Foundations of Sustainability and ESG

Course Overview

This course introduces you to the fundamental concepts of sustainability and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks. Through a structured exploration of sustainability's three core dimensions - environmental, social, and economic - you'll learn how these pillars interconnect and why they're crucial for modern business and society. We'll examine major global sustainability challenges and explore how organisations can address these through effective stakeholder engagement and strategic integration of sustainability principles. Moving from sustainability fundamentals to ESG, you'll discover how this framework has evolved to become a critical tool for evaluating corporate performance and driving business strategy. You'll learn to distinguish between environmental factors like climate impact and resource use, social factors including labour practices and community relations, and governance aspects such as board diversity and business ethics. You'll understand how ESG metrics are measured and reported, how ESG ratings work, and why they matter for business success. Whether you're a business professional, investor, or someone interested in sustainable business practices, this course provides essential knowledge and practical insights into how sustainability and ESG are reshaping business strategy and investment decisions in today's world. This course is intended for individuals working in finance, accounting and those with sustainability, management or leadership roles who contribute to annual reports. By the end of this course you will be able to: - Define sustainability and its three core dimensions (environmental, social, and economic). - Identify the major global sustainability challenges and their implications for organisations and society. - Explain the role of organisations and other stakeholders in achieving sustainability goals. - Evaluate the benefits and challenges of integrating sustainability into business strategy and operations. - Define ESG and its three core components (Environmental, Social, and Governance). - Explain the relationship between ESG and sustainability, and their importance for businesses. - Identify the key ESG issues and metrics within each component. - Assess the growth and evolution of ESG investing and its implications for businesses.