Strategic ESG: Creating Sustainable Value Professional Certificate Program

Registration Closed
for Session 2: Oct 2 – Nov 12, 2023

ESG Essentials & ESG Fundamentals Courses are Open; Strategic ESG is Closed

The demand for businesses to address Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues is growing—from investors, customers, employees—and beyond. No longer can these be relegated to the ‘sidelines.’  

That requires leaders and professionals to connect the most important, or ‘material,’ ESG issues with a return on investment for the company and sustainable impact across the triple bottom line—and take action to deliver both. 

Learn how through ESG Fundamentals or ESG Essentials.

WholeWorks’ Sustainable Value Creation Map helps leaders connect sustainability to their business strategy and results—and to positive social, environmental, and economic impact. It shows the potential cause-and-effect linkages between ESG initiatives and ROI. Mapping these linkages and making them explicit is a key step to making sustainability a core part of business operations.

What makes our program unique?

We don’t lecture.
We give you a virtual practice field.
And we help you apply to your organization.

In 36 hours over six weeks:

LEARN

strategy & techniques through learning modules designed for working professionals.

PRACTICE

through a highly-realistic global team simulation — 10 years of experience over six weeks.

APPLY

immediately — with expert coaching — to an ESG initiative material to your company.

We have a network of 335+ WholeWorks alumni—

professionals and leaders from 35 countries practicing integrated sustainability and making a world of difference.

It all begins with a realistic
business simulation:

Picture yourself in the middle of a storm — a tempest of public outrage and financial turmoil that threatens the future of your company.

CareCo Natural, one of the largest personal care companies in India (popular for its use of natural ingredients as well as its stated commitment to sustainability), is facing a critical moment in its history. A shocking documentary has revealed the truth behind harmful and dangerous growing practices on coconut farms, calling out CareCo Natural as one of the biggest contributors and causing a public uproar. Consumers are outraged; revenue and stock prices have plummeted; and the entire previous executive team has been fired. The very survival of the company is at stake.

Now, CareCo Natural is hiring — and they need you. 

  • Step into your new role—at CareCo Natural, all team members are responsible for integrating sustainability into their area of responsibility.

  • Which role would you choose in CareCo Natural’s executive team? You can choose something distinctly different from your current role to maximize learning.

  • Meet with your global team for 1 hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays to review progress and develop strategies. You select one of three time slots that best fits your schedule.

  • Consider all of CareCo Natural’s stakeholders and its potential impact on larger systems as you transition the company to be truly sustainable.

  • Identify and map material ESG initiatives to generate value and create impact.

  • Make key decisions to execute the team’s strategy to achieve financial and ESG results.

  • Review financial progress—CareCo Natural must provide its investors with an acceptable return on investment.

  • Review progress against 24 key sustainability measures. The board and investors are expecting a ‘gold standard’ for ESG performance by year 10.

Here’s what leaders have to say about our programs:

Here’s what leaders have to say about our programs:

What You Will Gain:

  • The ability to connect ESG issues to create ROI and triple bottom line impact;

  • Experience from a realistic 10 year business simulation, meeting financial, environmental, and social goals;

  • Practical strategies, tools, and frameworks to apply to your organization;

  • An expert-coached, peer-reviewed project ready for immediate implementation;

  • A valuable credential;

  • A global network of sustainability leaders and professionals.

Strategic ESG: Creating Sustainable Value

Professional Certificate Program

  • Participants must be at least 3 years post-university graduation. Strategic ESG: Creating Sustainable Value is a challenging 6-week program requiring approximately 6 hours of effort per week, for a total estimated effort of 36 hours. Although the program is completely virtual, it is not limited to self-study. The simulation is a global, team-based simulation and requires 1 hour team meetings twice per week during the first 5 weeks of the program. Participants may select the meeting time that best meets their schedule (8:00 am; 11:00 am; or 8:00 pm—all times Eastern USA). Participants must complete all learning activities, be active contributors to their team (as assessed by their teammates and facilitator), and complete a specific project plan for their organization. Successful participants will receive a digital certificate of achievement.

    Download one-pager here.
    Download course schedule here.
    Download course curriculum here.

  • No additional dates are planned for Strategic ESG.