability-related metrics and create a sustainable value chain strategy.

Module 4:

Sustainable Business Model Innovation

Consider sustainable business model innovation and its future role by devising creative solutions to challenging problems with a contradiction matrix and creating a triple bottom line canvas for your organisation. Using your triple bottom line canvas, develop questions to foster innovative sustainable practices.
*Note: this module spans two weeks.

Module 5:

Sustainable Business Strategies

Learn how sustainability supports economic success and can fit into an overall competitive business strategy by exploring how partnerships and M&A deals can help you reach your sustainability goals.

Module 6:

The Role of Finance and Integrated Reporting

Learn about the finance function as a component of transitioning to sustainability by identifying the impacts of integrated reporting, analysing how finance can support sustainability initiatives and exploring strategies to align an organisation’s investments with sustainability.

Module 7:

Purpose-Driven Leadership and Incentive Systems for Sustainability

Reflect on your leadership goals using the methods of ikigai (finding meaning in your work), examining how incentives help you attract, retain and develop talent, considering incentive systems to reward employees for meeting sustainability goals and “measuring” volunteerism.

Module 8:

Organisational Culture Change and the Purpose of the Organisation

Identify the importance of an organisational culture and the values of yours specifically by developing a plan to become a flourishing organisation, evaluating an organisation’s commitment to inclusion and exploring the connection between diversity and sustainability.

Module 9:

Stakeholder Integration in Governance

Consider how new governance models reflect the new realities of a post-shareholder primacy era by exploring alternative ways of integrating stakeholder voices, identifying the needs of stakeholders through qualitative research and comparing models of governance structure.

Module 10:

The Purpose-Driven Flourishing Enterprise

Examine how to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) by considering whether companies are the problem or the solution to the climate crisis, creating a roadmap for strategic purpose and evaluating your organisation’s sustainable development with the six P's model.

Module 11:

Leading Ecosystem Change

Shift to a flourishing model and create lasting change by examining the role of the organisation in system transformation processes, identifying how an organisation fits within a larger ecosystem and creating a map of relevant stakeholders within your organisation’s ecosystem.

Transformation roadmap presentations:

Present your transformation roadmap to your peers and prepare to take action within your own organisation.

Module 1:

The Environmental Impacts of Business

Discover how businesses use innovative practices to assess global climate and social challenges, identify how companies can become part of the solution, evaluate strategies for carbon reduction and analyse how global programmes set goals for long-term practices.

Module 7:

Purpose-Driven Leadership and Incentive Systems for Sustainability

Reflect on your leadership goals using the methods of ikigai (finding meaning in your work), examining how incentives help you attract, retain and develop talent, considering incentive systems to reward employees for meeting sustainability goals and “measuring” volunteerism.

Module 2:

The Social Impacts of Business

Draw strategic connections between sustainability and social inequality by evaluating how business can contribute to reducing or eliminating humanity’s most pressing challenges and defining the metrics for evaluating a successful socially innovative initiative.

Module 8:

Organisational Culture Change and the Purpose of the Organisation

Identify the importance of an organisational culture and the values of yours specifically by developing a plan to become a flourishing organisation, evaluating an organisation’s commitment to inclusion and exploring the connection between diversity and sustainability.

Module 3:

Assessments and Operations

Learn how rating agencies evaluate how well organisations meet sustainability goals, explore value chains, trace ESG metrics through the supply chain, identify your organisation’s sustainability-related metrics and create a sustainable value chain strategy.

Module 9:

Stakeholder Integration in Governance

Consider how new governance models reflect the new realities of a post-shareholder primacy era by exploring alternative ways of integrating stakeholder voices, identifying the needs of stakeholders through qualitative research and comparing models of governance structure.

Module 4:

Sustainable Business Model Innovation

Consider sustainable business model innovation and its future role by devising creative solutions to challenging problems with a contradiction matrix and creating a triple bottom line canvas for your organisation. Using your triple bottom line canvas, develop questions to foster innovative sustainable practices.
*Note: this module spans two weeks.

Module 10:

The Purpose-Driven Flourishing Enterprise

Examine how to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) by considering whether companies are the problem or the solution to the climate crisis, creating a roadmap for strategic purpose and evaluating your organisation’s sustainable development with the six P's model.

Module 5:

Sustainable Business Strategies

Learn how sustainability supports economic success and can fit into an overall competitive business strategy by exploring how partnerships and M&A deals can help you reach your sustainability goals.

Module 11:

Leading Ecosystem Change

Shift to a flourishing model and create lasting change by examining the role of the organisation in system transformation processes, identifying how an organisation fits within a larger ecosystem and creating a map of relevant stakeholders within your organisation’s ecosystem.

Module 6:

The Role of Finance and Integrated Reporting

Learn about the finance function as a component of transitioning to sustainability by identifying the impacts of integrated reporting, analysing how finance can support sustainability initiatives and exploring strategies to align an organisation’s investments with sustainability.

Transformation roadmap presentations:

Present your transformation roadmap to your peers and prepare to take action within your own organisation.

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Case studies

Examine how innovators in sustainability have stepped up to the challenge of securing a more stable and prosperous future for the planet while securing growth and prosperity for their businesses. See CSR in action from the following examples:

Decorative image relating to Wok.

WOK

On its way to becoming the first “green” restaurant in Colombia, Wok had to evaluate whether the benefits of transitioning towards sustainability outweighed the costs and the risks.

Decorative image relating to Novozymes.

NOVOZYMES

Consider the ripple effect when the largest producer of industrial enzymes becomes the world’s first company to craft a corporate strategy based on the United Nations' SDGs.

Decorative image relating to Enel.

ENEL

When a global energy company invests in renewable energy sources, it must maintain a dual focus: the health of the planet and shared value creation for its stakeholders.

Decorative image relating to Novo Nordisk.

NOVO NORDISK

As a company’s leadership positions sustainability as its primary strategic objective, how does it integrate the organisational culture and affect operations?

Programme experience

Decorative image relating to Video Lectures.

Video lectures

Decorative image relating to Live webinars.

Live webinars

Decorative image relating to Weekly assignments.

Weekly assignments

Decorative image relating to Interactive activities.

Interactive activities

Decorative image relating to Case studies.

Case studies

Decorative image relating to Discussions and polls.

Discussions and polls

Decorative image relating to Dedicated programme support team

Dedicated programme support team

Decorative image relating to Continuous programme access.

Continuous programme access

Who should attend?

This 15-week certificate programme is designed for senior executives and functional managers who are interested in building a comprehensive understanding of sustainability as a business practice. It is particularly relevant for the following roles:

  • Senior executives responsible for overall business growth and strategic initiatives who are seeking to make strategic changes to their business to make it more sustainable, develop a competitive advantage and develop a positive brand image for investors and shareholders.
  • CSR and sustainability specialists who are seeking to maximise their organisation’s negative environmental and social impact through sustainability practices, make a business case for new initiatives and build an action plan for meeting the organisation's sustainability goals.
  • Mid- to senior-level functional managers in traditional industries, such as energy, industrial goods, logistics and manufacturing who are seeking to contribute to their organisation’s sustainability efforts within their function and gain an understanding of how sustainability will affect their current role and business practices.
  • Consultants seeking to offer their clients solutions to help them achieve their sustainability goals, keep up with industry trends in sustainability and gain a respected credential to demonstrate specialisation in sustainability consulting.

Programme faculty

Faculty Member Maurizio Zollo

Maurizio Zollo

Professor of Strategy and Sustainability, Imperial College Business School, Head of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Scientific Director of the Leonardo Centre at Imperial

As a professor of strategy and sustainability at Imperial College London, Maurizio Zollo aims to understand how organisations learn to grow and adapt to environmental turbulence. He is founder and chairman of the GOLDEN for Impact Foundation and... More info

Faculty Member Frank Brueck

Frank Brueck

Visiting Researcher, Imperial College Business School, Cofounder and Executive Vice President of GOLDEN for Impact Foundation, Amsterdam, Director of the IKIGAI Corp.

With more than 25 years of experience as a consultant, trainer, lecturer, and researcher in the fields of CSR/sustainability, cultural change, cross-cultural management, team building, and leadership development, Brueck cofounded the GOLDEN for Impact... More info

Livio Scalvini

Executive Director of the Leonardo Centre, Imperial College Business School

With 25 years of experience in sustainability, entrepreneurship, innovation, social impact, venture and corporate venture capital, strategy, marketing, and investment banking, Livio Scalvini is executive director of the Leonardo Centre on Business for... More info

Certificate

Certificate

Upon completion of the programme, participants will be awarded a verified digital certificate by Imperial College Business School Executive Education.

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The Imperial learning experience

Human

At Imperial College Business School, we create people-centric learning experiences. From conception through to delivery, we are guided by the principle that learning is a creative, personal and, above all, human process. Our high quality, crafted learning environments are highly interactive, community-orientated and actively tutored. Our programmes offer an engaging experience designed to facilitate natural learning behaviours.

Real

No compromises. Our online programmes offer the absolute equivalent of our campus-based programmes. They adopt the same rigorous academic standards, are delivered via our world-leading faculty and offer a comparable high-touch approach to the classroom experience.

FAQs

  • How do I know if this programme is right for me?

    After reviewing the information on the programme landing page, we recommend you submit the short form above to gain access to the programme brochure, which includes more in-depth information. If you still have questions about whether this programme is a good fit for you, please email learner.success@emeritus.org, and a dedicated programme adviser will follow up with you very shortly.


    Are there any prerequisites for this programme?

    Some programmes do have prerequisites, particularly the more technical ones. This information will be noted on the programme landing page, as well as in the programme brochure. If you are uncertain about programme prerequisites and your capabilities, please email us at the ID mentioned above.


    Note that, unless otherwise stated on the programme web page, all programmes are taught in English, and proficiency in English is required.


    What is the typical class profile?

    More than 50 per cent of our participants are from outside the United States. Class profiles vary from one cohort to the next, but generally, our online certificates draw a highly diverse audience in terms of professional experience, industry and geography—leading to a very rich peer learning and networking experience.


    What other dates will this programme be offered in the future?

    Check back at this programme web page or email us to inquire if future programme dates or the timeline for future offerings have been confirmed yet.

  • How much time is required each week?

    Each programme includes an estimated learner effort per week. This is referenced at the top of the programme landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the programme brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page.



    How will my time be spent?

    We have designed this programme to fit into your current working life as efficiently as possible. Time will be spent among a variety of activities, including:



    • Engaging with recorded video lectures from faculty
    • Attending webinars and office hours, as per the specific programme schedule
    • Reading or engaging with examples of core topics
    • Completing knowledge checks/quizzes and required activities
    • Engaging in moderated discussion groups with your peers
    • Completing your final project, if required

    The programme is designed to be highly interactive while also allowing time for self-reflection and to demonstrate an understanding of the core topics through various active learning exercises. Please email us if you need further clarification on programme activities.



    What is it like to learn online with the learning collaborator, Emeritus?

    More than 300,000 learners across 200 countries have chosen to advance their skills with Emeritus and its educational learning partners. In fact, 90 per cent of the respondents of a recent survey across all our programmes said that their learning outcomes were met or exceeded.

    All the contents of the course would be made available to students at the commencement of the course. However, to ensure the programme delivers the desired learning outcomes the students may appoint Emeritus to manage the delivery of the programme in a cohort-based manner the cost of which is already included in the overall course fee of the course.

    A dedicated programme support team is available 24/5 (Monday to Friday) to answer questions about the learning platform, technical issues or anything else that may affect your learning experience.


    How do I interact with other programme participants?

    Peer learning adds substantially to the overall learning experience and is an important part of the programme. You can connect and communicate with other participants through our learning platform.

  • What are the requirements to earn the certificate?

    Each programme includes an estimated learner effort per week, so you can gauge what will be required before you enrol. This is referenced at the top of the programme landing page under the Duration section, as well as in the programme brochure, which you can obtain by submitting the short form at the top of this web page. All programmes are designed to fit into your working life.

    This programme is scored as a pass or no-pass. Participants must complete the required activities to pass and obtain the certificate of completion. Some programmes include a final project submission or other assignments to obtain passing status. This information will be noted in the programme brochure. Please email us if you need further clarification on any specific programme requirements.


    What type of certificate will I receive?

    Upon successful completion of the programme, you will receive a smart digital certificate. The smart digital certificate can be shared with friends, family, schools or potential employers. You can use it on your cover letter or resume and/or display it on your LinkedIn profile.

    The digital certificate will be sent approximately two weeks after the programme, once grading is complete.


    Can I get the hard copy of the certificate?

    No, only verified digital certificates will be issued upon successful completion. This allows you to share your credentials on social networking platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.


    Do I receive alumni status after completing this programme?

    No, there is no alumni status granted for this programme. In some cases, there are credits that count towards a higher level of certification. This information will be clearly noted in the programme brochure.


    How long will I have access to the learning materials?

    You will have access to the online learning platform and all the videos and programme materials for 12 months following the programme start date. Access to the learning platform is restricted to registered participants per the terms of agreement.

  • What equipment or technical requirements are there for this programme?

    Participants will need the latest version of their preferred browser to access the learning platform. In addition, Microsoft Office and a PDF viewer are required to access documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files and transcripts.


    Do I need to be online to access the programme content?

    Yes, the learning platform is accessed via the internet, and video content is not available for download. However, you can download files of video transcripts, assignment templates, readings, etc. For maximum flexibility, you can access programme content from a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device.

    Video lectures must be streamed via the internet, and any livestream webinars and office hours will require an internet connection. However, these sessions are always recorded, so you can view them later.

  • Can I still register if the registration deadline has passed?

    Yes, you can register up until seven days past the published start date of the programme without missing any of the core programme material or learnings.


    What is the programme fee and what forms of payment do you accept?

    The programme fee is noted at the top of this programme web page and usually referenced in the programme brochure as well.

    • Flexible payment options are available (see details below as well as at the top of this programme web page next to FEE).
    • Tuition assistance is available for participants who qualify. Please email learner.success@emeritus.org.

    What if I don’t have a credit card? Is there another method of payment accepted?

    Yes, you can do the bank remittance in the program currency via wire transfer or debit card. Please contact your programme adviser or email us for details.


    I was not able to use the discount code provided. Can you help?

    Yes! Please email us with the details of the programme you are interested in, and we will assist you.


    How can I obtain an invoice for payment?

    Please email us your invoicing requirements and the specific programme you’re interested in enrolling in.


    Is there an option to make flexible payments for this programme?

    Yes, the flexible payment option allows a participant to pay the programme fee in instalments. This option is made available on the payment page and should be selected before submitting the payment.


    How can I obtain a W9 form?

    Please connect with us via email for assistance.


    Who will be collecting the payment for the programme?

    Emeritus collects all programme payments, provides learner enrollment and programme support, and manages learning platform services.

  • What is the programme refund and deferral policy?

    For the programme refund and deferral policy, please click the link here.

Didn't find what you were looking for? Write to us at learner.success@emeritus.org or Schedule a call with one of our Academic Advisers or call us at +44 208 629 1765 (UK) / +1 315 509 2976 (US) / +65 3138 2451 (SG)

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Flexible payment options available. Learn more.