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Foundation programme

Introduction to ESG, Sustainability and Sustainable Development

A practical entry programme for professionals who need a clear understanding of sustainability, sustainable development and Environmental, Social and Governance principles. Participants learn the business case, core terminology, stakeholder expectations and the first steps required to support an organisation’s sustainability journey.

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Duration2 days
Learning levelFoundation · 16 learning hours
CredentialCENGSSUD Foundation Certificate in ESG and Sustainability
Corporate deliveryAvailable for in-house cohorts
Programme purpose

Learning designed for immediate organisational application.

A practical entry programme for professionals who need a clear understanding of sustainability, sustainable development and Environmental, Social and Governance principles. Participants learn the business case, core terminology, stakeholder expectations and the first steps required to support an organisation’s sustainability journey.

Available dates

Choose the session that works for you.

21–22 September 2026Apply for this date ↗
30 November–1 December 2026Apply for this date ↗
Detailed two-day curriculum

Six modules, practical exercises and workplace-ready outputs.

The programme moves from core concepts to guided application. Every major module includes focused submodules and a practical exercise.

Day 1

Understanding sustainability, ESG and organisational relevance

Module 1 — Sustainable development and the changing business context

  • Sustainability, sustainable development and the SDGs
  • Global, African and Nigerian sustainability drivers
  • How regulation, investors, customers and communities are changing business expectations

Practical application: Business-context scan: identify the sustainability forces affecting your organisation.

Module 2 — Environmental, social and governance fundamentals

  • Environmental topics: climate, energy, water, waste, pollution and nature
  • Social topics: workforce, safety, human rights, inclusion and communities
  • Governance topics: ethics, Board oversight, risk, controls and accountability

Practical application: ESG issue-mapping exercise using a practical organisational case.

Module 3 — Business value, risks, opportunities and stakeholders

  • How ESG affects revenue, cost, assets, liabilities and access to finance
  • Stakeholder identification, expectations and engagement
  • Recognising impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities

Practical application: Stakeholder and value-impact mapping workshop.

Daily participant outputA preliminary ESG issue map and stakeholder matrix for the participant’s organisation.

Day 2

Turning ESG understanding into practical organisational action

Module 4 — Materiality, strategy and priority setting

  • Introduction to impact, financial and double materiality
  • From priority issues to objectives and strategic choices
  • Selecting meaningful KPIs, baselines and targets

Practical application: Prioritise a sample ESG topic universe and define two measurable objectives.

Module 5 — Governance, implementation, data and evidence

  • Board, management, process-owner and ESG-team responsibilities
  • Policies, action plans, ownership and escalation
  • Data definitions, evidence requirements and basic quality controls

Practical application: Build a simple responsibility matrix and evidence checklist.

Module 6 — Reporting landscape and personal action planning

  • Overview of IFRS S1, IFRS S2, GRI, SASB and Nigerian expectations
  • Principles of credible, balanced and decision-useful disclosure
  • Avoiding unsupported claims and developing an implementation roadmap

Practical application: Prepare a 90-day ESG action plan for immediate workplace application.

Daily participant outputA practical 90-day ESG action plan, responsibility matrix and priority KPI shortlist.

Who should attend

Designed for the people responsible for delivery.

  • Professionals new to ESG and sustainability
  • Graduate trainees and career transitioners
  • Departmental focal persons and ESG Champions
  • Public, private and social-sector practitioners
Learning outcomes

What participants will be able to do.

  • Explain core ESG and sustainability concepts
  • Recognise material environmental, social and governance issues
  • Understand how sustainability connects to business decisions
  • Contribute confidently to organisational ESG implementation
Participant resources

Practical take-away tools.

  • ESG and sustainability terminology guide
  • Material-issue identification worksheet
  • Personal learning and action plan
  • Introductory framework reference guide
Learning methodology

Technical instruction translated into practical action.

Facilitator-led instruction, relatable Nigerian and African cases, group exercises, practical discussions and an action-planning clinic.

Secure your place or train your organisation.

Register an individual participant, book a corporate cohort or request a tailored in-house version aligned with your sector and implementation priorities.

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