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.

Together we have created an innovative programme that combines the University’s research in sustainability, business and policy, and leverages world-leading research by Oxford Net Zero. This executive-level programme will ensure a relevant and expert learning experience, empowering business leaders and policy makers to take action.

About the programme

Decarbonisation is the biggest innovation opportunity of our time.

With 66% of the world’s largest companies committed to net zero targets, businesses urgently need the innovation to deliver on these commitments. Currently, only 4% of these commitments are meeting key criteria. A strategic approach, grounded in a strong business case, is required for companies to succeed. 

This executive-level programme provides comprehensive guidance on target-setting and robust planning for business sustainability. On completing the programme, you will be are equipped with the practical frameworks to not only meet net zero goals, but also seize strategic growth opportunities along the way.

  • Beyond compliance

    Learn how to proactively turn sustainability goals and regulatory expectations of businesses into strategic advantage

  • Towards innovation

    Discover how sustainability can fuel 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

As emergent governance and regulations intensify scrutiny on the quality of targets and delivery pathways, businesses must be fully equipped with the tools and knowledge to navigate this landscape effectively.

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

The programme is designed with three unique pillars:

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

This programme includes the development of an action plan to enable you to take your learning back to your organisation. 

We welcome individual participants on this programme. In addition, companies are encouraged to send between one and three participants from different teams to enable cross-functional collaboration for true business transformation. This will be reflected in group participants’ learning designs.

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
  • 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, standards, regulation, strategy, innovation

  • Science: understand the science of climate change and nature and why they matter for business
  • Standards and regulation: understand the landscape of net zero-related policy and regulation, based on Oxford research that comprehensively maps the voluntary governance landscape (including, for example, Science-Based Target Initiative, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, International Sustainability Standards Board, Carbon Disclosure Project). Includes a deep dive on existing and upcoming regulation of net zero across the G20
  • Strategy and innovation: develop your personalised action plan to embed sustainability into your business strategy
  • Dinner lecture with Myles Allen, Head of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, University of Oxford, who coined the term ‘net zero’

Day 2 - From sustainability to business transformation

  • Delivering sustainable business models: a global view based on research of governance challenges in global supply chains
  • Building your action plan: focused session on delivering sustainable innovation in your organisation, with an emphasis on mapping your current business’ constraints and enablers to drive internal corporate change
  • Leading for sustainability: experiential learning session in an iconic Oxford venue
  • Youth-led visions for climate action: two-way learning with young changemakers

Day 3 - Change management: alignment and collaboration

  • Building alignment for effective implementation and identifying sources of misalignment across teams
  • Building your action plan: delivering alignment between sustainability and strategy into your business
  • Experiential simulation: navigating the challenges of business and nature. Experience real time collaboration strategies for protecting natural resources
  • Dinner lecture with Cameron Hepburn, a leading environmental economist, on trends in energy transition

Day 4 - Tools and instruments

  • Building a transition plan for your business, led by the co-secretariat of the UK Transition Plan Taskforce
  • Panel: Oxford researchers will each give a ‘flash talk’ followed by facilitated discussions on each of the three programme pillars: science, standards and regulation, and strategy and innovation
  • Live question and answer session on navigating the trickiest aspects of net zero - offsets and scope - from the lead author of the Oxford Offsetting Principles
  • Workshop: stress testing your action plan

Day 5 - Beyond net zero: Leading for the future

  • 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 Sam Fankhauser and Alexis McGivern from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (SSEE).

  • 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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