The program agenda is designed to be transformative. It integrates value-focused theory with pragmatic implementation. It is delivered through lectures, case studies, videos and extensive group work as well as presentations by and discussions with experienced industry leaders
Mon, Oct 21
Session 1: Introduction to ESG, Sustainability & Value
Learning Objectives
- Moving beyond mental barriers to innovative solutions (value-focused outside the box thinking)
- Understand the mindset necessary for Sustainability success.
- Understand the role of market forces in sustainability.
- Learn frameworks to facilitate searching for solutions beyond the boundaries
Key Topics
- Introductions: Creating a Supporting Learning Environment
- Icebreaker activities and introductions
- Fostering a sense of community & collaboration
- Why is more important than How or What
- Value optimization begins with Why.
- Focus on value and interests can open doors to innovation.
- Conceptual Approaches and Styles
- Brute Force
- Strategy & Innovation
- Ask smarter questions and develop better solutions.
- Learn to see boundaries that stifle innovation.
- Answers are only valuable one problem at a time.
- Thinking beyond boundaries generates smarter questions and more durable solution paths.
Recommendations
- Encourage sharing of personal motivations and stories
- Help students to understand the tendency to default to the How/What and to consciously move to Why & Value.
Session 2: Sustainability and Finance: Trends and Foundations
Learning Objectives
- Understand causes of growing importance of ESG and Sustainability in Finance
- Understand the trends and technology behind the changes.
- Understand the emergence of a practical and strategic alignment of finance, sustainability, corporate profitability, and value.
- Understanding key trends that are driving current and future importance of ESG.
Key Topics
- Key considerations of business finance?
- Stability, predictability, current and future value
- How did ESG and Sustainability become key finance issues?
- Role of technology
- Role of climate change
- Evolving consumer values and interests
- Tsunami of global warming issues
- Management reactions to evolving changes.
- Awareness of the changes didn’t permeate business, causing ghettoization and exclusion.
- Case-study Groupwork
Recommendations
- Understand trends that build momentum and drive change.
- Include sustainable finance in onboarding for sustainability managers and leaders.
Session 3: Real World Role Play Scenario
Learning Objectives
- Understand the practical realities of sustainability issues in the real world.
- Understand the challenge of dealing with powerful aggrieved stakeholders.
- Understand the perspectives of conflicting stakeholder/company interests.
- Understand the importance of integrating environmental stewardship and social value considerations across business operations.
Key Topics
- Community leadership and tradition
- Role of traditional and community leadership
- Dynamics of working with community and traditional leaders
- Youth
- Role, power and influence of youth and other stakeholders
- Role of contractors and business units in delivering on sustainability promise
- Need to educate and inform business units and contractors.
- Need to have sustainability KPIs for business units and contractors.
- Managing a difficult, dynamic situation
Recommendations
- Ensure business units, contractors, operators, and supply-chain partners are fully briefed on and accountable for ESG and sustainability performance
TUE, Oct 22
Session 4: ESG and the SDGs: Historical, Strategic and Reporting Frameworks
Learning Objectives
- Understand ESG, history and its growing importance and relevance for business and finance.
- Understand the SDGs and their growing importance and relevance for business and finance.
- Understand how to use them as a management and reporting framework.
- Understand how to use them to create and communicate value.
- Understand how to integrate them and use them pragmatically and strategically
Key Topics
- ESG:
- History and driving factors.
- Increasing role in corporate finance and growing importance to investors and other stakeholders
- What is an ESG Scorecard
- Mechanism to put an objective value on ESG performance to enable comparison across sectors and firms.
- Many different scorecards that are primarily relevant only in comparison with others using the same scorecard
- Complex and evolving – relevant for CFO, CEO, Investors, Fund Managers but much less so for operations.
- But ESG can be used as a management and reporting framework at operations level. But need to keep it pragmatic and relevant.
- When is it necessary to consider them and when can you ignore them?
- The SDGs
- Development framework for the planet
- Unanimously adopted by all United Nations member countries in 2015
- Can be made overly complex but can also be made pragmatic and useful.
- Integrating the SDGs and ESG
- Pragmatic integration framework can make them a valuable management and reporting tool at the project level.
- Key to effective use of ESG and SDG frameworks is to match the level of complexity to the demands of how you want to use them. Use them as a tool.
- ESG/SDG Impact Reports and Communications
- How to plan, develop and use.
- Groupwork Case study
Recommendations
- Encourage pragmatic understanding and use of ESG and SDG frameworks.
- Better top-down communication on WHY sustainability data and information is gathered at the corporate level.
- Encourage operations to use ESG and SDG frameworks in a pragmatic way for management, reporting and communications
Session 5: ESG, Sustainability and Finance Overview
Learning Objectives
- Understand the changes that the rise of ESG and sustainability have created in corporate finance.
- Understand the real drivers behind the growing importance of ESG and sustainability in finance.
- Understand the practical and strategic alignment of finance, sustainability, corporate profitability, and value.
- Be ready to build on this understanding
Key Topics
- What is business finance?
- Key principles of business finance
- What do carbon, climate and social issues have to do with business finance?
- Rapidly emerging global issues
- Affecting business and finance risk models
- Business valuation and market capitalization
- Book value
- Intangible value
- 180o degree flip
- Growth of ESG and Sustainable Capital Pools
- United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchange initiative
- The majority of global stock exchanges are involved.
- Driving change that affects the private sector.
- The Rise of ESG
- Business management issue
- Corporate Finance Issue
- Groupwork Case study
Recommendations
- Engage finance team members at work to learn more about their perspective on sustainability.
- Include sustainable finance in onboarding for sustainability managers and leaders.
Session 6: Fireside Chat: Corporate Finance, ESG & Sustainability (Investment Banking Executive/Fund Manager)
Learning Objectives
- Understand real-world examples of ESG and Sustainability issues, challenges, opportunities and requirements in the Banking and Finance Sector
Key Topics
- Sustainability in the Banking Sector – real world issues and situations
- Operational Issues
- Regulatory Issues
- Reporting Issues
- Sustainability in the Finance Sector – real world issues and situations
- Operational Issues
- Regulatory Issues
- Reporting Issues
- Other topics and subjects developed through the Q & A session
Recommendations
- Use network from this program to facilitate future cross-sectoral chats
Wed, Oct 23
Session 7: ESG & Sustainability: Value Creation Frameworks & Tools
Learning Objectives
- Understand ESG & sustainability as a key value creation tool for business today.
- Recognize the difference between value-creation and value-distribution.
- Understand that ESG and sustainability investment can be CapEx, OpEx or a blend of both.
- Understand stakeholder theory and value propositions.
- Understand how to undertake a 360-degree value proposition analysis.
- Understand how to develop and communicate value propositions
Key Topics
- Systematically understanding Stakeholders and Value
- What is a Stakeholder & the role of business vis a vis stakeholders?
- How do you determine your stakeholders
- How do you meet their needs without compromising your own
- Analyzing ESG and Sustainability Value
- Value Distribution
- Value Creation
- What is a Value Proposition
- A personalized, What is in it for Them reason to be engaged.
- The basis for developing metrics, monitoring, and reporting.
- Understanding how to recognize and develop value propositions.
- Internal value propositions
- Stakeholder value propositions
- Increasing value through win-win value proposition alignment
- Understand the WHY motivators.
- Look for synergy where 1+1=3
- How to do a Value Proposition Analysis
- Value Sustainability
- Sustainability can be.
- OpEx
- CapEx
- Blended
- ESG and Sustainability Value Frameworks
- Critical for understanding sustainability value across all dimensions and stakeholders.
- Groupwork Case study
Recommendations
- Encourage pragmatic understanding of ESG and Sustainability as Value
- Use ESG and sustainability value frameworks in communication to help ensure a value-centric, shared understanding of sustainability as a value driver
Session 8: ESG & Sustainability Metrics – Measuring what Matters.
Learning Objectives
- Understand various approaches to ESG and Sustainability metrics and measurement.
- Recognize the importance of developing metrics and management systems that provide relevant information.
- Engaging stakeholders in developing metrics and management systems.
- Relationship of metrics to value-propositions and stakeholder engagement
- Understand how to apply this learning to actual projects
Key Topics
- Measurement systems and frameworks
- Gross Domestic Product
- Social Progress Index
- Theory of Change
- Carbon Accounting
- Scope 1, 2 and 3
- Frameworks for understanding
- How to develop stakeholder value and impact metrics and use them to facilitate stakeholder relationships
- Understanding connection of value propositions to metrics and measurement
- Measuring what matters to key stakeholders (internal and external)
- Measurement process – importance of planning for data collection
- Practical Application – Groupwork Case Study
Recommendations
- Ensure a pragmatic ESG and Sustainability metrics and measurement plan is developed for all new projects.
- Review existing projects to assess ESG and Sustainability metrics and measurement plan.
- Use ESG and Sustainability metrics plan to facilitate stakeholder commitment and engagement over time
Session 9: Network Building Event: Desert Safari Adventure
Activity Objectives
- Networking and fun with other participants
- Facilitate stronger and longer lasting networks after the program is completed.
- Bring participants together for free-wheeling, open discussions, and explorations.
- HAVE A TON OF FUN
Key Topics
- Participants will engage with each other around topics of interest and passion. Some will undoubtedly be related to ESG and Sustainability and some won’t.
- Participants will collaborate more effectively because of the shared fun experience
Recommendations
- Always provide free space and time for engagement and exploration. It expands creativity and enhances effectiveness
THU, Oct 24
Session 10: Sustainable Finance & Global Trade: Dr. Samir Hamrouni, President, World Free Zones Organization (Guest Lecture)
Learning Objectives
- Understand the growing importance of ESG and Sustainability in Global Trade and Commerce
- Understand Free Zones and their impact on global trade.
- Understand why ESG and Sustainability is a key strategic issue for Free Zones and trade
Key Topics
- Hamrouni will discuss:
- The growing importance of ESG and Sustainability in Global Trade and Commerce
- Free Zones and their impact on global trade and commerce
- Why ESG and Sustainability are key strategic issues for Free Zones and Trade
- There will be a lengthy Q & A to conclude the session
Session 11: ESG & Sustainability Reporting and Communications
Learning Objectives
- Understand the growing importance of ESG Reports and Sustainability Reporting
- Develop a basic understanding of how to prepare an ESG/Sustainability Report
- Understand when ESG Scorecards need to be considered.
- Develop a cursory level of understanding of important ESG and Sustainability reporting standards and frameworks.
- Understand the difference between ESG & Sustainability Reporting and sustainability communications.
- Understand key points/strategies for ESG and sustainability communications
Key Topics
- What is Natural Capital
- Review natural capital on a macro scale.
- Review natural capital on a micro scale.
- Understand trends in global ESG and sustainability reporting.
- Awareness of leading sustainability reporting frameworks and Standards
- IFC Performance Standards
- Equator Principles
- ISO 26000
- CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project)
- TCFD (Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosure)
- GRI (Global Reporting Initiative)
- CSRD (EU CSR Reporting Directive)
- SDGs
- Sustainability Communications at Project/Field Level
- Frameworks (SDGs, CSR)
- Integrating the ESG/SDG frameworks
- Key touchpoints
- Simplicity and effectiveness strategies
- Developing an ESG Impact Report
- Understanding the value propositions behind the report
- Organizing the Report (sections, order, etc.)
- How to determine materiality
- What must be included?
- How to include SDG Impact
- How to set up a continuous improvement process for ESG Impact Reports
- Strategies and tactics to utilize an ESG Impact Report for communication value.
- Groupwork case studies
Recommendations
- Ensure pragmatic communication of all significant ESG sustainability projects reaches all relevant stakeholders, including internal.
- Always communicate on value and impact
- Always understand the corporate value proposition for creating an ESG Impact Report
Session 12: ESG & Sustainability Reporting and Communications (Continued)
Learning Objectives
- Understand the growing importance of ESG Reports and Sustainability Reporting
- Develop a basic understanding of how to prepare an ESG/Sustainability Report
- Understand when ESG Scorecards need to be considered.
- Develop a cursory level of understanding of important ESG and Sustainability reporting standards and frameworks.
- Understand the difference between ESG & Sustainability Reporting and sustainability communications.
- Understand key points/strategies for ESG and sustainability communications
Key Topics
- What is Natural Capital
- Review natural capital on a macro scale.
- Review natural capital on a micro scale.
- Understand trends in global ESG and sustainability reporting.
- Awareness of leading sustainability reporting frameworks and Standards
- IFC Performance Standards
- Equator Principles
- ISO 26000
- CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project)
- TCFD (Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosure)
- GRI (Global Reporting Initiative)
- CSRD (EU CSR Reporting Directive)
- SDGs
- Sustainability Communications at Project/Field Level
- Frameworks (SDGs, CSR)
- Integrating the ESG/SDG frameworks
- Key touchpoints
- Simplicity and effectiveness strategies
- Developing an ESG Impact Report
- Understanding the value propositions behind the report
- Organizing the Report (sections, order, etc.)
- How to determine materiality
- What must be included?
- How to include SDG Impact
- How to set up a continuous improvement process for ESG Impact Reports
- Strategies and tactics to utilize an ESG Impact Report for communication value.
- Groupwork case studies
Recommendations
- Ensure pragmatic communication of all significant ESG sustainability projects reaches all relevant stakeholders, including internal.
- Always communicate on value and impact
- Always understand the corporate value proposition for creating an ESG Impact Report
FRI, Oct 25
Session 13: Fireside Chat: ESG Considerations from Loan and Investment Funds: (Special Guest Speakers from Banking and Finance)
Learning Objectives
- Understand the importance of ESG and Sustainability for loan and investment funds.
- Understand how to meet ESG and Sustainability requirements for loan and investment funds
Key Topics
- Increasing importance of ESG and Sustainability for Loans and Investments.
- Why are ESG and Sustainability important criteria for assessing loan applications.
- Why are ESG and Sustainability important criteria for assessing investment proposals.
- Key considerations for meeting the ESG and Sustainability criteria for loans and investments.
- How to begin preparing to meet increasing importance of ESG and Sustainability criteria for loan and investment funds
Session 14: Review and Consolidation
Learning Objectives
- Review program learnings and topics.
- Consolidate and integrate learnings and insights from the week.
- Prepare to make use of the learning in your own professional environment
Key Topics
- ESG, Sustainability and Value
- Sustainable Finance: Trends and Foundations
- ESG & SDGs: Historical, Strategic and Reporting issues and frameworks
- ESG, Sustainability and Finance: Overview
- Corporate Finance, ESG and Sustainability
- ESG and Sustainability: Value Creation Frameworks and Tools
- ESG and Sustainability Metrics
- Importance of networks and ongoing engagement and learning
- Sustainable Finance and Free Trade Zones
- ESG and Sustainability Reporting
- ESG and Sustainability Communications
- ESG Considerations for Loan and Investment Fund Managers
Recommendations
- Continue taking a whole-systems, value-centric approach to ESG and Sustainability
- Build capacity in your teams.
- Democratize ESG and Sustainability across your business and organization
Session 15: Personal Go-Forward Commitments and Awarding of Certificates
