Course Overview

Sustainable Transition Management develops a strategic approach to shaping responsible business practices and business models. The course connects environmental and social considerations with the choices made in strategy, finance, marketing, and operations. Participants examine how these functions can work together to support a planned organizational transition.

The program explores the relationship between human activity and environmental systems through concepts including planetary boundaries, the Sustainable Development Goals, and Doughnut Economics. It then connects this context with stakeholder priorities, sustainable investment considerations, product and marketing choices, and operational practices. Participants also examine methods such as lifecycle assessment and carbon-footprint measurement. The emphasis is on building a coherent direction and choosing practical transition actions with a clear basis for reviewing progress.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Explain how environmental and social frameworks inform sustainable business decisions.
• Assess stakeholder priorities and material sustainability issues in a business context.
• Relate sustainability objectives to business strategy and the design of business models.
• Evaluate the role of environmental, social, and governance considerations in investment decisions.
• Identify sustainability applications in product development, marketing, and business relationships.
• Explain the purpose and scope of lifecycle assessment and carbon-footprint measurement.
• Compare circular-economy and decarbonization approaches for relevant operating activities.
• Connect functional initiatives within a coordinated transition plan.

Practical Application

Apply the learning to connect sustainability priorities with an organization-wide direction for change.

• Coherent transition priorities: Bring business objectives, stakeholder expectations, and environmental and social considerations into the selection of initiatives.
• Connected functional decisions: Align contributions from finance, marketing, operations, and other functions around shared transition goals.
• Meaningful progress assessment: Select suitable measurement approaches and document their boundaries so teams can interpret results and review their actions.