This course is part of our Professional Certificate Program in Sustainability and Blended Professional Certificate: Chief Sustainability Officer
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 course to acquire the necessary tools to address sustainability challenges
MIT Professional Education’s online course 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 course 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 the participants who successfully complete the online course Sustainability: Strategies and Opportunities for Industry will receive an MIT Professional Education Certificate of Completion. Furthermore, participants will receive * MIT Continuing Education Units (CEUs)*.
To obtain CEUs, complete the accreditation confirmation, which is available at the end of the course. CEUs are calculated for each course based on the number of learning hours.
* The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is defined as 10 contact hours of ongoing learning to indicate the amount of time they have devoted to a non-credit/non-degree professional development program.
To understand whether or not these CEUs may be applied toward professional certification, licensing requirements, or other required training or continuing education hours, please consult your training department or licensing authority directly.
This course 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 course.
We recommend that functional and multifunctional teams participate in the course together to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices.
Meet the instructor of this course
Listed in alphabetical order
PROF. JOHN E. FERNÁNDEZ
Professor of Building Technology Program in the Department of Architecture 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.