CSR School - Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility

Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility School 2022

Friday, 30 September – Friday, 9 December 2022 | Executive Education Program every Friday (11:30-15:30 CET)

Join the kick-off event “Education 4 Sustainability“

19 September 2022 @15:00-17:30 (Greek time)

American College of Greece Events Hall

Overview of the CSR School

The CSR-School provides advanced training regarding the identification of sustainability-related business opportunities and the inclusion of responsibility in the core of one’s business strategy, in order to achieve sustainable value and formulate a more resilient organization.

The training program is envisioned as a journey that will cover all major identified areas that relate to the responsible management of sustainability. From September to December 2022, during which a minimum of 40 hours of sustainability-related knowledge and management experience will be shared, trainees will gain an up-to-date overview of major developments around the largest environmental, social and governance challenges affecting businesses nowadays.

During the 10-part Webinar series, the participants will watch lectures by distinguished academic faculty members, discuss relevant case studies, learn about best practices that have been implemented by experienced senior professionals and exchange views and thoughts around the incorporation of relevant theory into the CSR initiatives of their own organization.

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WHY ATTEND THE CSR SCHOOL

Learn from world-class experts

Work on real-case scenarios

Earn a professional certificate

Accelerate your career

Discover “how-to” through best practices

Join a broad network of professionals

Earn 10 ECTS

Learn from world-class experts

Work on real-case scenarios

Earn a professional certificate

Accelerate your career

Discover “how-to” through best practices

Join a broad network of professionals

Earn 10 ECTS

Learn More

THEMATIC AREAS OF THE CSR-SCHOOL

Day 1 (30/09/22):
Sustainable Value Creation

Day 2 (07/10/22):
Legal Aspects of Sustainability

Day 3 (14/10/22):
Sustainable Supply Chain Management

Day 4 (21/10/22):
Responsible Human Capital Management

Day 5 (04/11/22):
Sustainable Corporate Governance & Excellence

Day 6 (11/11/22):
Climate Change & Environmental Management

Day 7 (18/11/22):
Sustainable Finance & Responsible Investments

Day 8 (25/11/22):
Responsibility- & Sustainability-driven Marketing

Day 9 (02/12/22):
Stakeholder Management & Materiality Analysis

Day 10 (09/12/22):
Sustainable Reporting & Disclosures

SCHEDULE

11:30-14:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Sustainable Value Creation

By Dr. Constantine Manasakis (Associate Professor, University of Crete)

Learning objectives / outcomes:

Highlight the cornerstones of the mainstream business models.

Highlight the global impacts and risks induced by the mainstream business models.

Introduce stakeholders’ interests within corporate purpose.

Present corporate transformations rising from the “Stakeholder capitalism” business context.

Present the cornerstones for creating and providing sustainable shared value.

Demonstrate how business responsibility enhances corporate competitiveness.

Present the roadmap and the steps towards the development of a CSR action plan.

Contents:

The “Business as usual” context.

The impacts of the “Business as usual” context.

Mainstreaming stakeholders.

Materializing opportunities in the “Stakeholder capitalism” context.

Introducing Sustainability and Responsibility in the corporate DNA.

An Action Plan towards Sustainable Shared Value.

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Location: Online

14:30-15:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Sustainable Value Creation through Cost Effectiveness

By Mr. Vasilios Coufos (Founder & Managing Partner, CapaEpsilon spPCC)

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Location: Online

11:30-14:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Legal Aspects of Sustainability

By Dr. Elena Koltsaki (Lawyer-Mediator, Academic Director, MSc in Business for Lawyers, Affiliate Professor, ALBA Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece)

Learning objectives / outcomes:
By the end of this module participants should be able to:

Understand the key concepts, theories, practices, and trends related to ethically-charged real life business problems including ethical and sustainability issues.

Understand current theory and legislation on CSR.

Identify the blind spots in decision making and the driving forces behind misconduct as well as learn how to build an “ethical compass”.

Identify and understand the legal framework and common management practices designed to facilitate and encourage ethical business.

Contents:

Introducing Business Ethics.

Sustainability as a key goal for business ethics in the age of Globalization. CSR in an international context.

The corporation as part of a wider society. Corporate Responsibility, Stakeholder theory of the firm and Corporate Citizenship.

Normative and Descriptive Ethical Theories & Alternative perspectives. Making Decisions in Business Ethics: Individual & Situational influences on decision making.

The Regulatory framework of CSR. Recent developments in International and EU legislation. Corporate Accountability vs Corporate Liability.

Managing Business Ethics. Tools and Techniques of Business Ethics Management.

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Location: Online

14:30-15:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Legal Aspects of Sustainability Case Study

By Ms. Izabella M. Tsirba (Head Counsel, Finance & Capital Markets, TITAN Cement Group)

Learning objectives / outcomes:

Understand the growing legal and regulatory focus on corporates to address the adverse impacts that their activities and supply chains have on environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) related issues, including human rights.

Draw attention towards the importance of assessing the ESG impact of a company’s supply chain, by undertaking due diligence across its value chain and take action to mitigate against any material adverse ESG risks, especially in light of the proposed EU legislation that would introduce mandatory ESG due diligence for supply chains.

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Location: Online

11:30-15:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Driving true Sustainability in Supply Chains & Procurement

By Dr. Anne Touboulic (Associate Professor in Operations Management, Deputy Chair, Social Environmental Responsibility Group, PRME Lead, Nottingham University Business School)

Learning objectives / outcomes:
Through this webinar participants will:

Gain an understanding of how the EU Due Diligence legislation relates to supply chain management and procurement.

Establish the relationship between EU Due Diligence legislation and socio-ecological challenges facing organisations.

Advance their knowledge of relevant regulatory and voluntary approaches towards sustainability in supply chains and procurement.

Explore how they can proactively embed Due Diligence in the ways of working of their organisations through examples and games.

Surface the key issues and debates related to sustainable supply chain management and procurement. Develop a better sense of their own assumptions and position towards relation between business and sustainability.

Contents:

Due diligence in a sustainability context: the urgency of addressing ecological and social challenges and

Due diligence implications: what it has to do with procurement and supply chains.

Defining sustainable supply chain management and sustainable procurement.

Sustainable SCM and procurement: how to become pro-active.

The future of sustainable SCM and procurement: global trends.

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Location: Online

11:30-15:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Responsible Human Capital Management

By Dr. Eleni Lamprou (Research Fellow, ALBA Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece) & Dr. Konstantinos Tasoulis (Associate Professor, HR Management, The American College of Greece, Visiting Professor, ALBA Executive Development)

Learning objectives/ outcomes:

Dissect the factors that affect the organization of work in the immediate future

Evaluate implications of impending changes for ensuring decent and sustainable work for all

Construct an organizational engagement / action plan to address the challenges of the future of work

Examine perspectives to Sustainable HRM and discuss the need for a paradigm shift in HRM

Consider practical ways through which HR can effectively contribute towards the achievement of SDGs

Contents:

Impact of technological advancements, economic factors, demographic patterns, societal norms and sustainability on the organization of work

Repercussions on the labour market, competencies in demand and emerging working models / forms of work

Scope of intervention of alternative stakeholders (institutions, organizations, individuals) in ensuring decent and sustainable work for all

The role of HR in organisations’ sustainability, the need for a paradigm shift from a market-driven HR to a multi-stakeholder, multi-purpose HR

From socially responsible HRM, Green HRM, Triple Bottom Line HRM towards Common Good HRM?

Contributing to SDGs through HRM practices: workplace democracy and self-management; unbiasing; equality, diversity and inclusion; integrating SDGs in rewards and performance; business and human rights; SDGs shaping job seekers’ attraction and selection; employment creation

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Location: Online

11:30-15:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Sustainable Corporate Governance & Excellence

By Dr. Alexandros Antonaras (Associate Professor of Management, Vice President of Student Services, University of Nicosia)

Learning objectives/outcomes:

Explain the relationship between Corporate Ethics, Corporate Governance and Sustainability

Understand the importance of dealing with Sustainability and ESG criteria at the Board level

Be aware of the recent Sustainable Corporate Governance initiatives at European level

Learn how to build a sustainable board

Be familiar with good practices and trends in Sustainable Corporate Governance

Understand the Framework for Sustainable Excellence

Contents:

Corporate Governance at a Glance

Board of Directors and Sustainability / ESG

Sustainable Corporate Governance:

- Due Diligence on the Supply Chain
- Fighting corruption and the role of the Boards / ISO37001
- Roadmap to Build Sustainable Corporate Governance

Framework for Sustainable Excellence:

- The road to success: Direction – Execution - Results
- Linking the “G” (Governance) with the “S” (Society)

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Location: Online

11:30-14:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Climate Change & Environmental Management

By Dr. Eftichios S. Sartzetakis (Professor of Environmental Economics, University of Macedonia)

Scope: To clearly identify the impacts of the climate crisis on the global economy, explore the possible policy responses and focus on highlighting the short and long term consequences for businesses.

Learning objectives / outcomes:

Highlight the impact of climate crisis on global economy, both in the medium to long run and in relation to current events (energy crisis, international tensions).

Introduce current and future policy reactions attempting to steer the economy towards climate neutrality.

Discuss consumers’ voluntary actions (green consumers).

Relate the above described rapid changes to businesses’ operation.

Identify impacts on businesses and examine them grouping them into three categories: physical, transitional, and liability risks.

Identify the steps, focusing on risk management, which could assist businesses in becoming resilient to climate risks.

Proactive vs reactive business responses: the role of business in battling climate crisis, or turning a crisis into opportunities.

Contents:

Climate Crisis essentials.

The economic impacts of climate crisis.

Climate policies: the slow international response, national policies, the EU climate policy framework. (Green Deal, Farm to Fork, New EU climate targets, Green Bonds, Incorporating sustainability issues to competition policies).

The evolution and the role of green consumers.

Analysis of direct (physical) and indirect (transitional, and liability) risks, exposing the effect of non-linearities:

-Long and short term physical impacts: flooding, hurricanes, drought, wildfires, etc. -Costs to businesses from the introduction of climate policy and regulations as well as from failing to adopt to changes in consumers’ preferences. -Costs from failing to comply with the evolving regulatory framework.

Incorporating climate risks to the core business risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.

Going beyond legal requirements and climate/sustainability reporting to gain long term competitive advantage.

Sectoral case studies.

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Location: Online

14:30-15:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Sustainable Portfolio Steering – Method and Practice

By Ms. Sabine Fisbeck-Groh (Senior Expert, Sustainability Relations, BASF)

Contents:

Explain purpose and assessment of Sustainable Portfolio Steering Method

Link with strategic planning and target definition

Application for business practice

Link with the SDGs

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Location: Online

11:30-14:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Sustainable Finance & Responsible Investments

By Dr. George Skiadopoulos (Professor of Finance, Banking & Financial Management Dpt., University Of Piraeus & School Of Economics And Finance, Queen Mary University Of London)

Scope:
To present empirical facts, challenges and open questions in the field of sustainable finance and responsible investments from the perspective of policy makers, investors and corporates.

Learning Objectives/Outcomes:

Understand whether institutional investors consider ESG as a factor in their decisions.

Demonstrate how we can measure climate change risks.

Present evidence on whether sustainable investments outperform.

Discuss challenges and open questions.

Contents:

Which risks do investors take into account?

The shortcomings of ESG ratings

Real time measurement of climate change risks- which are the ones that investors care about?

Do sustainable investments pay off?

Does divestment pay off?

The issue of materiality

Challenges for policy makers

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Location: Online

14:30- 15:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Sustainable Finance & Responsible Investments Case Study

Ms. Myrto Kontaxi (Sustainability & ESG Advisor, Partner of the Biopharma Sustainability Roundtable)

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Location: Online

11:30-15:30 CET (Brussels time zone)

Responsibility & Sustainability-driven Marketing

By Dr. Pavlos A. Vlachos (Associate Professor, ALBA Graduate Business School at The American College of Greece)

Scope:
To identify the links between CSR (or ESG) communications, marketing, and analytics.

Learning objectives/ outcomes:
At the end of this session students should be able to:

Define CSR performance as a key stakeholder satisfaction metric.

Measure CSR performance.

Reflect on the Greenwashing phenomenon.

Offer research-based advice on how to communicate ESG.

Review and experience survey-based instruments to measure ESG performance.

Understand and analyze the role of Marketing Analytics tools like Segmentation and Sentiment Analytics in helping firms understand their stakeholders and “compete” on ESG performance.

Review and experience how AI and Big Data disrupts CSR (ESG) scoring with implications for greenwashing and marketing ethics (including for example selling practices & product labeling)

Contents:

Marketing Reframed: Stakeholder Satisfaction & CSR Performance.

CSR meets Marketing Analytics

Truvalue Platform™ Demonstration (Artificial Intelligence, CSR/ESG Firm Scoring, and Marketing Ethics scoring). Truvalue Labs™ an awarded Fintech, applies Artificial Intelligence to massive volumes of unstructured data and scores firms on ESG behavior that has a material impact on company value. We will also focus on how AI allows firms to be monitored 24/7 on marketing ethics including customer privacy, access & affordability, product quality & safety, customer welfare, and selling practices & product labeling)

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