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Our Free Online Training Courses

The Capitals Coalition now offers two free online course on the Coursera platform.

The courses provide a comprehensive introduction to the capitals approach and to undertaking a capitals assessment. While open to all, they will be of specific relevance to those working across business strategy, risk management, finance, procurement, accountancy, auditing, human resources and sustainability.

Businesses and investors are increasingly looking to embed the value they receive from nature, people and society into their decision-making.

Many recognise their impacts and dependencies on the capitals. What they need now is a clear pathway to include this value in the decisions they make.

Understanding the value of their impacts and dependencies on the capitals can be a watershed moment for organizations, who often realize that issues they had considered to be immaterial in fact directly underpin their success.

By providing organizations with tools to identify and measure the value they receive from natural, social and human capital (as well as produced capital), the capitals approach provides a holistic understanding of the system in which organizations operate, leading to integrated decision-making with broad benefits across the capitals. 

But, this approach is nascent and a significant skills and knowledge gap exists within organizations looking to apply the capitals approach.

The Capitals Coalition now offers two free online courses to address this challenge – Valuing Nature and People to Inform Decision-making and Transforming Business: Valuing Social & Human Capital (Launching June 2023).

Valuing Nature and People to Inform Decision-making

We need companies to move from commitments to action. However, we know that the tools to do this are scarce and the necessary knowledge can be hard to find. The training directly addresses this gap. Leaders and managers should acknowledge the need and invest time in building capacity – here is a way to do it.

Cristianne Close, Deputy Global Conservation Director & Director of Planning, Enabling & Integration, WWF International – Course Participant

The course follows the steps outlined in the Natural Capital Protocol and the Social & Human Capital Protocol – Frame, Scope, Measure & Value and Apply.

Each module contains multiple instructor-led videos which provide business cases and case studies from leading companies. Interviews with business leaders provide expert insight and best practice to learners and cover the journey organizations have taken to embed the approach across their operations.


‘The Valuing Nature and People to Inform Decision-making course’s bite-sized readings, videos and assessments fit nicely into my somewhat-erratic consulting schedule. The course provides a great common language, framework and rigor for setting to work on this critical issue.  I have already put my new learnings to use with a new project helping to define pathways to regenerative agriculture.’

Rachel Fleishman, Director at Insight Sustainability


Course Outline

The course is split into 4 modules. Modules 1 & 2 introduce the role of businesses in addressing the integrated crises of nature loss, climate change and persistent inequality and guide learners through the environmental sustainability and social impact landscape.

Modules 3 & 4 guide participants through the steps and stages involved in conducting a natural capital assessment and introduce concepts and vocabulary needed to apply the Protocols. More information is available here.

  • Module 1 – The role of businesses in addressing the great challenges of nature loss, climate change and inequality
  • Module 2 – Better managing risks and opportunities by adopting a capitals approach
  • Module 3 – Getting started with a natural capital assessment: defining the objective and scope
  • Module 4 – Measuring and valuing impacts and dependencies to integrate natural capital in decision making

Speakers

  • Paul Polman, founder of Net Positive World Movement
  • Gretchen C. Daily, Natural Capital Project, Stanford University
  • Volkert Engelsman, CEO, Eosta
  • Magali Anderson, Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer, Holcim
  • Sonja Haut, Head of Strategic Measurement and Materiality, Novartis
  • Liz Barber, CEO, Yorkshire Water
  • Philip Blaen, Sustainability Manager, Yorkshire Water
  • Maria Eugenia Ceballos Hunziker, Head of Sustainable Procurement and Impact Valuation, Holcim
  • Renata Pollini, Head of Nature, Holcim
  • Ria Bakshi, Finance for Sustainability, Olam
  • Pedro Alexandre Martins, Innovation and Sustainability Sr. Manager, Liv Up

Businesses should operate with nature at their hearts to preserve and restore natural resources. Measuring impacts in a science-driven way is key to integrate actions and targets into the core of company strategy. Delivering a nature-positive future is a critical role for businesses to take today. This course provides the foundations to do it.

Magali Anderson, Chief Sustainability and Innovation Officer, Holcim – Course Speaker


Transforming Business: Valuing Social & Human Capital

People are, after all, the core of all businesses. The performance and well-being of people and the community in which you operate defines the success of a company…Get ready, be learning, inspired and turn your knowledge into action.

Mark Gough, CEO, Capitals Coalition – Course Speaker

The course provides a comprehensive introduction to the capitals approach and businesses’ relationship with social and human capital, presents an overview of relevant frameworks and initiatives and touches upon the current regulatory and reporting landscape related to social and human capital.

The course will guide you through the different steps of a capitals assessment, starting with an introduction to social and human capital, and the business case for tackling inequality and respecting human rights. It will then present the benefits of undertaking a social and human capitals assessment, as well as presenting best practices for stakeholder engagement.

Learners will be introduced to the concepts of impacts, impact drivers, and dependencies and will learn how to measure and value these impacts and dependencies in relation to their business activities. Finally, the course will provide guidance on how to apply the results of your assessment and communicate about the outcomes.

Course Outline

The course is split into 4 modules. Modules 1 & 2 introduce an overview of the relationship between business, inequality, human rights and social and human capital.

Modules 3 & 4 guide participants further into their learning journey, looking at the steps and stages involved in conducting a capitals assessment and introducing a framework and structure inspired by the high level business actions on nature.

  • Module 1 – Welcome to the course
  • Module 2 – Why business cares about inequality: the key concepts of human rights, social and human capital
  • Module 3 – How to get started with measuring and valuing impacts and dependencies
  • Module 4 – How to integrate social and human capital into business: commitments and transformation

Speakers

  • Silvia Villas Boas, CFO, Natura & Co
  • Margaux Yost, Social Impact Manager, Kering
  • Caroline Rees, President, Shift
  • Ben Carpenter, CEO, Social Value International
  • Joke Aert, Inspire to Actress, Tony’s Chocolonely
  • Fiona O’Donnell, Global HSE Strategy Lead, Jacobs Engineering
  • Alexandre Leao, Sustainability & Impact Specialist, Natura & Co
  • Ria Bakshi, Head of Sustainability Accounting, Reporting and Impact at Olam Food Ingredients

The success of any business rests on the relationship it has with people. Specifically, a successful business must be managing the impacts they have on the wellbeing of their stakeholders. This training course helps you to integrate social and human capital approaches into your decision making – improving lives and improving your business.

Ben Carpenter, CEO, Social Value International – Course Speaker


Enroll for free

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