*
*
8 weeks
8-10 hours a week
English
Online
$2,900 USD
6.4
*
*
8 weeks
8-10 hours a week
English
Online
$2,900 USD
6.4
*
Sustainability as an integrated component of the business world
To fully understand the implications of sustainability, one must first acknowledge the crucial point in history that we are living in today.
As human activity catalyzes environmental destruction—wreaking havoc on our planet, our health, and our lives—the call to correct our course applies to us all. Not only do our actions have environmental consequences, but industries and societies across the globe will also feel the effects of the climate crisis.
The time to act is upon us, and increased focus on sustainability provides businesses with significant benefits, from reductions in waste and costs to additional opportunities for investment as consumer behavior evolves.
17%
In 2017, renewable energy represented only 17% of total energy consumption.
Source: United Nations
4.2 million
Air pollution caused 4.2 million premature deaths in 2016.
Source: United Nations
84%
84% of consumers say they try to shop at companies that support causes they care about.
Source: World Economic Forum
An online program to acquire the necessary tools to address sustainability challenges
MIT Professional Education’s online program Sustainability: Strategies and Opportunities for Industry seeks to prepare professionals from various industries with the skills and expertise needed to improve sustainability in their current business operations. As a participant, you will also discover the necessary sustainability tools to convert the knowledge acquired from this program into real, actionable strategies in your own organization.
The skills you will develop
1.
IDENTIFYING THE CAUSES AND CATALYSTS
of environmental decline that have led to the increased need for global sustainability.
2.
UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABILITY,
as well as its current implications across all industries.
3.
EFFECTIVELY ASSIMILATING INFORMATION
from a variety of fields related to sustainability.
4.
CALCULATING DIFFERENT MEASUREMENTS
of sustainability.
5.
FORMULATING COGENT AND RIGOROUS POSITIONS AND ARGUMENTS
in order to make sustainability decisions within your organization.
6.
ELABORATING PRAGMATIC STRATEGIES
that can be employed across different sectors to bolster sustainability.
7.
FORMULATING POLICIES DIRECTED
at the promotion of sustainable practices.
In addition, you will receive a Certificate of Completion
All participants who successfully complete the program will receive an MIT Professional Education Certificate.
Students in the MIT Professional Education Digital Plus Program Sustainability: Strategies and Opportunity for Industry will also receive * Continuing Education Units (CEU*).
* A CEU is a unit of credit equivalent to 10 hours of participation in an accredited program for professionals.

This program is designed for
- CORPORATE AND STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKERS
determined to make an impact in their organizations.
- TECHNICAL EXPERTS
with a strong interest in sustainable business operations.
- C-SUITE, MANAGERS, AND OTHER HIGH-LEVEL PROFESSIONALS
from any sector who oversee teams and are interested in implementing new strategies to enhance their business’s sustainability.
- DATA ANALYSTS, SCIENTISTS, AND ENGINEERS
interested in achieving data-driven, sustainable outcomes.
- PROFESSIONALS
who want to implement sustainable practices in their industry.
In addition, professionals in the fields of marketing, sales, business development, market analysis, consulting, policy, and entrepreneurship will also benefit from the resources offered in this program.
We recommend that functional and multifunctional teams participate in the program together to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices.
Meet the Faculty of this program
PROF. JOHN E. FERNÁNDEZ
Professor of Building Technology Program in the Department of Architecture in MIT and Director of MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

Learn more
Professor Fernández is first and foremost a practicing architect who has designed more than 2.5 million square feet of new construction in major cities around the world including New York City, Tokyo, and Shanghai.
His work in sustainability began with research regarding materials for high performance buildings, low energy residence, and urbanization.
He founded the MIT Urban Metabolism Group in order to focus his research on the resource intensity of cities as well as on design and technology pathways for future urbanization, taking part in projects across four continents.
Being an entrepreneur, John E Fernández is also a member of more than 15 organizations, groups, or task forces, the most prestigious of which being his role on the Board of Directors of the Building Envelope Technology and Environmental Council of the National Institute of Building Science; New Ecology, Inc; and the Center for Sustainable Energy of the Fraunhofer Institute.
He is also a proud author of two books and numerous articles in scientific and design journals, as well as a speaker for conferences and symposia around the world.
Discover the experience of our participants
Valeria Politti, a functional manager of Google states that she found the course overall outstanding and that she uses the insights from the program daily. Valeria Politti elaborates that her eyes were finally opened to sustainability and how it can be applied across various industries. Furthermore, she explains that she particularly enjoyed the guest speakers, who offered real-life examples of innovative sustainability.
Valeria Politti | Functional Manager – Google
Sustainability: Strategies and Opportunities For Industry – October 2021