Certified Sustainability Professional Certificate (CSP)

Our online sustainability training is a leading edge form of education that enables anyone around the world to learn about sustainability and “green” topics anytime – anywhere 24/7. People like you need information about sustainability to practice green living, remain current in the workplace, or meet the needs of your customers. Companies like yours need information about being sustainable to practice social responsibility, remain competitive, or meet the needs of global markets.

Are you a professional seeking to make yourself more competitive or trying to create a new career opportunity for yourself in today’s job market? Now you can conveniently get the training you need for yourself, your team, or your entire company–and you don’t have to blow your budget or change your schedule.

In Partnership with Green Supply Chain.org, the CSP certification program is designed to give our graduates a great balance of core sustainability topics to enable them to stand out individually or to step into a sustainability leadership role with confidence.
• Green Purchasing Fundamentals
• Sustainability 101 & Corporate Social Responsibility Es-sentials
• Carbon Strategies
• Sustainability Leader: Your First 180-days to Success
• Environmental Management System (EMS) & ISO 14001

Green Purchasing Fundamentals

Description: Organizational purchasing has evolved tremendously over the last decade shifting from an administrative function to a strategic role. The changing dynamics of the global economy altered the skills of procurement professionals amplifying the importance of conditions such as quality, cost, and delivery. Now, the next step in professional evolution is upon us and the functions of on-time delivery and the lowest price are no longer sufficient. Organizational purchasing is in a strategic position to influence the sustainability and carbon footprint of an organization through multiple channels. What are world class purchasing departments doing to help their organizations become more sustainable? Green Purchasing Fundamentals introduces foundational concepts that align with systems, policies, and procedures that support green purchasing practices and organization sustainability.

Key Topics: Introduction to Sustainability & Green Purchasing
• Sustainable Development
• Introductory Concepts
• The Business Drivers for Green Purchasing Practices
• Procurement’s Impact to Sustainability Strategies

Design for Environment (DfE)
• Life Cycle Assessment – LCA
• Cradle-to-Grave & Cradle-to-Cradle analysis
• Six Decisions Required for an LCA
• Limitations of LCA
• Application of Design for Environment

Green Labeling
• Federal Trade Commission Actions
• ISO 14020 Series – Environmental Labeling
• Green Washing

Green Product Standards
• Green Product Standards – Principles
• Understanding Third Party Programs

Environmentally Preferred Purchasing – EPP
• EPP & Government Purchasing
• The Green Supply Network
• International Green Purchasing Programs

Supplier Relationship Management & Sustainability
• Environmental Business Partnerships
• The International Chamber of Commerce
• World Commission on Environment & Development 16 Principles
• Global Environmental Management Institute (GEMI) 4-Level Typology of Strategies for Suppliers
• Supplier Environmental Stratification

Green Purchasing Program Development
• Green Purchasing Policy
• Total Cost of Ownership & Green Purchasing
• Spend Analysis and Sustainable Action Planning
• The Global Supply Chain & Green Practices

Sustainability 101 & Corporate Social Responsibility Essen-tials
Description: Sustainability has been described as “Meeting our needs while not compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs” (Brundtland Commission) or “Not cheating our children” (former United Kingdom Environment Minister John Gummer). Sustainability resides within three foundational pillars of society: economic, social, and environment. Environmental sustainability and CSR are agenda items in boardrooms around the world not only as corporate stewardship discussion points, but as a strategic imperative and requirement so be successful. Leading organizations are taking a proactive position on transparency in reporting, auditing supply chain partnerships, innovating through community partnerships, and reacting to consumer demands. Our Sustainability 101 & CSR Essentials course establishes a common framework for employees at various levels and roles of the organization, while bringing together a global set of lenses to look through. It’s easy for people in organizations to move in the same direction when everyone understands the same need and information. This course is essential for everyone in the organization.

Key Topics: Introduction to Sustainability
• Sustainable Development
• Introductory Concepts

The Business Case for Sustainability
• Strengthening Brand Position & Brand Equity
• The Green Multiplier
• Lean & Green – Reducing Waste & Clean Business

Organizational Roles & Functional Influences
• Executive Influences
• Functional Group Interdependencies
• Human Resources and Our Role

Corporate Social Responsibility
• Transparency in Reporting
• Consumer Expectations
• Regulatory Considerations

Sustainability in Major Business Sectors
• Trends in Retail, Consumer Products, Automotive, Banking, Food & Beve-rage, Hospitality, Medical and Electronics

US Green Building Council & Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED)
• Functions of the USGBC
• The LEED Rating System
• Building Trends
• Facility Strategies

Introduction to Environmental Science
• Introductory Concepts of Environmental Studies
• Cycles of the Environment
• Energy Sources
• Global Environmental Issues

Carbon Strategies
Description: This course provides an overview of the World Resources Institute (WRI) Green-house Gas Protocol Initiative and describes various components of a climate-related strategy. It will summarize the critical steps for the firm to develop a successful carbon strategy across its boundaries, which includes assessing emissions and exposure to climate related risks, evaluating action options, setting goals and targets, developing financial mechanisms, engaging the organization, formulating policy strategy, and managing external relationships. Key Topics: Introduction to the WRI Greenhouse Gas Protocol Developing a Climate Strategy
• Assessing Emissions
• Evaluating Options
• Setting Goals & Targets

Inside the Organization – Key Elements to a Successful Strategy
• Instrument/Methodology Approach to Supporting GHG Reductions
• Pros & Cons of Carbon Trading
• Setting Business Goals, Setting Operational Boundaries, and Engaging the Entire Organization

Tracking Emissions & Reporting – Tools & Best Practices Every Organization Should Know About
• Case Studies of Organizations Undertaking GHG – Carbon Foot Printing Projects

The Supply Chain’s Carbon Foot Print
• What are the Greatest Opportunities for Improvement
• How to Examine the Elements of the Supply Chain: Transportation/Logistics, Warehousing, Manufacturing, Supplier Inputs
• A Manager’s Guide that Every Leader Needs

Developing a Carbon Policy Strategy
• Essential Organizational Linkages
• Implementing and Managing the Policy

Sustainability Leader: Your First 180 Days to Success

Description
The newly created role of sustainability leader in organizations has been evolving rapidly and the individuals charged with leading this function for companies, whether new to sustainability or to the company, or experienced within the sustainable business sector, must quickly define their roles and responsibilities, establish priorities for the organization, and build functional relationships across departments. This course examines the scope and challenges involved with the transition and offer a roadmap for success for newly created positions or maturing one.

Key Topics:

How The Role of the Sustainability Leader is Evolving
• Developing Strategies Based Upon Your Prior Professional Experience and Organizational Knowledge
• The Environmental Careerist: Extensive functional knowledge and company exposure, but lacking knowledge of cross-functional and executive-level strategic issues.
• The Company Outsider: In depth sustainability leadership experience, but limited company and/or industry knowledge.
• The Sustainability Newcomer: Strong understanding of the company’s stra-tegic issues and developed peer network, but limited sustainability specific knowledge.

Developing the 180-day Roadmap to Success
• Clarifying responsibilities and expectations
• Prioritizing Sustainable Development Initiatives
• Developing Key Internal Relationships

Prioritizing Transition Tasks & Projects

Developing Key Internal Relationships

Environmental Management System (EMS) & ISO 14001

EMSs help organizations systematically identify and manage their regulated as well as unregulated environmental impacts. Over 129,000 organizations worldwide have registered their conformance to ISO 14001, but many more facilities have realized the benefits of implementing an EMS without taking the formal step of registering their company.
Organizations that have implemented EMSs find that it has helped to:
improve their environmental regulatory compliance;
resolve and prioritize organizational issues;
improve efficiency, reduce environmental costs and liability;
increase environmental awareness, involvement, and competency throughout the organization;
increase top management’s participation and involvement in environmental management; and
improve communication both inside; and outside the organization.

This course covers the following instructional areas:
Environmental Orientation

Sustainable Development

Environmental Management & the Stakeholders

Systems of Legal Regulation, Environmental Norms & Standards

Deployment and Operation of a Business-Wide EMS

Integrating the Business Strategy

Strategic Environmental Management

Performance-based ISO 14001 Case Studies

Corporate Environmental Management Concepts & Tool

Click here to register to become a Certified Sustainability Professional (CSP)