Corporate
SustainabilityCornell Certificate Program
Overview and Courses
As sustainability becomes a key component of today’s decision-making processes, corporations must respond by developing initiatives and making business decisions that illustrate their commitment to sustainable business activity. This certificate program is designed to help you think about sustainability as a vital part of your business strategy.
In this certificate, you will frame this challenge and assess your company’s sustainability practices relative to industry standards. You will use this initial assessment to inform implementation of sustainability initiatives, and develop a future-focused sustainability strategy that capitalizes on market opportunities.
To begin, you will critically examine the sustainability-based interactions among corporate entities, their peers, regulators, the public, and other stakeholders in order to identify opportunities for improving the outcomes of these interactions. You will then assess the ways that corporations manage reputational risk by communicating their sustainability efforts and propose initiatives that bolster your organization’s sustainability credentials.
Finally, you will focus on building a business case by proposing specific ways your company can capitalize on sustainable opportunities. By the end of this certificate program, you will be well equipped to lead your teams toward sustainable solutions that enable your organization to thrive.
Course list
- Mar 5, 2025
- May 28, 2025
- Aug 20, 2025
- Nov 12, 2025
In this course, you will identify sustainability risks associated with particular corporate activities and propose actions to mitigate these risks. To do this, you will review a corporate 10k to evaluate and identify a company's identified risks. You will then examine ways that corporations disclose, report, and manage reputational risk. Finally, based on your previous findings, you will develop several strategic corporate sustainability initiatives focused on a company and its key stakeholders. By the end of this course, you will be better prepared to identify regulatory and reputational sustainability risks and develop strategies to mitigate these risks.
You are required to have completed the following course or have equivalent experience before taking this course:
- Evaluating a Corporate Sustainability Strategy
- Jan 1, 2025
- Mar 26, 2025
- Jun 18, 2025
- Sep 10, 2025
- Dec 3, 2025
In this course, you will explore how values-informed purchasing and investment decisions, along with generational shifts in investment and consumption patterns, create opportunities for companies that adapt to trends in sustainability. You will also examine ways in which regulatory changes, growing scrutiny, and increased pressure by civil society create growing markets for products and services that have fewer impacts on people and the planet than conventional products and services. Building on this base, you will identify how investment decisions can influence societal outcomes and how private, return-seeking capital can improve social and environmental outcomes by fostering more sustainable business activities. By the end of the course, you will be prepared to propose sound sustainability initiatives or new sustainable business ventures that you believe represent real opportunities for a company like yours to increase its profitability.
You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:
- Evaluating a Corporate Sustainability Strategy
- Sustainability Risk Management
- Jan 22, 2025
- Apr 16, 2025
- Jul 9, 2025
- Oct 1, 2025
- Dec 24, 2025
How It Works
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Key Course Takeaways
- Assess the impacts of business activities on the environment
- Assess an organization and analyze its sustainability motivation
- Critically examine sustainability risks associated with particular corporate activities
- Identify business opportunities in sustainability
Download a Brochure
Not ready to enroll but want to learn more? Download the certificate brochure to review program details.
What You'll Earn
- Corporate Sustainability Certificate from Cornell University’s Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy
- 45 Professional Development Hours (4.5 CEUs)
Who Should Enroll
- Senior leaders and executives
- Corporate responsibility leaders
- Public and investor relations professionals
- Legal professionals
- Philanthropists
- Entrepreneurs
- Communications experts
- Community activists
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Corporate Sustainability
| Select Payment Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| $3,900 | |