Developing and Implementing an Integrated Sustainability Strategy in your Organisation

Course rationale

Business leaders increasingly realise the need for and benefits of addressing sustainability issues (environmental, social and economic) in their business. Integrating sustainability in the organisation enhances the creation of value over all capitals, both for its stakeholders and for the organisation.

Effective integrated sustainability management and reporting are about minimising negative and maximising positive environmental and social impacts associated with an organisation’s core business. Organisations’ sustainability involvement is underpinned by several concepts, including integrated thinking, corporate citizenship and stakeholder inclusivity.

Integrated sustainability planning should be aligned with overall business strategy and business unit planning. Sustainability monitoring should, as far as possible, be integrated with existing business monitoring and information systems. Sustainability reporting, both internal and external, should be integrated with business reporting.

Sustainability should not be a stand-alone functionality but should be embedded in all business functions at all levels. Proper coordination is important for realising maximum benefits for the organisation.

Course Objectives

The aim of this course is to provide participants with a thorough understanding of the integrated sustainability management process.

Specific objectives include:

  • Providing context for integrating sustainability in the organisation;
  • Develop the skills to develop an integrated sustainability strategy;
  • Develop insights on how to integrate sustainability in the organisation;
  • Develop insights on how to integrate internal and external reporting on sustainability; and
  • Develop an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of management and the sustainability team.

Who should attend?

  • Sustainability managers
  • Business leaders
  • Board members and other executives
  • Sustainability and integrated reporting coordinators
  • Officials from all tiers of government
  • Representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

Approach to the course

This online course is highly interactive and includes:

  • Interactive presentations
  • Class and small group discussions
  • Studying examples of disclosures on integrated sustainability management

Outline of the one-day course

  1. Context for sustainability and integrating sustainability management
    • Drivers and relevance of sustainability in corporate governance
    • Regulatory framework
    • Sustainability and business risk management
  2. Developing your integrated sustainability strategy
    • Stakeholder engagement
    • Identifying the organisation’s material sustainability issues
    • Developing management plans for each material issue
  3. Implementing your sustainability strategy (The integrated sustainability management process)
    • Integrated policies and procedures
    • Integrating sustainability information
    • Integrated monitoring and feedback
    • Sustainability training
    • Governing for sustainability
    • Role of management
    • Review of strategy
  4. Reporting on sustainability
    • Purpose and benefits of reporting
    • The sustainability reporting process
    • Sustainability reporting
    • Integrated reporting

Certificate

Successful participants will receive an attendance certificate.

Contact details

Register for the course on our website at www.ess-sustainability.co.za  or contact:

Seakle Godschalk at seakle@ess-sustainability.co.za or +27 (0) 82 395 7582

Maryna Möhr at maryna@ess-sustainability.co.za or +27 (0) 82 882 7700

Training and Consulting Professionals