Corporate ESG and Sustainability - 101 Level Masterclass

The global investment and corporate community has realized that companies that do good in the world also do better in their business. Programs for corporate social responsibility (CSR) were all "nice to haves," but now investors, consumers, and employees are demanding that companies make positive ESG (environmental, social, and governance) impacts and the game has changed. Positively contributing to society and the environment is now a "must have." ESG frameworks have brought transparency, objectivity, and accountability to companies' environmental, social, and governance impacts. But, ESG frameworks are numerous and confusing. Reporting standards are varied and difficult to navigate. And, the ESG landscape is changing rapidly.

According to the Harvard Business Review, there is an "ESG Reckoning" taking place.  ESG is the No. 1 topic investors want to discuss with boards of directors. (PWC.) As of 2020, almost 90% of publicly traded companies and 67% of privately-owned companies had embarked on ESG initiatives. (NAVEX Global). Additionally, 88% of institutional investors believe that companies that prioritize ESG initiatives represent better opportunities for long-term returns than companies that do not. (Edelman)

Whether your company already has an ESG program or is thinking of developing one, this course will help you understand ESG, navigate the alphabet soup of the ESG world, and lead your company in establishing a high-impact ESG program.

Layli Miller-Muro has a 25-year career as a corporate lawyer with one of the top law firms in the world and as a human rights lawyer with one of the most influential non-profits in the United States. Named as one of Goldman Sachs's Top 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs, Newsweek Magazine's 150 Most Fearless Women in the World, and a winner of the Washington Post's Award for Management Excellence, Layli is an author and frequent lecturer. Currently, she is a consultant helping corporations with their social impact strategies. With both a legal and practical lens, she will demystify ESG and help you establish an effective ESG program.

What students say about the course:

• "This is one of the best courses on Udemy. The instructor is very knowledgeable, her presentation style is engaging, there are a lot of helpful downloadable resources, and the "expert interviews" by ESG leaders in companies like Hewlett-Packard, VISA, etc. are as real as it gets. They are the leading internal practitioners and they know what they are talking about. The course is worth getting just for those interviews. Very well done!"

• "The content was amazing and well articulated."

• "Wonderful course, well explained, well guided and summarized so beautifully. Very helpful for a beginner to understand and implement ESG."

• "Excellent course. A lot of sincere effort has been put in by the course instructor Layli and multiple perspectives offered to make it deep while being fair and balanced. The course takes a nuanced view of cultural complexities while implementing ESG programmes and the practical challenges, while emphasising on the positive direction in offers. Largely resting on some stellar interviews by Industry titans from different spheres of activity that gives an inside view of the past, present and future of ESG in organizations, interspersed with interesting lectures from Layli, this is truly a high value course offered at a very competitive price. Anyone interested in ESG should totally lap this up."

• "Thank you very much for creating this course. ESG is complex and rapidly changing, thanks to this training with multiple stories from working professionals and numerous resources it is enormously useful. Highly recommended for all types of professionals; employees, entrepreneurs, producers or consumers."

This course will enable you to:

1. Understand the history of ESG and what ESG means (including how it is different from CSR)

2. Realize its relevance to you and your company

3. Become an expert in the range of frameworks currently out there, as well as those that are pending and coming down the pipe

4. You will receive a road map for implementing an ESG strategy for your company - whether small or large. (With practical tools, handouts, and exercises to support you in your journey.)

5. Have a sense of what is coming next in the industry and keep up with ESG's fast-paced changes.

6. Through Zoom interviews, learn directly from experts from top executives of leading ESG in major corporations (e.g., HPE, Visa, Ben & Jerry's, Mastercard, Twitter, Yeti, etc.) to gain insights by those implementing ESG every day at the highest levels in their corporations.

Most importantly, this course will support you in ensuring that your company has a competitive edge in both making profit and making the world a better place!