Training Programs to Support the Development of Sustainable Operations
What does responsibility mean in practice in your work or your organization? Do you know the sustainability principles for different operations and how to develop processes according to them? Sustainability in business is the glue that holds the pieces of society and the business world together. Responsible business practices reflect positively on your company's reputation and success.
We help you to build socially, ecologically, and economically sustainable businesses. In our programs, you will learn how sustainable and responsible operations are integrated into the business strategy. You will open your eyes to new possibilities and learn to anticipate risks. Leading experts from Aalto University and other top universities in the discipline and some of the business world's key companies are at our disposal during your learning journey. Our first environmental training program was organized in 2004, and ever since, we have been developing our programs to meet the high demands of the changing business environment and to answer current issues of responsibility.
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The Sustainability competence development mapping contains questions that are useful to consider when planning competence development. Download the PDF to support your planning.
Sustainability Competence Development Mapping
pdfThe plan template contains questions about what to consider in sustainable transformation while planning sustainability competence development. Download a PDF to help your planning.
Sustainability at Aalto University
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Read Customer Experiences
Taina Kokkarinen & Tuukka Hartikka
Helen Ltd."It’s important that people understand where the shift is heading. Hydrogen Business Basics offers an excellent foundation for that."
Marko Kohvakka
Director, HR & Sustainability, Pihla Group Oy"Sustainable development is now firmly embedded in Pihla Group’s strategy."
Esa Mouhu, Janina Ollberg and Annika Jyllilä-Vertigans
Vieser Ltd"We gained a comprehensive outlook on sustainability, which enables us to explain sustainability issues to others internally."
Estimated study time: 81-135 hours
Meet Our Faculty
Leena Lankoski
Dr. Leena Lankoski is currently working as a Senior University Lecturer in Sustainability in Business at Aalto University School of Business.
She also holds a Title of Docent in Corporate Responsibility at the University of Helsinki and is a Visiting Scholar at INSEAD, France.
Leena Lankoski has been working with corporate responsibility and sustainability questions for almost 30 years in Finland and elsewhere, both as an environmental consultant at the United Nations and lately in academia. During her years in the field, Dr. Lankoski has looked at questions at the interface between business and society from a number of perspectives, ranging from strategies and competitiveness issues for single firms and sectors to macro-level and policy questions in a globalized economy. Her academic research spans across several topics such as the relationship between a firm’s sustainability performance and financial performance, the different meanings that ‘sustainability’ can take in a business context, behavioural and organizational change for sustainability, and sustainability and ethics in a digital economy. She has taught corporate responsibility and sustainability for university students at all levels as well as for executive audiences for 20 years.
Lankoski holds a D.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Aalto University and an MBA from Cass Business School, London.
İdil Gaziulusoy
İdil Gaziulusoy is an Associate Professor of Sustainable Design and the leader of theNODUS Sustainable Design Research Group in the Department of Design.
İdil Gaziulusoy is a sustainability scientist and a design researcher. She is the leader of the NODUS Sustainable Design Research Group in the Department of Design. Her research focuses on transformative sustainability innovations and sustainability transitions in urban and business contexts.
Professor Gaziulusoy teaches Systems Thinking and Critical and Transformative Futures courses at Aalto’s Creative Sustainability program and Design Futures in the Bachelor of Design program of the Department of Design. She is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Design Research, an advisory board member of Finland Futures Academy, and a scientific co-director of the Sustainability Science Days conference. She has also served in the scientific advisory board of Demos Helsinki in 2022-2023.
She provides advice, consultancy, and training for Finnish and international businesses, innovation agencies, and governmental bodies on topics related to sustainable futures, transformative sustainability innovation, and sustainability transitions.
Maria Joutsenvirta
Frederik Dahlmann
Dr. Frederik Dahlmann is an Associate Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at Warwick Business School (WBS). Prior to joining WBS, he gained professional experience in the construction sector and worked as an energy analyst in London.
Dr. Dahlmann's research focuses on understanding how companies and other organizations respond to global sustainability challenges through their business strategies, management practices, and corporate governance systems. He is particularly interested in the effectiveness of organizational climate change strategies, and the emergence of purpose ecosystems for driving a sustainability transformation.
Dr. Dahlmann is an Associate Editor for the journal Business & Society and a Senior Research Fellow of the Earth System Governance network.
Featured Insights on Sustainability
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Corporate and Environmental Responsibility and Global Challenges
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a strategic tool that enables companies to improve their competitiveness and develop their businesses. The key issue is understanding what CSR means and how to demonstrate it. Although compliance with laws and international standards is the starting point in this respect, stakeholders increasingly require that companies fulfill their responsibilities as extensively as possible.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is also essential from society's point of view. Companies play a key role in meeting global economic and social challenges and solving environmental problems. For example, investing in new, environmentally-friendly technologies is the best way to mitigate and adapt to climate change and scarcity of resources, and promote the circular economy. In the best-case scenario, CSR is directly reflected in people's everyday lives and the state of the environment.
Responsible Companies Are Desired Partners
Responsible values make companies reliable and desirable partners. Making choices that build a sustainable future is vital to businesses and society. The earlier the stage at which a business is built sustainably, the more stable its future will appear.
CSR is integral to the business competencies of a successful company. A socially responsible company works in the most sustainable manner possible and reconciles its goals and expectations with its stakeholders. Regardless of its size and sector, any company can harness corporate social responsibility as a strategic competitive advantage by responding to the challenge of sustainable development. CSR is also part of good leadership.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Begins with Management
CSR concerns the entire organization. It should also be considered regarding a company's performance and strategy, and put into practice in business activities. That is why those managing CSR issues need a strong line of communication with all parts of the company, and senior management must understand the issue's importance.
Instead of corporate social responsibility, we often refer to sustainable development, a broader concept. CSR has traditionally been viewed as addressing social and economic issues and the environment.