ASU’s Sustainability Opportunity certificate program coming online January 2021

As the world rounds the final corner of an incredibly disruptive year for business operations and society at-large, it’s time to look ahead and envision how life will be in the years to come. What lessons will people take from 2020? What “new normals” will stick around for the long haul? How will businesses around the world adapt and remain competitive? What opportunities exist for society to build back better? 

Amidst all the speculation, one thing remains true: sustainability strategies are smart business. They reduce cost through efficiency, increase revenue, and help organizations come out on top in the talent war. Each year more and more businesses report on their sustainability impact, and professionals across countless industries are learning to adopt sustainability practices in their various roles.  

Arizona State University is excited to support this evolution of business by offering a Professional Certificate in Sustainability Strategy. 

The Sustainability Opportunity is an intensive online seminar that combines the power of the consistently top-ranked W. P. Carey School of Business with the pioneering, first-in-the-nation School of Sustainability at ASU. Instead of focusing on gloom and doom, this seminar focuses on the business and organizational opportunities that accompany our global challenges. 

Faculty from ASU’s School of Sustainability and the Department of Supply Chain Management will provide instruction and offer practical insights. They’ll be joined by Bruno Sarda, President, CDP North America, an organization which supports companies and cities to disclose the environmental impacts of their operations. 

“The certificate program will examine sustainability not only through the lens of the environment but also through the lens of business,” says Professor of Supply Chain Management Kevin Dooley. “It’s not just, ‘How do we reach a goal like, say, using less water,’ but ‘How do we do so in a way that reduces the footprint of doing business from the bottom line up?’” 

“The program is really about building leadership in you so that you can go forward and take this to your career and your enterprise and build a sustainable future” says Professor George Basile of the School of Sustainability.  

The next certificate program begins on January 11, 2021 and is 100% online. The 5-week curriculum is designed for mid-career professionals in the private sector who want to create a decided advantage in the marketplace by reorienting their professional and organizational abilities toward sustainability and resiliency, with a focus on leveraging the opportunities presented by both. 

Participants will also benefit from a professional cohort and sustainability network of peers in the private sector, representing a diversity of roles, ranks, company sizes, and industries. This includes managers, directors, senior directors, vice presidents, and senior vice presidents — all those with strategic oversight of sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR), or the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG), as well as operational managers who aspire to such a role. 

Together, participants will work to identify leverage points for organizational change and professional development to achieve a sustainability advantage, and help increase organizational resilience. Sessions and field study will enable them to leave with tangible, applied tools that can be used in their workplace and personal lives. 

Learn more about the Professional Certificate in Sustainability Strategy and register today. The best early bird rate ends October 13, 2020. 

Email [email protected] for more information.