Oxford Sustainable Business Programme

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From net zero to strategic growth: mastering business transformation
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Start date:

Duration:

  • 5 days

Time commitment:

  • Short programme

Location:

  • Oxford

Cost:

  • £8,500 plus accommodation (£1,200)

Delivered in partnership between Oxford Saïd and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

This unique cross-University programme leverages the research and experience of the Saïd Business School, the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and Oxford Net Zero to empower you to design and deliver effective strategies for your organisation. 

You will be immersed at the global epicentre of sustainable business education, steeped in 800 years of history and influence. 

In 2025 Oxford University was best in the world for the 9th consecutive year (THE), Saïd Business School won ‘Best School’ and ‘Best Academic Research’ in the Financial Times Responsible Business Education Awards, and the Smith School’s MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment was the most applied-to graduate programme per place across Oxford.

You will be taught by the world’s leading thinkers whose work underpins global concepts from business purpose to net zero itself, and who will guide you to develop a personalised action plan for your business.

The programme is built on three key pillars:

  1. Innovation and strategy: Actionable, world-leading insights on change management, risk, innovation and opportunities associated with sustainability for your company
  2. Science: Cutting-edge knowledge of core sustainability principles, including credible approaches to offsets and transition planning
  3. Standards and regulatory context: Executive-level understanding of the trends in expectations of companies and how you can lead in today’s uncertain context

About the programme

Decarbonisation is the biggest innovation opportunity of our time.

As businesses navigate increasing global uncertainty, including on both voluntary and regulatory sustainability mandates, those who continue to lead with a strong lens of risk-resilience and future-proofing will emerge as industry leaders.

A strategic approach to sustainability, grounded in a strong business case, is required for companies to succeed. In this programme, you will develop a personalised action plan and receive bespoke feedback and advice from the world’s foremost experts to take back to your organisation.

This executive-level programme provides comprehensive guidance on target-setting and robust planning for business sustainability. On completing the programme, you will be equipped with the practical frameworks to meet your goals and seize strategic growth opportunities.

  • Industry leadership

Learn how to proactively turn sustainability goals into strategic advantage

  • Towards innovation

Discover how sustainability can create value through new products, services and market opportunities

  • Towards a resilient future

Master core skills to build strong teams and work across silos to future-proof your business

Meeting the sustainability challenge in business

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Delivered in partnership with Oxford Smith School

Download video transcript

Our programme is here to support you every step of the way.

Benefits

To you

  • Gain cutting-edge expertise on business decarbonisation and net zero
  • Identify key opportunities for innovation and transformation in your business
  • Build a plan to work cross-functionally to solve implementation challenges
  • Build confidence that you can lead your business through large strategic transformations

To your business

  • Identify strategic priorities and allocate resources effectively
  • Navigate the complex landscape of net zero and decarbonisation at scale
  • Build compelling plans and communicate effectively to stakeholders
  • Action plan for your organisation to move from decarbonisation to business transformation

Programme outline

Prior to your arrival in Oxford, we will support you in setting a clear set of objectives and identifying key challenges you would like to address. These will form the basis of your personalised action plan as an outcome of the programme.

Day 1

  • Science: understand the science of climate change and nature and why they matter for business
  • Kick-off your action plan: map your current business’ constraints and enablers to drive change
  • Experiential simulation: navigating the challenges of business and nature. Experience real time collaboration strategies for protecting natural resources

Day 2

  • Standards and regulation: understand the landscape of net zero-related policy and regulation, based on Oxford research that comprehensively maps the voluntary governance landscape
  • Youth-led visions for climate action: two-way learning with young changemakers
  • Strategy and innovation: build your understanding of how to embed sustainability into your core strategy
  • Leading for sustainability: experiential learning session in an iconic Oxford venue

Day 3

  • Target-setting and decision making
  • Experiential session on delivering sustainable innovation in your organisation
  • Real time insights from past participants on delivering their personalised action plan
  • Building your action plan: delivering alignment between sustainability and strategy into your business

Day 4

  • Live question and answer session on navigating the trickiest aspects of net zero - offsets and scopes - from the lead author of the Oxford Offsetting Principles
  • Understand the role of technological innovation in driving sustainability transformations
  • Guidance on successfully delivering on corporate sustainability commitments
  • Workshop: stress testing your action plan

Day 5

  • Presentations: sharing and refining action plans
  • Evaluate your strategy: your net zero business or your business for a net zero world?
  • Beyond decarbonisation: what is coming next?

Class profile

  • Mid to senior-level leaders seeking to drive strategic initiatives with sustainability as a core business practice
  • Leaders and managers who can influence their businesses’ strategic decisions
  • Professional services providers seeking to equip their clients with cutting-edge advice  
  • Sustainability leads or consultants looking to position themselves as sustainability specialists
  • 10+ years of professional experience and 5+ years in leadership positions
     

Faculty

The programme has been convened by Mary Johnstone-Louis from Saïd Business School and Alexis McGivern and Sam Fankhauser from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE) and Oxford Net Zero (ONZ).

  • Anette Mikes - Associate Professor of Accounting, Saïd Business School
  • Cameron Hepburn - Battcock Professor of Environmental Economics, SSEE
  • Charlie Curtis - Associate Fellow and Entrepreneurship Expert, Saïd Business School
  • Marya Besharov - Professor of Organisations and Impact, Saïd Business School
  • Matt Amengual - Associate Professor in International Business, Saïd Business School
  • Mette Morsing - Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment
  • Pegram Harrison - Senior Fellow in Entrepreneurship, Saïd Business School
  • Ranjita Rajan – Chair, Oxford Global Partnership, SSEE and Senior Associate, Net Zero
  • Sugandha Srivastav - British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, SSEE 

Insights

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Debates, metrics and the competitive advantage of ESG

The subject of ESG garners significant attention from regulators, corporate leaders, investors and politicians.

In her latest Oxford Answers article, Mary Johnstone-Louis takes us beyond the rhetoric and argues that leaders who can integrate social and environmental impacts and dependencies into their strategy now, and build the governance required to scale the solutions that result, can go far beyond current debates about ESG to build the world’s next generation of strong, innovative and resilient companies.

Read the article

More world-class, cutting edge research from across Oxford University that influences the programme.

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