Professional Skills
Sustainability at work: how to go green
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Sustainability at work aims to introduce the broad aspects of sustainability encompassed by UK government policy. As you work through the materials you will consider the environmental, social and financial aspects of sustainability and how they relate to the operations of your organisation.
The course also aims to enable you to analyse the actions of your own organisation in the context of sustainability factors and produce a structured analysis that will identify the factors most important to the organisation and then develop measures to monitor and improve performance.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | GT048 |
| Credit points | This is a non-credit bearing course. |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
What you will study
Whether you are a general manager, an accountant or a financial manager, you will be able to use the ideas and approaches here to identify the key sustainability issues for your organisation’s products or services – and develop action plans to address these in the overall context of your mainstream activities.
At the core of the course is the sustainability decision making model which has been developed by the Accounting for Sustainability project. The model can be used, or adapted for use, by a broad range of organisations, including manufacturers, retailers and service providers.
The course is presented through five main sections.
Section 1 Where are we going and how do we get there? introduces the key sustainability concepts. You will determine your own viewpoint on what sustainable development means, and learn about how the concept shapes government policy. You will also consider the extent to which your organisation has incorporated sustainability principles.
Section 2 Phase 1 Sustainability decision making: An overview introduces the model and explains how this will be used in the work-based activity.
Sections 3, 4 and 5 take you through the different stages of the model. You will use activities to research aspects of sustainability in your workplace and how they link with wider issues and beyond. You will use the model to develop action plans to improve the sustainability of the organisation’s activities in ways that make business sense. For each of these sections you will need to spend time researching information about your organisation, its products and services, and its suppliers and customers so that it can be plugged into the model. Finally, there is time at the end to review your learning and consider how to move forward with the sustainability agenda.
You will learn
After studying this course you should be able to:
- identify those areas of sustainability most relevant to your organisation
- conduct a review of stakeholder interests and identify those of greatest relevance with regard to sustainability
- conduct an analysis of your organisation’s activities to identify those areas with greatest impact in terms of environmental, social and financial impact
- rank sustainability factors using a consistent methodology and identify key sustainability performance indicators relevant to your organisation
- propose a strategy for improvement in performance against the chosen indicators and recommend a reporting structure to monitor future performance improvement.
The strong link between course learning and your work practice creates relevant, enduring and transferable outcomes. The course will take 30 hours to study and includes Web text, interviews, self assessment questions and activities. The course contains a series of bite-size chunks each devoted to both technical and managerial topics. Register online today and start tomorrow – no need to wait!
The course features the distinctive strengths of The Open University from its years of expertise in work-based learning:
- The convenience of accessing its clearly presented and sequenced materials, activities and support whenever suits you and wherever you have access to the dedicated website – if you prefer, you can print key materials to work on them offline.
- The support of an expert learning adviser who can clarify study materials, answer questions and help you relate the course to your specific needs.
- A work-based activity helping you to connect the course to your individual and organisational context and needs. This is built up from short activities during the course. At the end of the course you send this to the learning adviser, who provides personal feedback.
- Certification of completion from the OU for those who complete the course. You can use this to demonstrate your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity to your employer and/or professional body. (NB The course does not carry academic credit points.)
Entry
Although there are no formal academic requirements to study any of our CPD courses, you are expected to have some experience in the field and the course assumes a familiarity with the subject.
For each course you can register and begin at any time during the life of the course. You can study at your own pace and submit your work-based activity at any date before the final submission date for the course. Information about the final submission date is available when you register for the course.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The study materials are delivered online. Learners who use screen readers or who cannot use a mouse will not be able to access some materials or some activities without assistance. Written transcripts of the audio interviews are available on the website. If you are a new learner with the OU, make sure that you have our publication Meeting Your Needs.
Study materials
What's included
All learning materials, exercises, study support and work-based activity are delivered entirely online.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Learner support
Expert, confidential learner support is available when you need it from a learning adviser, who will respond to you direct within 24 hours. Other support is available via the GT048 forum, library, StudentHome website and computing helpdesk.
Work-based activity
The work-based activity for this course is a written report and has been designed as an integrated ongoing activity which you submit at the end of your study. It will allow you to reflect on your learning and how to use it in your professional work.
Professional recognition
Successful completion of the course enables us to recognise your achievement of the course learning by issuing an OU certificate that you can use to document your commitment to continuing professional development in your personal portfolio, or to provide evidence to employers or professional body.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | GT048 |
| Credit points | This is a non-credit bearing course. |
Study explained
- Special fee arrangements
- - the OU has relationships with many professional bodies, and as part of those relationships members may be entitled to special fee arrangements.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
Your questions
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Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35
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