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Environmental and Sustainability Standards

This course explains the different and most relevant sustainability standards—such as GRI, CDP, SASB, ISO, B-Corp, and others—as well as the differences between process and performance standards.

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Course Info

  • Duration 7 video lessons (61 Mins)
  • Published Published
    2021
  • 4.22
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Browse Course Chapters

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    1.
    Introduction
    Chapter Duration 2 mins
  • Chapter Locked
    2.
    The World's Major Standard Boards
    Chapter Duration 14 mins
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    3.
    Global Reporting Initiative Standards
    Chapter Duration 8 mins
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    4.
    SASB Standards
    Chapter Duration 11 mins
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    5.
    B-Corp Certification
    Chapter Duration 8 mins
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    6.
    Process Standards Versus Performance Standards
    Chapter Duration 12 mins
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    7.
    Standards And Certifications - Which To Adopt?
    Chapter Duration 3 mins

What You Will Learn

  • Gain a concrete understanding of the importance of sustainability and environmental standardization of norms.
  • Gain familiarity with the major standards boards and certifications.
  • An understanding of the standards frameworks as they apply to an organization.
  • Gain deep understanding of the differences of process versus performance standards.
  • General knowledge of standards for various industries.

Course Description

As the push for sustainability in all levels of business, government, and life continues to increase, the need for sustainability standards is greater than ever. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a great, but very ambitious, plan, and many organizations are not familiar with the integration of the SDGs in their business and non-business operations. The standards reviewed in this course will help navigate, interpret, and integrate the SDGs, making them a part of any organization’s DNA.

This course explains the most relevant sustainability standards—such as GRI, CDP, SASB, ISO, B-Corp, and others—as well as the differences between process and performance standards. The course analyzes these environmental standards and certifications as a major tool for the sustainability of global production and trade as well as a tool for the private sector to demonstrate sustainability leadership. While it is essential to assess the legitimacy and performance of different initiatives, private- and public-sector buyers—as well as NGOs and civil society groups committed to sustainable production—need clarity on which standards and ecolabels are delivering real social, environmental, and economic results.

By the end of this course, the student will gain the necessary knowledge and understanding of the most relevant sustainability standards and how to integrate and apply them into their organizations.

Learn these skills

  • Environmental Planning
  • Law and Policy
  • LEED
  • Regulations
  • Sustainability

AICP CM

This course is approved for 1 AICP CM Credit.

Meet Your Instructor

Carlos Zapata

Carlos Zapata

Carlos Zapata is a Sustainability and ESG professional who is a graduate of Yale's MBA in Sustainability.

Meet Instructor

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"This was an excellent course. I am in the sustainability field, but I was not familiar with all of the definitions for the alphabet soup I was seeing in the corporate world. This course gave me the language to translate my current experience into business language."
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