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First Steps in Making the Business Case for Sustainability
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 15 hours
  • Course by University of Colorado System
  • Offered by

About

The Business School at the University of Colorado Denver wants to help you become a change agent for sustainable business. We hope that with the skills and concepts you gain from this specialization that you will help your business reduce its social and environmental impact. Being a change agent is hard. It takes courage and passion and knowledge. To implement change also requires being able to make the case for that change in terms that people in your company or organization respond to and understand. After completing the specialization, you will be able to: * Discuss the threats and opportunities that major global trends such as climate change present to businesses; * Identify ways a company can improve its environmental and social performance; * Evaluate and compare companies’ sustainability activities and products; * Develop a business case for implementing sustainability investments; * Identify key criteria of green businesses and product design; * Be a change agent in your organization; * Understand emerging topics in sustainable business, including those in the public policy space. We're very excited about offering this MOOC specialization and hope it gives you the first step toward learning about and taking action to make the places you work and the products you buy more sustainable. Sustainable business changes daily with new products, innovations and ideas, so you will be important in keeping the class current. We look forward to learning from you as you take this green journey! ______

Modules

Welcome

    • 5 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Quiz 1 - Getting Started

2 Discussions

  • Introductions and Goals for taking this MOOC
  • The Power of One

5 Videos

  • Lesson 1 - Welcome to Become a Sustainable Business Change Agent
  • Lesson 2 - Stories of Change
  • Lesson 3 - What to look for in a first project
  • Lesson 4 - Starting as a Change Agent: Jarrett Smith Interview
  • Lesson 5 - What does a good change proposal look like?

1 Readings

  • Get help and meet other learners in this course. Join your discussion forums!

First Sustainability Change Opportunities

    • 7 Videos
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Quiz 2 - Great First Change Opportunities

1 Peer Review

  • Creating a Baseline and Measuring Success

1 Discussions

  • Finding First Projects

7 Videos

  • Lesson 1 - Good First Projects: Energy Savings
  • Lesson 2 - Good first Projects - Behavioral Nudges
  • Lesson 3 - Good First Projects: Recycling
  • Lesson 4 - Good first projects: Reporting
  • Lesson 5 - B-Corps: Goals Besides Profits An Interview with Kara Peck
  • Jarrett Smith - Starting your change agent career
  • Graham Russell - Recycling as a first project

Financial Analysis for Sustainability

    • 4 Videos
    • 2 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Quiz 3 - Financial Analysis

1 Peer Review

  • Hydration Station Financial Analysis

1 Discussions

  • How can we include non-monetary benefits in our analysis?

4 Videos

  • Lesson 1 Financial Analysis - Time Value of Money
  • Lesson 2 - Present Value and Doing an NPV
  • Lesson 3 Net Present Value Practice Problem
  • Lesson 4: Computing Return on Investment and Payback

2 Readings

  • Hydration Station Case
  • Excel Resources (Optional)

Why should companies be sustainable? Why aren't they?

    • 4 Videos
    • 3 Readings
    • 2 Discussion
    • 1 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Quiz 4 - Why become sustainable and market failures

1 Peer Review

  • Externality Examples

2 Discussions

  • Do you agree with some of our sustainability benefits?
  • GDP: What in your life does GDP miss or mismeasure?

4 Videos

  • Lesson 1 - Why Become a Sustainable Company? Part 1
  • Lesson 2 - Why Become a Sustainable Company? Part 2
  • Lesson 3 - Market Failures Part 1 - Externalities
  • Lesson 4 - Market Failures Part 2 - Common Access Resources & Information

3 Readings

  • Week 4 Introduction (Start Here)
  • Resources on - Why Companies Should Go Green and Market Failures
  • Additional Readings and Resources

Sustainability Thinking

    • 8 Videos
    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 2 PeerReview
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Quiz 5 - Sustainability Thinking

2 Peer Review

  • Solar Water Heating and Systems Thinking
  • The Lay of the Land: The B-Lab Survey

1 Discussions

  • Context-Based Thinking and Social Impact

8 Videos

  • Sustainability Thinking Intro (Start Here)
  • Lesson 1 - Sustainability Thinking #1: Life Cycle Thinking
  • Lesson 2 - Sustainability Thinking #2: Circular Thinking
  • Lesson 3 - Sustainability Thinking #3: Long Term Thinking
  • Lesson 4 - Sustainability Thinking #4: Resilience
  • Lesson 5 - Sustainability Thinking #5: Systems Thinking
  • Sustainability Thinking #6: Context-Based Thinking
  • Assignment Intro: About the B-Lab Assessment - Oxana Trotsenko

1 Readings

  • Reading Resource for Sustainability Thinking (optional)

Auto Summary

Embark on a transformative journey with the University of Colorado Denver's Business School to become a sustainability change agent. This foundation-level course, offered by Coursera, equips you with essential skills to reduce social and environmental impacts in business. Over 900 minutes, you'll learn to address global trends like climate change, improve corporate sustainability, and develop compelling business cases for sustainability investments. Ideal for passionate individuals eager to drive sustainable practices in their organizations, subscribe today and lead the green revolution.

John Byrd
Instructor

John Byrd