Sustainable Governance
2-day workshop with your Management Committee
The objectives of this two-day workshop are to:
- Understand the strategic importance of sustainability and the consequences of action / inaction
- Integrate sustainability into risk management processes
- Align sustainability with business goals
- Explore governance best practices for sustainability
- Foster appropriate leadership skills and style
- Translate sustainability ambitions into organizational design and culture
Programme Day 1
AWARENESS – Building a Holistic Understanding (2h)
- Activity: Workshop using the 9 Planetary Boundaries Fresco to highlight environmental challenges and dependencies, followed by an introduction to Doughnut Economics to integrate social and governance considerations into the overall picture.
- Outcome: Participants gain a holistic understanding of sustainability issues, develop a sense of urgency, and are motivated to engage collaboratively
INSPIRATION – Listen to those who went before you (1h)
- Activity: Business decision makers from a wide range of sectors give their filmed testimonials to illustrate how a sustainable approach created value for their organisation. Participants elaborate on the testimonials and discuss the main benefits of a sustainable strategy for their company, share inspiring examples they know and how they could be transposed to their company.
- Outcome: Participants are convinced of the short- and long-term benefits for the company to engage in a Sustainability journey, with a specific focus on governance issues.
INSPIRATION – Listen to those who went before you (1h)
- Activity: Business decision makers from a wide range of sectors give their filmed testimonials to illustrate how a sustainable approach created value for their organisation. Participants elaborate on the testimonials and discuss the main benefits of a sustainable strategy for their company, share inspiring examples they know and how they could be transposed to their company.
- Outcome: Participants are convinced of the short- and long-term benefits for the company to engage in a Sustainability journey, with a specific focus on governance issues.
- RISK MANAGEMENT – How to integrate ESG risks in your risk management system (2h30)
This session focuses on embedding environmental, social, and governance (ESG)
considerations into the organization’s risk management framework. Participants will learn how to identify, assess, and mitigate sustainability-related risks, ensuring these factors are prioritized in strategic decision-making.
- Activity: Risk Prioritization Workshop (participants rank sustainability-related risks based on likelihood and potential impact) and Scenario exploration (Participants explore in small groups future scenarios involving varying levels of fluctuations in the ecosystem, in environmental regulation and societal pressure and their impact on the whole supply chain)
- Outcome: Participants identified and assessed main sustainability-related risks. They prioritized these factors in strategic decision-making to mitigate risks.
COMMUNICATION – Authentic messaging (1h)
This session will equip leaders with the necessary skills to communicate effectively about their sustainability initiatives, avoiding the pitfalls of “greenwashing.” Participants will learn to craft transparent and authentic messaging that builds trust with stakeholders.
- Activities: Greenwashing Identification Game (Participants analyse advertisements and corporate sustainability statements to identify potential greenwashing) and Strategic discussion about company’s communication and positioning regarding sustainability (ethical marketing and transparency, greenwashing versus greenhushing, position versus competition, internal communication and employee engagement)
- Outcome: Leaders gain the skills to identify greenwashing and to craft clear, trustworthy, and impactful sustainability messages.
COMMUNICATION – Authentic messaging (1h)
This session will equip leaders with the necessary skills to communicate effectively about their sustainability initiatives, avoiding the pitfalls of “greenwashing.” Participants will learn to craft transparent and authentic messaging that builds trust with stakeholders.
- Activities: Greenwashing Identification Game (participants analyse advertisements and corporate sustainability statements to identify potential greenwashing) and Strategic discussion about company’s communication and positioning regarding sustainability (ethical marketing and transparency, greenwashing versus greenhushing, position versus competition, internal communication and employee engagement)
- Outcome: Leaders gain the skills to identify greenwashing and to craft clear, trustworthy, and impactful sustainability messages.
Programme Day 2
INTROSPECTION – Assessing ESG maturity and ambition (3h)
- Activity: Workshop using the CSR Fresco, a tool to explore the ESG spectrum and evaluate
the company’s current maturity level, followed by a Team discussion on sustainability ambition for the company - Outcome: Participants have a better understanding of all different facets of ESG. They
identified strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement in the organization’s sustainability
journey.
INTROSPECTION – Assessing ESG maturity and ambition (3h)
- Activity: Workshop using the CSR Fresco, a tool to explore the ESG spectrum and evaluate
the company’s current maturity level, followed by a Team discussion on sustainability ambition for the company - Outcome: Participants have a better understanding of all different facets of ESG. They
identified strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement in the organization’s sustainability
journey.
SUSTAINABLE LEADERSHIP – Adapting leadership principles (1h)
This session focuses on defining leadership roles and styles in a VUCA environment
- Activity: Leadership Role-Playing (Participants navigate challenging scenarios, such as balancing short-term financial goals with long-term sustainability objectives)
SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE – Keeping your company productive and impactful for the long term. (1h30)
This session focuses on integrating sustainability into governance framework.
- Activities: Case Study Analysis (sub-groups analyze real-world examples of companies that successfully (or unsuccessfully) integrated sustainability into their governance) and Governance Structure Design (Teams design a governance structure for their company)
- Outcome: Leaders understand governance best practices and their critical role in driving sustainability. Areas for improvement are identified.
SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE – Keeping your company productive and impactful for the long term. (1h30)
This session focuses on integrating sustainability into governance framework.
- Activities: Case Study Analysis (sub-groups analyze real-world examples of companies that successfully (or
unsuccessfully) integrated sustainability into their governance) and Governance Structure Design (Teams design a governance structure for their company) - Outcome: Leaders understand governance best practices and their critical role in driving sustainability. Areas for improvement are identified.
CULTURE CHANGE – Driving change within and beyond company perimeter (1h)
- Activity: Practical brainstorming on change management and engagement (supply chain, board, …) to overcome resistance, align stakeholders’ interests, and foster collaboration.
- Outcome: Participants align on strategies to build momentum for change and drive sustainability within and beyond the organization’s boundaries. Barriers and enablers of change are identified.
CONCLUSIONS: TEAM COMMITMENT & NEXT STEPS (1h30)
- Activity: Participants share the insights captured in their “insights log” document. They individually and collectively develop a prioritized action plan.
- Outcome: The team leaves with a clear roadmap and alignment on next steps.
CONCLUSIONS: TEAM COMMITMENT & NEXT STEPS (1h30)
- Activity: Participants share the insights captured in their “insights log” document. They individually and collectively develop a prioritized action plan.
- Outcome: The team leaves with a clear roadmap and alignment on next steps.
Logistics
The programme can take place inside or outside the company’s offices, in a sustainable space surrounded by greenery.
