“Become a certified sustainable change agent” is the promise of the new Certificate in Corporate Sustainability, a program of the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business, the Sustainability Academy and NH Businesses for Social Responsibility.

Launching its inaugural class October 4 – 6, 2011, the program is intended for mid to senior level executives looking to gain additional knowledge, skills and tools in corporate social responsibility (CSR), develop a cohort of peers, and grow sustainability practices within their business..

“The professional Certificate in Corporate Sustainability fills a gap that our members say has been missing for years,” says Kate Luczko, interim executive director of NHBSR. “Sustainability is an integral part of how companies do business today. This program applies academic rigor with practical tools for professionals who currently work in sustainability but never had the opportunity to look at the subject from a systems perspective.”

Topics cover people, profit and planet – from how to conduct materiality and stakeholder analyses to understanding how environmental trends affect the business world to employee engagement to developing a CSR report. A full agenda, instructor list and registration information can be found at www.sustainabilitycertificate.org.

After completion of the Institute, students will conduct an independent, mentor-supported workplace project. The program offers continuing education credit for professionals.

Timberland’s new Vice President of CSR, Mark Newton, is a featured speaker of the conference, and Timberland is also the presenting sponsor of the Certificate program. “Timberland was built on the premise that our impact on the community around us matters – and that philosophy extends to every corner of our organization, not just one team,” states Atlanta McIlwraith, Senior Community Engagement Manager at Timberland. “This certificate program is one way to ensure that the individuals who make up this brand understand the value of our values, and that they incorporate that into their work every day.”

“Socially responsible business makes sense,” says Tom Kelly, UNH’s Chief Sustainability Officer and director of the university’s Sustainability Academy. “Helping business leaders understand the full breadth of sustainability issues that affect their products, services and operations is part of our role as an educator within the business community.”

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