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Advanced Certificate in Sustainability and Sustainable Business Module 1: Introduction to Sustainability and Strategic Community Investment

  • Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance
  • Innovation & Business Improvement
Next Intake: 1 Jul 2025 (Tue)
  • Basic
  • SkillsFuture
  • Short Courses
  • This module is part of Advanced Certificate in Sustainability and Sustainable Businesses

This programme is conducted on-campus.

Next course starts on
1 Jul 2025 (Tue) See Full Schedule
Fee
SGD1,744* (as low as SGD203.20 after maximum funding) Learn More
Duration

2 days (9am - 5pm)

Level
Basic
Venue

Singapore Management University

Who Should Attend

Professionals and business owners who are keen on deepening their skills and knowledge in corporate and business sustainability.

Overview

Learn what sustainability is all about and the insights and practical know-how on a strategic approach to community investment.

In 2015, the 193 countries of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2016, 175 countries ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change, addressing the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit rising temperatures. 

A member of the United Nations, Singapore has made considerable progress on the SDGs through policymaking efforts, as well as cooperation with various ASEAN countries and UN agencies on multiple initiatives. Yet, sustainable development is a constant journey; maintaining momentum on this journey requires vigilance in the potential challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, for the nation, for businesses, and for civil society. 

In addition, community investment remains crucial to keep businesses competitive. Community investment is generally deemed as a business' investment in public services, such as hospitals or schools. Such investments are key to keeping businesses competitive, ensuring them a social license to operate while strengthening engagement with local stakeholders. Yet, while a growing number of companies are contributing to their communities and producing sustainability reports, many have still been unable to report on the positive impacts created as a result of their efforts.

Programme Partner

UN Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS) is the Singapore chapter of the United Nations Global Compact.

As the national lead agency promoting corporate sustainability, GCNS provides an ecosystem for companies to align strategies and operations with universal principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption, and take actions to achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through various platforms for multi-stakeholder engagement and collective action, GCNS advances the stewardship of sustainable business practices and Singapore’s national agenda of becoming a regional sustainable business hub. In addition, GCNS nurtures the next generation of responsible business leaders through its youth initiatives. GCNS is a stakeholder of the Global Reporting Initiative and supports the Singapore chapter of the World Bank Group's Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC).

Learning Objectives

  • Be able to give an overview of corporate sustainability, ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) issues and discuss key trends in the industry
  • Understand what sustainability means for businesses in the new economy
  • Understand what is community investment
  • Learn how to manage community investment projects and assess their impact towards the community

Topic/Structure

Day 1

Part A: Introduction to Sustainability: Opportunities for the Future Economy

  • Introduction to Corporate Sustainability and the business case for it
  • Introduction to key global movements including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Introduction to the importance of Sustainability Reporting and Climate issues
     

Day 2

Part B: Strategic Community Investment and Impact Assessment

  • Introduction on the social responsibility of business and what is strategic community investments
  • Methods to strategise and understand the impact delivered
  • Understanding inputs, outputs and impacts
  • Measuring change delivered
  • Reporting of community investment

Assessment

  • Class Participation
  • Group Work
  • Classroom Activities

As part of the requirement for SkillsFuture Singapore, there will be an assessment conducted at the end of every module. The mode of assessment, which is up to the trainer’s discretion, may be an online quiz, a presentation or based on classroom exercises.

Participants are required to attain a minimum of 75% attendance and pass the associated assessment for each of the 6 modules within 3 years in order to be awarded the digital Advanced Certificate in Sustainability and Sustainable Business issued by Singapore Management University.

Calculate Programme Fee

Click here for more infomation about SkillsFuture Credits (Not applicable for Company-sponsored participants)
For PSEA - Available only for Singapore Citizen below 31 (Not applicable for Company-sponsored participants)

Total Program Fee: SGD0.00

Fee Table

COMPANY-SPONSORED

PARTICIPANT PROFILE

SELF-SPONSORED

SME

NON-SME

Singapore Citizen < 40 years old

Permanent Resident

LTVP+

$523.20

(After SSG Funding 70%)

$203.20

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ ETSS Funding 20%)

$523.20

(After SSG Funding 70%)

Singapore Citizen ≥ 40 years old

$203.20

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ MCES Funding 20%)

$203.20

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ ETSS Funding 20%)

$203.20

(After SSG Funding 70%
+ MCES Funding 20%)

International Participant

$1,744

(No Funding)

$1,744

(No Funding)

$1,744

(No Funding)

All prices include 9% GST

Please note that the programme fees are subject to change without prior notice.

Post Secondary Education Account (PSEA)
PSEA can be utilised for subsidised programmes eligible for SkillsFuture Credit support. Click here to find out more.

Self Sponsored

SkillsFuture Credit

Singapore Citizens aged 25 and above may use their SkillsFuture Credits to pay for the course fees. The credits may be used on top of existing course fee funding.

This is only applicable to self-sponsored participants. Application to utilise SkillsFuture Credits can be submitted when making payment for the course via the SMU Academy TMS Portal, and can only be made within 60 days of course start date.

Please click here for more information on the SkillsFuture Credit. For help in submitting an SFC claim, you may wish to refer to our step-by-step guide on claiming SkillsFuture Credits (Individual).

Workfare Skills Support Scheme

From 1 July 2023, the Workfare Skills Support (WSS) scheme has been enhanced. Please click here for more details.

Company Sponsored

Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS)

  • Organisation must be registered or incorporated in Singapore
  • Employment size of not more than 200 or with annual sales turnover of not more than $100 million
  • Trainees must be hired in accordance with the Employment Act and fully sponsored by their employers for the course
  • Trainees must be Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents
  • Trainees must not be a full-time national serviceman
  • Trainees are eligible for ETSS funding only if their company's SME status is approved prior to the course commencement date. To verify your SME's status, please click here. 

Please click here for more information on ETSS.

Absentee Payroll

Companies who sponsor their employees for the course may apply for Absentee Payroll here. For more information, please refer to:

AP Guide (Non-SME Companies)
Declaration Guide (SME Companies)

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Trainers

Grace Cheah
Founder
Sustinere
Grace Cheah
Founder
Sustinere

Grace is the owner/ founder of Sustinere, a consultancy which provides sustainability related consulting services to clients across various industries, on topics ranging from health and safety, environment, supply chain, labour and ethics issues, sustainability reporting and assurance. She has more than 12 years of experience in consultancy and auditing for various management systems, traceability schemes and social compliance standards. She holds a Diploma in Adult Continuing Education (DACE) and currently delivers sustainability related training for various Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) as well as corporates. She has experience as a lead verifier for assurance of Sustainability Reports and Integrated Reports for various companies in the region and is a Lead Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (Accountability). She holds a M.Sc. in Biochemical Research from Imperial College London and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Biotechnology from University College London.

Priyaka Dhingra
Director
Ernst & Young LLP Singapore
Priyaka Dhingra
Director
Ernst & Young LLP Singapore

Priyaka is a Director in EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) team and has over 17 years' experience across ESG and Financial Services across in Singapore, Hong Kong and India. Extensive experience across ESG (environmental, social, and governance), impact investing and sustainability consulting to address global climate change challenges, leading complex sustainable finance and ESG integration projects, and advising and supporting large clients in the banking and financial services sector with the financing needs arising from their clients’ net zero transition and renewable energy financing needs. She started her career in Corporate & Institutional Banking with BNP Paribas and worked with them in India and Hong Kong for 7 years before leading impact investing for a large Family Office. She holds a Masters degree in Business Administration and has done Executive Education programs in Impact Management from Harvard Business School & Social Finance from Oxford University.

Janice Joeng
Senior Manager
Ernst & Young LLP Singapore
Janice Joeng
Senior Manager
Ernst & Young LLP Singapore
Janice is a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young LLP Singapore, providing advisory and assurance services for Climate Change and Sustainability. She has 9 years of sustainability experience and has advised more than 30 clients with services such as stakeholder engagement, sustainability material matter review, ESG strategy and framework, measurement and reporting on sustainability matters in line with GRI Standards, SASB Standards, Framework, GHG Protocol, UNSDGs, and Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosure. During her years working at 2 social ventures in the field of fashion and plant-based foods, she has established theory of change with reference to Social Value International and implemented SOPs to empower 30 marginalised women and 1.3 million students. Janice has also facilitated at the EY Impact Hive. Janice holds Bachelor of Accountancy from NTU.
Attiya Ashraf Ali
Assistant Manager
Ernst & Young LLP Singapore
Attiya Ashraf Ali
Assistant Manager
Ernst & Young LLP Singapore

Attiya is an Assistant Manager at Ernst & Young LLP Singapore, under the Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) team. In CCaSS, Attiya’s area of interest lies in community impact projects such as those around philanthropy and impact measurement. She also works on many other ESG-related projects such as strategic advisory, training and assurance services for clients across a variety of sectors. Prior to CCaSS, Attiya was part of EY-Parthenon, where she focused on strategic business management consulting services across sectors such as FMCG, Oil & Gas and Healthtech. Attiya has vast experience in the community space in Singapore as well, with appointments in advisory committees and leadership roles in a non-profit organisation, charity and government-affiliated initiatives.

Testimonials

Thank you SMU Academy for the many wonderful learning experiences I received from your programmes. I have attended a number of sustainability programmes such as ESG & Materiality Reporting and the Certificate in Impact Investing and Mega Trends in Sustainability as well as the Advanced Certificate In Sustainability & Sustainable Businesses. Coming from an industry perspective, I have learned a lot and found the sustainability-related programmes by SMU Academy very useful. Through these programmes, I also got the opportunity to engage and network with various sustainability and ESG industry practitioners from Singapore and even Hong Kong. This is a major advantage for someone like me who is actively transiting from another specialisation into the sustainability/circularity field. Overall, the programmes are well-designed, with the content tailored to address real-world sustainability industry requirements and challenges. It has been a fruitful and enriching learning experience and I appreciate the wonderful industry sharing and learnings with SMU academy. I look forward to more sustainability programmes, especially sustainability finance programmes tailored for those without an advanced background in finance.
Mohamed Kassim Abdur Rahaman

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