Leading Sustainability: What Directors Need to Know and How to Do It

This Course is Now Fully Booked

Please note this course is now booked out. However, a cancellation list is now in operation. If you wish to be put on the cancellation list, please contact the IoD Training Team on training@iodireland.ie or phone +353 1 411 0010.

Overview

Book your place on our highly rated ESG course titled, ‘Leading Sustainability: What Directors Need to Know and How to Do It’. 94% of past participants noted that they enjoyed the Course.  

The Course will be led by Professor Simon Haslam, Chartered Director, and includes four in-depth sessions. The guest speakers will share their expertise and insights on the following sessions.  These will include:

• The Governance Agenda - Éamon O’Cuiv, Partner, McCann FitzGerald LLP.
• The Net Zero Agenda - Sharon Vize FCIPD, Group HR Director, Cpl.
• The Wider Environment Agenda - Professor Fiona Charnley, University of Exeter Business School, Co-Director of the Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy.
• The Social Agenda - Chris MM Gordon, CEO, Irish Social Enterprise Network.

The four sessions are designed to equip directors with the knowledge and skills to strengthen their organisations’ orientation towards sustainability.  It is based on a director’s sustainability checklist and will provide a practical approach to this critically important issue, with a focus on immediate takeaways, and it will include an opportunity to apply learnings to the participant’s own organisation.  

What Will I Gain from Attending this Online Course?

• An understanding of what sustainability means for your organisation in the context of the duties of a director and growing ESG requirements.
• An understanding of carbon footprint.  How to determine scopes 1, 2 and 3 for your organisation and how to move toward carbon neutral and beyond.
• An insight into the broader environmental agenda, materiality, the circular economy and the issues and opportunities regarding environmental challenges.
• An understanding of the gravity and scope of social responsibilities and how to orientate your organisation to strengthen responsibility to stakeholders.

This course will take you on a sustainability journey to change the way you operate and live to be part of the solution, to deliver prosperity that includes everyone, and to grasp the opportunity we have right now to lead sustainable organisations.

Please note: Booking for this course is paid for as a whole and it is not possible to book individual sessions. Please see the Booking and CPD  tab for more info.

What People Say About This Course

“This programme provided clear guidelines on the expectations and requirements of our business going forward and has enabled us to develop a framework policy centrally that we can now roll out to our individual business units. Thank you".
Charlie Sheil, Windward Management

"This course was very interesting and thought provoking throughout. It was very good at highlighting the significant opportunities emerging from the Global Sustainability Challenges for Businesses".
Enda Devine, IPB Insurance

“A very useful ESG course, great input from Sheila, Simon and all the team in IoD. Look forward to the next course with IoD Ireland".
IoD Course Attendee

“Excellent overview course. A lot of material covered. Great guest speakers”.
Eileen Lee, PM Group

“Great introductory course for Board Directors on what sustainability is and how to get started”.
Stanley Buckley, FSW Coatings Ltd

The four morning sessions of the online course will take place over four different dates from 9:00am to 12:30pm. The session topics, and dates, are:

1. The Governance Agenda: The Board’s Role and Actions, being held on Monday, 13th March 2023, from 9:00am to 12:30pm. This module will include a presentation by guest speaker Éamon O’Cuiv, Partner, McCann FitzGerald LLP, who will outline the legislative framework that directors need to understand and comply with.
2. The Net Zero Agenda: The Board’s Role and Actions, being held on Monday, 3rd April 2023, from 9:00am to 12:30pm. This module will include a presentation by guest speaker Sharon Vize FCIPD, Group HR Director, Cpl, who will outline the work CPL are doing on the Net Zero Agenda
3. The Wider Environment Agenda: The Board’s Role and Actions, being held on Monday, 24th April 2023, from 9:00am to 12:30pm. This module will include a presentation by guest speaker Professor Fiona Charnley, University of Exeter Business School, Co-Director of the Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy, and Co-Director of the UKRI National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Hub. Fiona ‘s area of expertise is the Circular Economy.
4. The Social Agenda: The Board’s Role and Actions, being held on Tuesday, 16th May 2023, from 9:00am to 12:30pm. This module will include a presentation by Chris MM Gordon, CEO, Irish Social Enterprise Network (Socent.ie), Managing Partner of Collaboration Ireland and an Adjunct Teaching Fellow of Trinity Business School. Chris also volunteers as Chair of Far and Wild social enterprise and is President of the Irish US Alumni Association. Chris will discuss the concept of 'Social Value' and his insight into measuring and reporting in this area.

Session One – The Governance Agenda:  The Board’s Role and Actions

The first session explores the growing importance of sustainability in the context of directors’ duties and the board’s role.  It provides insight into 17 elements of the sustainability agenda, the growth of movements such as ESG, and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and how these provide the foundation for a viable strategy. This will include:

• What we mean by sustainability and why it’s important.
• Frameworks for sustainability (including the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), ESG and GRI).
• Developing board/director capability around the sustainability agenda
• Actions for the organisation to take.

Session Two - The Net Zero Agenda: The Board’s Role and Actions

The second session focuses on the Net Zero perspective for boards.  It outlines what carbon foot printing is, how to do it, and how to create a strategy to become more carbon neutral in the future.

• What carbon footprint means and the concept of Net Zero.
• The three components of carbon footprint.
• Calculating your carbon footprint using Scopes 1,2,3.
•  Actions for the organisation to take to move toward Net Zero.

Session Three - The Wider Environment Agenda: The Board’s Role

The third session focuses on the wider environmental perspective for boards. It looks at the implication of concepts such as materiality.  It investigates the circular economy and opportunities around re-designing business models. It will include: 

• Materiality and the environmental agenda beyond carbon footprint.
• The circular economy, concept and emerging practice.
• Commercial and business model opportunities for organisations.
• Actions that leaders can take to harness the environment agenda.

Session Four - The Social Agenda: The Board’s Role

The fourth session looks at the board’s role as it relates to the social agenda.  It covers stakeholder ramifications, where to focus and how to generate buy-in. This will include:

• Sustainability defined from a people/stakeholder perspective.
• Assessing your business’s impact: stakeholder mapping.
• How to strengthen social responsibility, where to start and where to go next.
• Actions that leaders can take to develop their corporate/global citizenship.

Professor Simon Haslam CDir is the Director and co-owner of a strategy research and consulting firm, FMR Research Ltd, and of the Consulting Mastered online platform. 

Simon Haslam is a Chartered Director (CDir) and the course leader on the strategy aspect of the Chartered Director Programme for IoD Ireland. Simon is also the Programme Lead for Strategy at the Institute of Directors UK.  In addition, he is the Non-executive Chairman of a transport business. Simon has worked in the consulting sector in Ireland for twenty years. His firm has clients across the private, public and third sectors from SMEs to global brands.

Simon has an MBA from Durham University Business School and a PhD from Strathclyde Business School. He is a visiting Professor at Durham where he leads the Strategic Management module of its Global MBA programme. His book, Strategic Decision Making: A Discovery-Led Approach to Critical Choices in Turbulent Times, co-written with Dr Ben Shenoy, was published by Kogan Page in 2018.

Online Course Cost
This online course is booked as a whole, and the individual sessions cannot be booked separately. The below costs cover the participation of attending the four sessions in the series.

• IoD members -  €1,500 ex VAT
• Non-members - €1,950 ex VAT

Cancellation and Refund Policy
Places can only be confirmed on receipt of full payment. Cancellations and a full refund will be accepted if received in writing to training@iodireland.ie by Tuesday, 7th March, 2023.  After that date, no refund will be possible, and all fees will be forfeited in the event of a cancellation or non-attendance.  Please note this is a virtual but live and interactive series requiring attendance online at each session. Recordings will not be available as part of post-session materials.

Group Bookings
If you would like to make a group booking, please contact the IoD Training Team on training@iodireland.ie or phone +353 1 411 0010.

CPD
This IoD online course may be eligible for CPD, including Chartered Director CPD. Please check with your relevant professional body.

How to Join this Online Course tab

• Please note you will need an active microphone and camera to be able to interact in the sessions.
• To attend this online course, please book and pay via the ‘Book Now’ button.

Accessing the Link to Join the Online Course

• When you register to attend, you will receive a confirmation email to confirm your booking. 
• All registered attendees will receive a joining instruction email closer to the date of each session in the online course. This email will contain your registration link to access the session. Please click on the link in this email and confirm your details, you will then receive the direct link to join the session.  

Workshop Platform Information: Zoom

• This Workshop will take place via the online platform Zoom. Please download Zoom to your system before the workshop to ensure you can view the webinar.
• We would ask all registered attendees to do a test of the Zoom platform in advance to ensure it works for them. To do this, please click on the following Zoom Test page. If you need any further support, please visit the Zoom support page for more information.
• Please note, before you join the workshop Zoom will prompt you for your email address before you can join, this is a required feature of the Zoom platform. For more information on this, please view: Zoom Video Communications GDPR Compliance.

Contact Information
For all queries relating to the IoD Training Programme, please contact training@iodireland.ie or phone +353 1 411 0010.