AIMA to offer course on sustainable management as ESG gains traction

The course provides an “in-depth knowledge of various techniques and practices required for sustainable development. Its primary aim is to give…necessary expertise and skills for maintaining a balanced harmony among the people, planet and profit,” AIMA claimed, adding that industry professionals, non-government organisations, and government officials working in the area of sustainability can benefit from the offering.

“The relevance of this course is increasing dramatically, as the nature and scope of managing sustainability has undergone a huge transformation in recent times; not only in existing ecosystems, but also through new emerging economic models like sustainable business and social enterprises,” AIMA said.

With global issues like climate change, pollution, energy consumption, waste production etc. looming in the horizon, remedial actions have become urgent and collaborative, said Nayan Mitra, founder of Sustainable Advancement, a policy advocacy. Mitra will leading AIMA’s course offering.

Mitra said there are two factors accelerating sustainability push – one, businesses with a vision can no longer strategise without considering environment, and two the impact of environmental changes is visible more now than ever. Business houses, schools, ecological advocates and people will need to be on the same page. Collective growth is the need of the hour, she said.

The shift indicates a growing acceptance that conscious capitalism is the way forward for sustainable growth and stake holder value proposition is as important as stock holder’s growth.

AIMA said there is a growing need to find ways on how to integrate sustainability within existing business models. “Sustainability entrepreneurship is a new breed in the entrepreneurship world in terms of its operational efficiency and needs. As sustainability becomes more widespread, an increasing number of businesses across sectors including finance, healthcare, manufacturing and construction will rely on sustainability managers to disentangle complex sustainability issues,” AIMA said.

The job roles of sustainability managers fall at the intersection between environment, society, economy and culture where they are mainly responsible for educating stakeholders about practices which cause harm to the environment, and helping them devise solutions to mitigate the same. As a result, responsible leadership roles focusing upon sustainability issues are on the rise.