10 Sustainability Training Courses
We’ve put together 10 sustainability training courses that are mostly geared towards helping businesses to embrace and promote sustainability and raise awareness about the most pressing global issues, like climate change, inequality, discrimination, hunger and starvation, environmental degradation, and more. Read on to learn more.
1. Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with this 4-part microlearning course by EdApp. Here, you and your team will gain a better understanding of the mission of these programs, which is to make the world better and build a more sustainable future for everyone. It also touches on the five interconnected pillars of sustainability — people, prosperity, peace, partnership, and the planet, the core principles guiding these sustainable development programs, and the 2030 aspirational global targets. What’s more, it also provides a helpful guide on how your company can help mainstream the policies of SDG and put them into practice. A case study will be provided at the end of this course to help you better visualize the concept of SDGs in a real-life context.
This sponsored course is structured into bite-sized modules so it’s easier to follow and comprehend. It also consists of interactive elements such as gamified quizzes and short video clips to help improve the learning experience of your employees.
Cost: Free
Scope: Background of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), five interconnected pillars of sustainability, 2030 aspirational global targets, mainstreaming the SDGs
Created By EdApp
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2. Sustainability and the Circular Economy
EdApp’s Sustainability and the Circular Economy is a sustainability training course put together by Monica Vinader, a British luxury jewelry brand that celebrates individuality. The main focus of this course is to establish the relationship between sustainability and the circular economy, aiming to influence businesses to improve their resource management and supply-chain and reduce waste. It delves into the background and core principles of both sustainability and the circular economy, as well as how they benefit the three pillars of sustainability: people, planet, and community. The three Rs (Repair, Re-wear, and Recycle) governing the circular economy are also explored, followed by a step-by-step guide on how companies can put this theory into practice.
This course comes free and fully editable. Using EdApp’s free authoring tool, feel free to edit the font, theme, and background, or even tweak its content so it matches your company's value system. You can also use the Canva integration feature to add high-quality and visually appealing images for better engagement and retention.
Cost: Free
Scope: Sustainability and circular economy, three Rs of circular economy (Repair, Re-wear, and Recycle), how to embrace the three Rs into your company culture
Created by EdApp
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3. Sustainable Eating
Another way to practice sustainable living is to eat sustainably or opt for foods that are beneficial both to personal health and the environment. Unlock a healthy and sustainable food future with EdApp’s Sustainable Eating, a sustainable training course authored by none other than food service provider, Marley Spoon. In this food safety course, you will discover the most important criteria when selecting sustainable food products, the premium benefits of eating locally grown foods and seasonal foods, and the carbon footprint of different food products. You and your team will also get some tips on how to replace meat in your diet without compromising the number of nutrients that you need to consume every day.
All EdApp courses are accessible through smartphones and tablets, giving learners complete control over where and when they want to take and complete their training.
Cost: Free
Scope: Sustainable food products, eating locally grown foods, the carbon footprint of different food products, replacing meat in your diet, upsides of eating seasonal foods
Created by EdApp
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4. Food Security and Sustainability
This series of sustainability training courses by edX is also focused on food security, designed to impart knowledge on how we can eat sustainably to reserve enough food and natural resources for everyone. According to a new report launched by the United Nations, the world’s population is expected to blow to 9 billion by 2050, a wake-up call for countries to find a way to feed the world's rising population and secure food security without wasting all of our resources. In this course, you and your team will learn more about the complexity and diversity of food production and ecological systems, the basics of crop production and food access, and measures everyone can take to solve hunger and assure access to sufficient, nutritious, and safe food. It also explores the 'Rubik's cube' system and how you can apply it to improve the environmental sustainability of food production systems.
Just a quick heads up that this sustainable training can be quite long. Each course will take at least 6-8 hours every week, and the entire program will take roughly five months to complete.
Cost: $537.30 USD
Scope: Food production systems, the basics of crop production and food access, and measures to solve and prevent hunger, 'Rubik's cube' system
Created by edX
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5. Driving business towards the Sustainable Development Goals
This Coursera course is designed to help businesses realize their roles in achieving a positive, critical, aware, and courageous attitude towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and building a better future for the people and the planet. Among the topics discussed here include a brief introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and it’s interlinked goals towards building sustainable energy, environment, and society. It also sheds some light on different societal challenges such as hunger and poverty, alongside what companies can do to halt, reverse or mitigate these issues.
This course consists of seven lessons that can be finished in about a week. A shareable certification will be sent upon completion.
Cost: Free for 7 days
Scope: Introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs related to planet and society, societal challenges, the role of businesses to sustainability
Created by Coursera
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6. Strategies for Sustainability Program
Stanford's Strategies for Sustainability Program is a self-paced sustainability training program designed for organizations interested in adopting sustainability and helping the world solve the most challenging issues. Led by the faculty of experts and sustainability leaders from Silicon Valley, this two-part program will guide you and your employees through the most essential knowledge and skills needed to achieve sustainability and resilience while living in today’s complex environment. It also goes over different decision-making frameworks and tools that your organization can use to pursue social, financial, and environmental sustainability and further influence positive changes on Earth.
This course is 100% online and available for 60 days after the date of enrollment. Learners will only take about 8 hours to complete the entire program.
Cost: $295 USD
Scope: Sustainability and resilience in a complex environment, decision-making frameworks and tools to achieve sustainability
Created by Stanford
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7. Online Certificate on Carbon Reduction Strategy
Perhaps you want to implement a carbon reduction plan in your business operations? Get a strong foothold by educating your employees about the importance of this initiative, the impact of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel on the planet, and the international carbon regulations. All these topics will be covered in this online certification course by Sustainability Academy, a recognized training and coaching organization that is focused on providing courses to help businesses improve their sustainability and renewable practices. In this course, they will also discuss in detail the benefits of investing in energy efficiency and green buildings, as well as the sustainability and carbon reduction strategies your organization can take to mitigate the impacts of climate change and for your company to take climate action and develop carbon-neutral work methods. The content will be delivered in a series of modules, case studies, and videos to ensure high-impact learning.
Cost: $545.00 USD
Scope: Climate change, GHG emissions, international carbon regulations, sustainability and carbon reduction strategy, energy efficiency and green buildings
Created by Sustainability Academy
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8. Tackling Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable Future
From melting glaciers, global warming, and rising sea levels to increasing plastic waste and unsustainable energy systems, the world is currently facing numerous biodiversity and environmental challenges. This FutureLearn course, designed by the University of York, aims to raise awareness regarding these issues and provide sustainable solutions with the help of proper environmental research. Throughout the 4-week course, you’ll learn more about topics like global warming, glacier protection policies, ocean pollution, and aquaculture. In some of the lessons, you’ll also find different case studies that you can use as a reference for planning your own sustainable environment projects.
Cost: Free for 14 days
Scope: Global warming, glacier protection policies, ocean pollution, energy system for society
Created by FutureLearn
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9. Gender and the Sustainable Development Goals
Ending discrimination and promoting gender equality is also crucial for building a sustainable future. Deploy EdApp’s Gender and the Sustainable Development Goals training course to help your team understand the most pressing gender issues, the true concept of empowerment, and actions they can take to improve unequal power relations not only in their households but also in the workplace. It also goes through the United Nation's Twin Track approach to addressing gender gaps, marginalizations, and exclusions, ensuring that no one, regardless of gender, will be left behind. A Bangladesh Case Study is provided at the end of this course to illustrate the power of this initiative and how your organization can also use it to end injustices towards women.
This course contains a series of short modules combined with quick quizzes between lessons to improve knowledge retention. They are delivered through game formats, like number sentences, multiple-choice questions, true or false, and more.
Cost: Free
Scope: Gender issues, women empowerment, UNITAR's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), United Nation's Twin Track approach, Bangladesh case study
Created by EdApp
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10. Introduction to Microfinance
UNITAR, in partnership with AGFUND, published the Introduction to Microfinance course on EdApp to provide general knowledge on sustainable microfinance and how it can help marginalized communities overcome economic challenges and strive for fair trade. This course starts with a quick background on microfinance and its evolution throughout the years. It then discusses sustainable microfinancing solutions and technologies like mobile payment and e-wallets that businesses can put in place to help those in poverty get equal access to financial resources. The lessons are divided into 5 bite-sized chunks to help increase information retention. Learners also have the option of revisiting this course anytime they need to refresh their knowledge.
Cost: Free
Scope: The world of microfinance and its evolution, sustainable microfinancing solutions and technologies
Created by EdApp
Explore the courseEmbrace more sustainable business practices with sustainability training
Following the worsening state of climate change, economic inequality, and social injustice, the rapid prioritization of businesses to sustainability has been more crucial than ever. Remaining ignorant should never be an option, as it would only cause more harm in the future, jeopardize the stability of the global economy, and all in all, threaten the fate of everyone on this planet. While it’s already too late to reverse the adverse effects of these global issues, adopting sustainable practices will go a long way in saving the planet and cultivating a safer, healthier, and more livable world. As a business owner or leader, you can start by initiating sustainability training programs. Help your employees understand the concepts of sustainability and walk them through the right steps they can take to start acting more efficiently and more sustainably. Take advantage of any of the sustainability training courses we’ve listed above to foster a sustainable culture in your workplace.