Introduction to Sustainable Development in Business - 2019

The aim of this module is to introduce you to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and discuss issues related to sustainable development in business.

• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Challenges, Complexities and Inter-relationship;
• Corporate Sustainable Strategy;
• Sustainable Balanced Scorecard;
• Policies on Sustainable Balanced Scorecard;
• Economic Growth;
• Trade as an Engine of Growth;
• Sustainable Development: Striking a Balance between Sustainability and Economic Growth; 
• Sustainable Trade and Sustainable Trade Opportunities;
• Sustainable Production and Consumption: Fundamentals and Trends;
• Sustainable infrastructure, Sustainable Tourism and Sustainable Waste Management;
• Industrial Symbiosis.

Professionals in the field of sustainability, NGOs, University students.

Background/pre-requisite: This course does not require any prior exposure to sustainable development or business.

Desirable: Awareness of environmental issues and implications for trade, consumption and production.

Expected time investment: There are 4 units in this MOOC, with several topics under each unit. A learner is encouraged to complete a unit per week. The total duration of the module is four (4) weeks.

Mentoring: A tutor /facilitator will be providing support to students.

On completion of this course, a learner should be able to:

• Analyse the interrelationships between the SDGs.
• Discuss the complexities and challenges of achieving the SDGs.
• Explain the issues relating to the development of a sustainable corporate strategy.
• Identify the four different perspectives pertaining to the traditional Balanced Scorecard.
• Discuss the issues which are integrated in the sustainable balanced scored.
• Define a sustainable business model.
• Explain the concepts of economic growth, sustainable development and sustainable trade.
• Discuss about the case for sustainable trade and its drivers.
• Identify opportunities related to sustainable trade in different sectors such as agriculture and tourism.
• Apply the concepts of sustainable production and consumption.
• Apply sustainability to different business areas including infrastructure, waste management and tourism.
• Explain the concept of industrial symbiosis.

Issued by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and Open University of Mauritius