10 of the best sustainability marketing & communications courses

As the demand for sustainability-driven marketing surges, people are looking to lift their skills and stay ahead of the curve.

Plus, research continues to report on the sizeable hole in the job market where green skills are concerned.

To bridge the gap, all sorts of institutions are introducing programs to help aspiring people make a sustainable transformation.

Whether you’re a seasoned marketer looking to swerve towards sustainability or a PR pro aiming to get more deft with environmental and social responsibility, these courses can help you thrive in the wild landscape of sustainability marketing.

Without further ado, let’s explore today’s top sustainability marketing courses.

We’ve divided up them up based on course length. Scroll through them all if you’ve got the time, or skip to the one that best suits you:

• Diplomas: 6 to 12 months
• Short programs: 3 to 12 weeks
• Others: less than 2 weeks

Diplomas

1. Level 7 Diploma in Sustainability Communications

• Institution: The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)
• Duration: 6 to 8 months
• Cost: tuition fee determined by the chosen study center + CIPR member fee + assessment fee

This professional qualification, focused on managing sustainability communications better in today’s chaotic world, was just recently launched by CIPR in January 2022. You’ll learn how to analyze sustainability data and put it to good use to support organizations in achieving the UN SDGs. It’s designed for senior PR professionals looking to incorporate sustainability into their strategic planning and management. But it’s also ideal for generalist PR professionals who want to expand into or specialize in sustainability.

CIPR is the institution that provides the final certificate, which means you’ll have to access the course through another party. For now, there’s the Cambridge Marketing College and Oxford College of Marketing.

2. Level 7 CIM Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Marketing

• Institution: The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM)
• Duration: 12 months
• Cost: tuition fee determined by the chosen study center + CIM member fee £65 + assessment fee (£510-£630)

The program is a Master’s degree equivalent designed to deepen your understanding of marketing’s strategic role in tackling the sustainability hurdles organizations face today. Geared towards folk in leadership or more senior roles, the curriculum dives into sustainable marketing strategies, ethical consumer trends, eco-friendly product creation, and managing green supply chains.

Just like CIPR, CIM is a certifying institution, so here’s their list of the few approved study centers. If you’re a bit more limited in time, you can always check out some of the shorter sustainable marketing courses on offer.

Short programs

3. Sustainable Marketing, Media and Creative

• Institution: University of Cambridge
• Duration: 8 weeks
• Cost: £2,350

This online course is all about reshaping marketing, media, and creativity to promote long-lasting wellbeing for people and planet. It arms participants with the savvy to craft sustainable marketing campaigns, harness media channels for powerful communication, and infuse creativity into sustainability efforts. Perfect for marketing, media, and creative professionals who want to take charge when it comes to sustainable transformation.

4. Communicating for Influence and Impact

• Institution: University of Cambridge
• Duration: 8 weeks
• Cost: £2,350

Whether you’re a seasoned leader or aspiring to be one, this course is all about boosting communication skills and empowering you to make a real impact in your circles. Acquire the know-how to communicate with purpose, and understand your own leadership style inside and out. You’ll benefit regardless of the industry you work in. But where sustainability’s concerned, learning how to influence is crucial when trying to will others into action.

5. Sustainability Communication Strategies

• Institution: The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
• Duration: 3 weeks
• Cost: £500

This short course from LSE is all about developing, as the title suggests, sustainability communication strategies. You’ll discover how to make your audience not just listeners but active partners in the conversation. Interestingly, you’ll also dive into ethics – how to balance it with an organization’s priorities and what all stakeholders want. The course is tailor-made for communication pros and mid-level managers looking for practical tips on communicating sustainability initiatives inside and outside the company.

6. Sustainable Business Strategy

• Institution: Harvard Business School
• Duration: 3 weeks
• Cost: $1,750

This online self-paced course looks at integrating sustainability into business strategy and the decision-making process. Students learn how to spot those golden opportunities for sustainability, size up the risks, and build a solid business case that’s all about doing good while doing well. This course is perfect for CSR professionals and consultants, and leaders and entrepreneurs. Really, anyone driven by purpose and ready to make a difference.

Other courses

7. Sustainable Communication & Reporting

• Institution: Antwerp Management School (AMS)
• Duration: 1-10 days
• Cost: €3,600

AMS calls it a Master Class. This intensive course is all about learning how to tell an organization’s sustainability story in a way that hits home with employees, customers, and any other stakeholders. And with that, spark engagement and effect real change. You’ll look into the latest trends in sustainability marketing, ethical pitfalls to avoid (like greenwashing or greenhushing), and the ins and outs of sustainability reporting and accounting, with a special focus on the EU Taxonomy.

8. Communicating Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Sustainability

• Institution: Republic Polytechnic (Singapore)
• Duration: 2 days
• Cost: S$218.00 (reduced fees for Singaporean residents and citizens)

This two-day program will enable you to better champion your company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives for sustainability. You’ll learn about ESG reporting frameworks, hone your skills in engaging stakeholders, and explore different channels for sustainability communication. The course is directed towards those working in public affairs, marketing communications, corporate strategy, or directly involved in sustainability efforts.

ESG is one of the rising industry trends for sustainability’s main players. If you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve then it’s a worthwhile area to get immersed in.

9. Sustainable Marketing

• Institution: Temasek Polytechnic (Singapore)
• Duration: 1 day
• Cost: register your interest for full details

This is a foundational course that will provide you with the basics of sustainable and green marketing. Designed for marketing and communications professionals, it’s all about understanding what makes marketing sustainable and the best practices for green marketing. By the end, you’ll be ready to shake up your business’ current marketing strategies.

10. SDG Academy

Now, maybe you don’t always have the resources to dedicate to an accredited course. But you want to keep on learning, and learn from reputable organizations.

Newsflash: the SDG Academy, an initiative of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, offers over 30 sustainability courses related to one or more of the 17 UN SDGs. The best part? They’re for free.

Since the SDGs are already part of numerous sustainability frameworks and reporting standards, this free learning platform is an excellent base for anyone hoping to specialize in sustainability marketing and communications.

And there you have it. A roundup of the top courses available to cater to the growing demand for sustainability marketing and communications.

Sustainability marketing training at Akepa

At Akepa, we also offer corporate sustainability marketing training – through practical remote sessions to train you on the tactics we employ to help our sustainable clients grow and succeed. Areas like SEO, paid ads, content marketing and Google Analytics. It’s a simple, affordable, and also low-emissions way to give you some of the skills you need to advance your sustainable mission. Find out more about our sustainability communications training, here.

if you’re a business owner looking for tailored program for your employees and that sounds like a reasonable way forward, reach out to and we’d be happy to talk you through it. After all, we’re pretty good at sustainability marketing and – whether you’re learning about sustainability or anything else – it’s important that you learn from the best!

Not on the list but think you should be?

Just get in touch to let us know and we can have a chat about adding you. We want this list to be as accurate as possible and we’re well aware that fantastic new courses like yours are popping-up all the time.