Fostering green business growth
This course is also delivered in Spanish (02–20 October 2023)
Présentation du cours
Environmental challenges, including climate change, are changing the way businesses work - either because they are forced to or because they proactively seek to. Green businesses tend to be more profitable and future proof. They save scarce resources, help maintain healthy ecosystems, minimize pollution and waste, limit greenhouse emissions, and provide green goods and services that enable more responsible consumption patterns. Green businesses are vital for a development model that delivers a triple bottom-line of prosperity, planet and people. The benefits from flourishing green businesses are twofold. The business community becomes more competitive while at the same time the jobs produced are supporting a societal change towards greener and healthier lives for people. However, sustainability as a business driver remains novel for many. Companies therefore need support in the process of going green. Governments and private sector support agencies have a clear role in creating an enabling environment for green business growth and promoting the greening of business practices. This course will provide policy makers and practitioners with insights and tools to support businesses in the green economy. How to support businesses in their efforts to go green? What works and what does not work in supporting green business development? Join this course to find out more on green business growth strategies and become one of the movers and shakers in a greener future.
Groupes cibles
This course targets policymakers and business service providers involved in the design and implementation of national or local strategies and instruments for supporting the greening of businesses: employers' and business membership organizations; SME agencies, business development service providers and business incubators; development practitioners responsible for green business finance and/or green business development; development agencies sponsoring green SMEs and entrepreneurship; members of civil society organizations supporting green business growth.
What topics does this course cover?
This course provides both a conceptual and practical overview of how business
service providers and business membership organizations support SMEs going green,
including:
- Green business development services, green business competitions, green business training, marketing, fast prototyping and B2B
- Green innovation models, certification, eco-labelling
- Greening business operations and value chains
- Green financial instruments: Green loans, green bonds and green investments
- Approaches for assessing and building a conducive environment for green businesses.
What will I learn?
This course will provide you with an increased understanding of:
- The business case for greening transitions: Market failures and the rationale for supporting green business growth
- Opportunities and challenges at firm level: the internal and external drivers to going green
- The role of SME agencies and business service providers in the green transition
- How to design an appropriate mix of policies and support programmes to make green business growth happen
- Tested tools and approaches to support green entrepreneurship
- Policy advocacy tools and approaches to greening of businesses.
What will I be able to do?
- Review state-of-the-art tools, policies and instruments for supporting greening businesses
- Reflect and innovate upon your own service offering towards greening businesses
- Share experiences on the challenges and opportunities for supporting green business development in different contexts
- Exchange knowledge with a community of green champions, practitioners and high-level experts.
