OTHM Level 7 Diploma in Environmental and Sustainability Management

Fundamentals of Sustainability

• Understand the key concepts of sustainability and their relation to economic growth and development.
• Understand the context of sustainability and the reasons for urgent action, with a special focus on climate change and diversity. Understand the role of private enterprises and innovation in the transition to sustainability.
• Understand the need for global initiatives and treaties on sustainability and climate change.
• Understand the principles and perspectives of business ethics and its use in discussions regarding climate change and sustainability.

Environmental Science and Energy Transition

• Understand the physics of the energyrelated carbon cycle and its impact on temperature.
• Understand the physical principles ofharvesting renewable alternatives tofossil fuels and the technological andmarketdevelopments within this area.
• Understand the physical principles ofnon-renewable alternatives to fossil fuels,the political sensitivities of nonrenewables and the technological, andmarket developmentsrelated to thesesources of energy.
• Understand the dependence of alternative energy sources on storage and grid management.
• Understand the trilemma of energy transformation and the need for national policies and international cooperation.

Environmental Management in Organisations

• Understand topics relevant for environmental management and the reasons why organisations should choose to manage them.
• Understand environmental assessment and management tools and their advantages and disadvantages.
• Understand how to develop and deliver environmental performance improvement.
• Understand approaches collection,analysis, reporting and communication of environmental data.

Research Methods

• Be able to develop research approaches in a suitable context.
• Be able to critically review literature on a business research topic.Be able to design business research methodologies.
• Be able to develop a research proposal.

Delivering Transformational Change

• Understand how to conduct a materiality assessment to understand priorities for change and change readiness.
• Understand key techniques, practices,behaviours, and knowledge of change management.
• Understand the behaviour of complex systems and how to change them.
• Understand how a leader’s style and approach has a major impact on both team and individual performance, values,and motivations.
• Understand the meaning and purpose of ESG Governance Structure and how to develop it.

Advanced Principles of Net Zero

• Understand the meaning and importance of “net zero” at a conceptual level.
• Understand the application of the fundamentals of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Accounting.
• Understand science-based targets and their facilitating role to deliver net zero.
• Understand how to communicate an organisation’s response to climate change, net zero pledges and green claims.
• Understand how and to which extent organisations and society can adapt to climate change.

Environmental Politics and Policies

• Understand principles and examples of environmental policy and legislation.
• Understand the role of ethics in international climate agreements and governance.
• Understand economic instruments available to effect change related to environmental and social issues.
• Understand suasive instruments available to effect change related to environmental and social issues.
• Understand key international agreements related to environmental governance and climate change politics.
• Understand the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the importance of the sustainability agenda.

Sustainable Finance

• Understand the relevance of the Financial Industry to sustainability across different financial instruments and asset classes.
• Understand how physical and transition risks, particularly those related to climate change, translate to financial risks and how this is managed by financial organisations and entral banks.
• Understand sustainable / ESG financing strategies and products that facilitate sustainable transition and development.
• Understand the value and use of ESG ratings and labels.

Sustainability as a Business Strategy

• Understand the relationship between Economics and Sustainability and the four rationales of why sustainability is in businesses’ interest.
• Understand how sustainability impacts businesses’ value chain and how companies can capitalise on being sustainable.
• Understand the limitations of“traditional” accounting and the need to approach the concept of value holistically. Understand the concept of the circular economy, circular business models and the challenges related to operating and financing circular businesses.
• Understand the role of marketing and stakeholder engagement in the transition to sustainability and the risks of poormarketing practices.