Sustainability 101: Free and low-cost courses on the business of sustainability

The impact of climate change on businesses around the globe continues to accelerate. Understanding, planning for, and mitigating this impact is crucial for businesses hoping to thrive in a rapidly evolving environmental and business landscape. These courses are a free or low-cost way to get up to speed on the best and latest sustainable business practices from mapping stakeholder needs in materiality to using scenario analysis to identify risks and opportunities. 

This is the third edition of our four-part series on Sustainability 101: Free and Paid Resources, Courses, Certificates, and Degrees to Build Your Sustainability Knowledge. You can check out parts 1, 2, and 4 at the links below:

Part 1: Free Resources to Build Your Climate Change and Sustainability Knowledge

Part 2: Low-cost and free courses on sustainability

Part 4: Top online executive business courses on sustainability

1. Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business' MBA Edge Website

The MBA Edge website from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business provides primers on Materiality Assessment, Scenario Analysis, and Sustainability Reporting among many other topics to help ensure you’re readying your business for the impacts of climate change. Do you know how to do a lifecycle or materiality assessment, or how to put together a sustainability report? This course will teach you how.

2. United Nations Global Compact

This is a treasure trove of sustainable business resources for businesses of all sizes across ESG. Recent topics include improving your social supply chain sustainability and critical steps for businesses to take to sustain biodiversity. This site helps businesses be mindful of the climate in ways that keep their business needs in mind.

3. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy Website

The Circular Economy is a systems solution framework that guides businesses to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest values, and regenerate nature. This website offers a wealth of learning resources on the topic, pathways, and a guide to universities that offer courses in the area for a deeper look.

4. SASB Standards and FSA Certification

The SASB Standards help companies and financial professionals identify risks and opportunities related to sustainability, such as cash flow, access to finance, and metrics and disclosures. This website provides a guide to understanding and reporting on these standards and offers an FSA certification for professionals looking to combine their understanding of financial performance with sustainability.

5. Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosures

The mission of this organization is to make recommendations regarding the types of information companies should disclose to stakeholders on climate-related risks to the company. The website offers online courses on climate-related disclosures.

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Download our comprehensive guide, Resources, Courses, Certificates, and Degrees to Build Your Sustainability Knowledge. 

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