Consequently, there is a growing need for quantification of a company’s commitment to sustainability and its overall performance. Moreover, as companies work towards net zero emissions and meeting the requirements of the Paris Agreement, jobs that help foster corporate sustainability are becoming more common. Unfortunately, as it is an emerging profession profile, a significant skills gap has been identified in both big corporations and SMEs.

The aim of this roundtable is to create platforms for dialogue on education and certification related to sustainability and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). The business associations participating have all implemented pioneering training programmes and/or certification schemes for sustainability and CSR, each one in its country of operation. These training programmes help bridge the skills gap in sustainability professions, whereas CSR and sustainability certification schemes are powerful tools in building stakeholder trust. To that end, this roundtable will take the form of two panel discussions: one on education and training in sustainability and CSR, and one on sustainable and responsible business certification.

During the live discussions some key issues will be addressed. What are the skills that every Sustainability and CSR professional nowadays needs? How equipped are professionals from all business functions in managing CSR aspects and what skills should they be equipped with? What is the role of secondary and tertiary education in acquiring such skills? What is it exactly that CSR certification schemes certify? What are the benefits for businesses of hiring professionals skilled in CSR? What can a CSR certification offer to a company?

The two discussion panels of the roundtable will feature experts from business, academia, and National Partner Organisations (NPOs) of CSR Europe. It is important not only to present the point of view of the organisations offering the training or certification (reasons for developing a training programme or certification scheme, relevant achievements so far, future plans etc.), but also that of a training or certification beneficiary (why choose to be trained or certified, added value of training or certification to their career/business function etc). Both panels are mainly targeting businesses, but also the public sector, academia and NGOs, and there will be time at the end for questions from the audience.

Panel A: Strengthening corporate trust through education and training in Sustainability and CSR

This panel will focus on the rising need for educating higher education students in Sustainability and CSR principles, and the market demand for professionals skilled in Sustainability and CSR. To set the scene, a representative from Deloitte will give present the emerging role of Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), the conditions that prompt organisations to appoint a CSO, as well as the CSO skill set; as these were presented in the company’s 2020 publication “The future of the Chief Sustainability Officer: Sense-maker in chief”. Then The Shifters – an NGO linked to NPO The Shift (BE) – will present the “Education4Climate” report on education relating to environmental and climate sustainability in Belgian universities and high schools. Next, NPOs IRDO (SI) and CSR HELLAS (GR) will talk about their training programmes, “Manager for Social Responsibility and Sustainable Development” and “CSR School” respectively.

Panel B: Certification for Sustainable and Responsible Behavior as stakeholder trust accelerator

This panel will focus on certification for businesses throughout their business’ corporate strategy (corporate level) and supply chain (supply chain level). NPO’s Ekvilib (SI), IRDO (SI), and CSR HELLAS (GR) will discuss about their CSR certification initiatives, “Socially Responsible Employer”, “Horus Slovenian Award for Social Responsibility”, and “ETHOS” respectively.