Executing Sustainability Strategies
Sustainability is a strategic imperative and opportunity. This programme equips leaders to move beyond compliance and design sustainability strategies that create lasting value and meaningful impact.
Course key facts
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Date
27 Apr - 1 May 2026
16 - 20 November 2026
Duration
1 week
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Credits
Non credit bearing
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Format
In-person
Fee
£6,950
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Location
On Campus (South Ken)
Overview
The societal and environmental challenges in front of us are existential. Addressing them calls for a collective effort from all parts of society, including business. Sustainability is no longer an option; it is a requirement for every organisation on the planet to develop and execute sustainability strategies. At the same time there are significant opportunities to develop businesses or propositions and improve the lives of customers, colleagues and across society.
Being sustainable in strategy, practice and impact requires going beyond compliance. It involves designing and implementing business sustainability strategies that create positive and tangible impact and value for your entire ecosystem of stakeholders.
This calls for a holistic and integrated approach that drives value and sustained growth; growth that meets the needs of today as well as those of tomorrow.
To move from sustainability strategies to holistic and cost-effective actions plans, organisations need new processes underpinned by systems thinking, a reined organisational purpose, structural changes, and the systemic controls to align and inspire your team. This programme will provide the tools to protect your sustainability action plan from the perils and pitfalls that lie ahead. Some challenges are common to all strategic initiatives – others deeply specific to executing sustainability strategies.
The programme gives you the depth, time and space you need to refine and implement your sustainability strategy, with continuous, follow-through support and guidance from the Imperial College ecosystem of world experts in sustainability and leadership.
Learning journey
The execution of your strategy is planned with continuous support as you discover and apply new ideas and approaches. You start off with a self-paced programme preparation and then join your peers in London to work on the execution of your upgraded strategy plan. Once back to your organisation, you start the execution of your strategy, building on the action plans developed. During this phase, you continue to be supported with a live online touchpoint and have opportunities to measure the impact and initial results of the deployment of your strategic plan, share with and learn from the rest of the cohort.
Online, self-paced learning (a total of 3 learning hours) and one live virtual session (90 minutes) with faculty and peers.
You access the Executive Education programme app and begin to familiarise with your peers and programme learning material. This is where you start to validate your existing sustainability strategy as well as your own capabilities as a change leader for your organisation.
Executing Sustainability Strategies | Programme Outline
Dr Frank Brueck, Head of the Leadership Lab at the Leonardo Centre on Business for Society, outlines how the programme gives participants exposure to experts and mentors that will guide them through strategy design and implementation.
Course details
The Executing Sustainability Strategies programme will accelerate your capacity to validate, refine, and upgrade your strategy, and drive its successful implementation. It is designed for leaders who want to develop their ability to deliver an existing or preliminary sustainability strategy.
This programme is suitable for those who are either responsible for, or playing a key role in, implementing a sustainability strategy for their business including (but not limited to):
Senior leaders involved in overseeing the development and implementation of the organisation or business unit’s sustainability strategy, policies and initiatives. Leaders who engage with internal and external stakeholders, report on sustainability performance, and ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
Sustainability champions who provide expert advice and support on sustainability issues, conduct research and analysis, develop and implement sustainability projects and programmes, and communicate sustainability outcomes and impacts.
Innovators and change agents who use creativity and innovation to solve sustainability challenges, design and develop sustainable products, services, or solutions, educate and inspire others on sustainability topics, and drive change towards a more sustainable future, creating and communicating a compelling sustainability case for their organisation or sector.
Through a blended approach of on-campus, self-paced learning, mentoring and next-generation meditation techniques, you will develop a sustainable mindset, build the insights, tools and leadership capabilities to:
- Refine and upgrade your existing sustainability strategy and build the skills to articulate the business case for change.
- Identify and navigate the cultural and political challenges to systemic change within your organisation.
- Enact procedures and control mechanisms and engage the right internal and external stakeholders to execute your sustainability strategy.
- Champion systemic change and play a critical role in building the capabilities and the resilience to deliver your organisation’s sustainability strategy.
- Create an action plan to execute your sustainability strategy (including stakeholder consultation, internal validation and approval, execution)
- Lead the execution of your sustainability strategy and support your organisation in the transition phase towards more sustainable business.
Upon successful completion of this programme, you will receive a verified digital certificate of completion via email from Imperial Executive and Professional Education.
Note: You will earn the Associate Alumni status upon successful completion of the programme. Visit the Associate Alumni page to find out more.
Take your partnership with Imperial to the next level by becoming an Associate Alumnus. Complete one (1) of our on-campus, online, and virtual programmes to claim 'Associate Alumnus' status and join our active alumni community.
Some of the benefits of becoming an Associate Alumnus include:
- Access to the Imperial Alumni LinkedIn group
- Invites to relevant events and webinars
- 25% Discount on future learning for yourself and up to three your colleagues
If you are interested in finding out more, contact us today!
Participant share their experience
What participants say
It's a rare privilege to be able to sit down with fellow sustainability professionals and challenge yourself, ask questions and see what they would do in your position. Kate Wright Group Sustainability Director
Course instructors
Contact us
Hannah Hynd
Business Development Manager – Open Programmes
- Phone: +44 (0)20 7594 9536
- Email: h.hynd@imperial.ac.uk