Driving Sustainability from the Boardroom

IMD Business School

Governance

About Programme

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors have become a global imperative, placing companies under increasing scrutiny. This heightened stakeholder focus means boards are confronted with new expectations. Yet few directors are equipped to govern ESG issues.

IMD’s Driving Sustainability from the Boardroom is a highly experiential program that immerses you in the complex and multifaceted realities of ESG. Part of IMD’s collaboration with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), it will enable you to fulfill your role of influencing and steering the integration of sustainability into your company’s strategy.

You can join the program for a standalone learning experience, or as part of one of IMD’s board diploma pathways .

ESG Literacy

Be ready to lead conversations and ask the right questions in and out of the boardroom by acquiring full ESG literacy.

ESG Upsides

Identify and leverage ESG opportunities for your company’s long-term success and reputation.

ESG Stewardship

Understand how ESG expands your fiduciary and accountability duties in your role as steward of your company’s long-term success.

ESG Crisis Management

Gain experience of handling difficult ESG conversations and responding to ESG crises through immersive in-class simulations.

Programme Content

Step 1 – Explore

10-day countdown – Online self-preparation – 30 minutes per day

Your exploration of the multiple facets of ESG begins 10 days before the program starts. You will receive short articles, videos and reflection questions designed to level up your understanding of the topic, its core concepts, terminology, frameworks and tools. You will evaluate your board’s sustainability potential and prepare your reflections to share with your peers on campus.

Key topics include:

The extension of board members fiduciary duties.

The economics of climate change.

Latest developments and trends in regulatory landscape & corporate reporting.

The financial and operational business case of sustainability.

Shareholder activism & major ESG crisis.

Step 2 – Experience

Situational learning – On campus – 2 days

Highly diverse situational learning is a key component of the program. Over your two days on campus, you will take part in crisis simulations, be interviewed by activists and explore how to harness the upsides of ESG without falling into the trap of greenwashing. Theoretical knowledge and frameworks will support you during role-plays and back in the boardroom.

Step 3 – Engage

Post-program exchanges

After the program, you and your fellow program participants will form a community for sharing experiences and ideas. Your conversations will be fueled by further insights from IMD.

Testimonials

"The program challenged me to rethink the way sustainability is approached in boardrooms. It’s no longer a peripheral agenda item or a matter of compliance – it’s central to strategy, risk management, and long-term value creation."

Ravin Dajee

Managing Director, Absa (Mauritius) Bank Ltd.

"The deep knowledge of the faculty and the exchange of ideas with peers in a similar situation was an eye-opening experience. The real-life examples also helped me get a much deeper understanding on how I can introduce ESG to the boards with which I am involved."

Kimmo J. Lipponen

Mauritius

"It was such a rich and wonderful experience. Sustainability challenges were presented as opportunities for organizations to implement positive change. Having a mix of peers from different industries and faculty also opened doors to different thinking and approaches."

Dr. Annette Schueller

CEO, Finnish Business and Society

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Alfred Grunwald

Finland

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Emmanuelle Ferrari

Board Member

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Anonymous

Ethics & Compliance, Switzerland

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