Fundamentals of Sustainability Reporting

OVERVIEW  |  ENROLLMENT OPTIONS  |  COURSE STRUCTURE  |  RECOMMENDED FOR  |  TUITION

With so many different sustainability reporting frameworks and indices to choose from, how do you make a well-informed, strategic decision about which to use? The decisions are crucial if you are to gain the benefits of reporting, such as highlighting corporate culture, improving performance along the environmental, social, or governance (ESG) dimensions of business informing strategy, establishing accountability, providing transparency, or engaging employees. This course can help. Enroll now to learn:

• The mission, goals, and purposes of leading corporate citizenship reporting frameworks, including CDP, GRI, SASB, and UNGC.
• How to apply a decision-making rubric for assessing and selecting corporate citizenship frameworks, standards, and rankings.
• How leading companies use internationally accepted guidelines and standards to articulate their corporate citizenship performance and which could be suitable for your company.
• The importance of rankings and ratings related to corporate citizenship (e.g. World’s Most Ethical Companies, Most Admired, Top 50 Companies for Diversity).

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Enrollment Options

Look! There's More than One Way to Take This Course...

Course Content: Preview the Specific Units or Modules Included in This Course

COURSE STRUCTURE

Start and finish on your schedule: Courses take 15-17 hours, including video content and exercises.

Module 1: Introduction and Foundations of Sustainability

• Describe the foundations of sustainability and introduce key principles, standards, frameworks, rankings, and awards
• Activity: Reflect on your current knowledge of sustainability reporting and create summary document on foundations of sustainability

Module 2: Stakeholder Engagement and Materiality

• Define materiality and material issues and how to engage with stakeholders to determine material issues
• Activity: Prioritize your stakeholders and determine levels of engagement

Module 3: Scope, Boundaries, and Scopes

• Evaluate key concepts in sustainability reporting—including scope, boundaries, and scopes—and how to determine them
• Activity: Read relevant GRI disclosures

Module 4: Frameworks and Standards

Part 1:

• Identify key frameworks and standards in sustainability reporting that will help you manage your sustainability programs and be transparent about your company’s impacts
• Activity: Discuss the UN SDGs and analyze a sustainability report

Part 2:

• Describe key frameworks that focus on climate-related reporting and relevant industry codes of conduct
• Activity: Discuss climate-related risks and opportunities at your organization and analyze relevant industry codes of conduct

Module 5: Indices, Rankings, and Awards

• Learn about rankings, indices, and awards that span the spectrum of your corporate citizenship activities
• Activity: Determine the audience(s) for your corporate citizenship reporting

Module 6: Assurance and Harmonization

• Interpret movements to harmonize different ESG reporting standards and describe the movement to require third-party assurance for sustainability reporting
• Activity: Review sustainability reporting alignment documents

Module 7: Decision Making

• Compare and contrast the major reporting frameworks to determine which are best for your organization
• Activity: Assess your company’s reporting landscape and generate criteria for corporate citizenship reporting and ranking tools

RECOMMENDED FOR

This course is for corporate citizenship professionals responsible for the design, development, and execution of determining, measuring, reporting and/or disclosing their environmental, social, or governance performance. This course is also helpful for professionals new to the field of corporate citizenship or those seeking to expand their general knowledge of the field.

Suggested prior knowledge and skills:

Completion of the Center course Corporate Citizenship 101.

Professional credentials earned:

5 certificate units toward either a Certificate in Corporate Citizenship Practice or a Certificate in Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability Reporting. This is an elective course for a Certificate in Corporate Citizenship Practice and a required course for a Certificate in Corporate Citizenship and Sustainability Reporting.

TUITION

Member: $2,130.00
Non-Member: $2,900.00

Course discounts may be available when you enroll in multiple courses at once, either idependently or as part of a Summit (in-person learning experience) registration. See the chart below. If you are considering take multiple courses, connect with our team to better understand your options.