Green Business Strategy (Coursera)

Overview

Course Overview: https://youtu.be/g-pt2Q4UhT4

The global environment will continue to degrade until there are significant changes in business practices. In this course, we look at how some firms are responding positively to environmental concerns with new strategies.

We look at ‘best practices’ of companies across countries and industries from different perspectives. We introduce a very helpful framework to structure your thinking about environment and business strategy. We explore why current destructive business practices are so ‘sticky’ and resistant to change.

You don’t have to be an environmentalist or a tree-hugger to benefit from this course.
Businesses should respond to change, environment is one of these changes. If you have an interest in the environment and some understanding of business strategy then this course should be useful to you.

Syllabus

Why Be “Green”?

In this module we look at the problem of business and environment through various lenses. What does it mean for a firm to be “green”? Why would a firm decide to go green and pursue environmental activities? Why is a social license to operate important for green business?

How to be green: Environmental Strategy

This short module is very important. The first video in this module asks the question does it pay to be green? If it were that simple then all firms would be green. Which is why we need to consider under what circumstances an environmental strategy can be successful. In the second video we introduce a very useful framework for environmental strategies.

Case studies in environmental strategy

In this module we give examples of businesses that will help you understand more about how the environmental strategy framework works in practice. This will help you identify the most appropriate environmental strategy for a business.

Looking Back and looking ahead in green business

This is a very unique module and one I find motivating. It takes you back in time to understand how we ended up in an age where business and environment are in conflict. Here we find the origins of the institutions that hold us back from finding solutions.

Coach

Paul Forster