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A watercolour painting of a river bank with bushes and a flock of birds, represeting sustainability leadership

Sustainability Leadership Skills Programme

A 10 session public accredited course covering key skills in sustainability, personal development and leadership.

Do you want to embed sustainability into your career or workplace?
Are you already working in sustainability and wanting the skills to create intersectional, long-term change?
Are you wanting to nurture a network with inspiring change agents?
 

Wherever you are on your career journey, our Sustainability Leadership Skills Programme is for you. 

A really insightful course, ran by passionate and knowledgeable sustainability leaders!

"

Inspiring and empowering. Clarify your values, strengthen your leadership skills, and connect your purpose to real-world action.

"

What is the Sustainability Leadership Skills Programme (SLSP)?

Sustainability Leadership Skills Programme knowledge wheel

"An insightful and interesting exploration of sustainable leadership skills" â€‹

"Stimulating, engaging, motivating, incredibly delivered" ​

"Educational and transformative"

How past participants describe our programme

The SLSP is a holistic journey designed for sustainability practitioners who are ready to look ahead: not just at how we can tackle global challenges but also how we can nurture new mindsets and organisations shaped by sustainability.

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Through our 10 innovative and exploratory units, you will practise the transformational skills needed to enact change. It will prepare you to create regenerative, intersectional and nature-based action, with personal connection and professional impact.

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We weave environmental management and frameworks with inner development, thought leadership and wellbeing. Join our cross-sector community to enhance your practise, prepare for the future, and become the leader you are capable of being.

At a glance

  • Ten, two hour weekly sessions, live online

  • Interactive workshops mixing skills application, reflection activities & lecture-style teaching

  • Online platform with resources & activities to support learning

  • An active cross-sector network 

  • Student membership from the Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM)

  • A certificate to showcase your skills, endorsed by the Leadership Skills Foundation.

Upcoming Cohorts

Skills & Values 

Environmental Sustainability

People & Planet

Systemic Thinking

Ethics, Decisions & Culture

Creativity & Future-Thinking

Responsible Project Management

Inclusive Communication

Resilience in Change 

Sustainability Leadership

AUTUMN '26

15 Oct

22 Oct

29 Oct

5 Nov

12 Nov

19 Nov

26 Nov

3 Dec

10 Dec

17 Dec

WINTER '27

20 Jan

27 Jan

3 Feb

10 Feb

17 Feb

24 Feb

3 Mar

10 Mar

17 Mar

24 Mar

Course Content Overview

Accredited by the Leadership Skills Foundation and aligned to the GreenCorp Competence Framework and Inner Development Goals, the Programme supports professional journeys to Chartered Environmentalist via the CIWM.

1. Foundations of Sustainability 

Setting the scene for the sustainability landscape that we work and live in. ​

     Skills and Values

We start with connecting to our own impact through exploring the role of values & skills in leading change.

   Environmental Sustainability

We identify our impact & reliance on nature, including global & organisational context and approaches to sustainability.

People and Planet

How do we ensure our solutions are equitable? We'll explore identity and climate justice principles to answer this.

2. Framing the Future 

Here we explore different perspectives to broaden and enhance our sustainability solutions. Becoming creative and the critical role of culture in shaping what success means.

Systemic Thinking

Systemic principles, tools & solutions such as circular economy build the base for us to map & shape our broad impact.

  Ethics, Decisions & Culture​

Culture, upbringing & perspective shape our actions. We practise complex decision-making that brings in our inner compass.

     Creativity & Future-Thinking

Creativity is vital for creating new futures and solutions. We'll play with it, and outline visions of the future to see how they impact what we build into it.

3. Collaborating for Change 

Here we explore how we can collaborate to manage projects responsibly, and connect with others using nature as an inspiration to foster community-grown solutions. 

Responsible Project Management

A crash course in how to manage projects that embed sustainability as business-as-usual. We introduce responsible PM tools, principles and practice them to translate skills into process.

Communicating Sustainability​

Climate activation needs us to engage motivations and skills. We'll practise a values-based approach to build enthusiasm across groups, while utilising active listening, empathy and stakeholder mapping.

4. Leadership and Action

How do we build resilient practices that support us and others to work sustainably and not burn out? Let's find out, while recognising our own journey as a sustainability leader ready to thrive in the green transition.

Resilience in Change

Sustainability affects us emotionally, and climate anxiety can hinder all process. We provide context before seeing how to build resilient networks and organisations through times of disruption.

Sustainability Leadership​​

As we close this chapter to open the next, we define our unique sustainability leadership style and pathway, engaging our strengths, resourcing our motivations and unlocking our aspirations.

Sustainability Leadership Skills Entry Routes

FUNDED BY EMPLOYER OR ORGANISATION

CPD pathway for those funded by their place of work or study. 

£495+VAT​

We regularly deliver this as a private training for organisations or students, perfect for team-building, strategy and development. Please email us to have an exploratory call.​

SELF-FUNDED

Self funded individuals can join the course for £495 + VAT. However we do offer a bursary scheme (see below)​​​​

We offer low income tickets at a reduced fee (the team can run you through the options), or if you are requiring more assistance our pay what you can scheme is linked below.

​​Leadership Bursary Scheme

​We are excited to offer up to 10 places on a Pay What You Can basis (minimum contribution £25 to cover certificate fee) to passionate, inspiring and proactive individuals who may be otherwise unable to afford the programme and access green skills training. If you're a career seeker, transitioner, or in financial uncertainty, you can find out more and apply here.  

CIWM LOGO

The programme is supported by the Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM). Participants will become eligible for Associate membership on completion. During the programme, they will benefit from free student membership.

Leadership Skills Foundation-Accredited.png

‘The Systems Thinking and Creativity sessions were run in person for my postgraduate students. The Change Agents team delivered a highly engaging and interactive workshop over 3 hours. The students thoroughly enjoyed the session (as did I). Not only were the students introduced to new ways of thinking but they also collaborated and bonded over creativity exercises which were built into the session. I will be inviting Change Agents back! Thank you!’

Georgina Gough - UWE

FAQs

1/

Will I receive a certificate?

If you attend at least 80% of the live sessions and pass the assessments then yes, you will receive a certificate from Change Agents UK, certifying your achievement at the completion of the programme. Be ready to share it loud and proud!

2/

How many people are on each course? 

We are usually joined by 8-18 participants in each cohort. Due to the cross-sector nature of our content, they join from a variety of diverse backgrounds – participant feedback often highlights this as a real benefit to their experience. Some are senior sustainability leaders wanting to develop their skillset, some are starting out their green careers (either as early careerists and career-changers), and some are integrating sustainability into their influential work. Wherever you are coming for, we are sure there is a place for you. If you would like to enquire about your suitability for the course, please contact us.

3/

How is the training delivered?

The live sessions are delivered online via Zoom. We also deliver private courses directly to groups, both online and in-person. If you’re interested in this, please check out our Sustainability Leadership Skills for Organisations webpage. SLSP is a very interactive course. We will have multiple breakout room discussions and activities in addition to full group quizzes and conversations. Due to this, you must have a working microphone and camera on your computer to engage. If you have any accessibility concerns about engaging positively and effectively, please reach out to us.

4/

When will I get access to the online portal?

You will receive an invitation to join the portal where you can book sessions and review your progress before the first session. Your access will remain for at least 3 weeks beyond the training.

5/

Is there an assessment?

You will have weekly reflections and quizzes to complete in our online portal during the course. After the end of our live sessions, you will have a final reflective assessment to complete that covers all modules.

6/

Are there payment options?

Our course is £495+VAT which is to be paid ahead of the first session. We are able to raise an invoice, use direct card payments or, for low-income attendees, split the fee over multiple payments. All of this is included in the application form. If you are unemployed currently then we do offer our Access Scheme to support financial accessibility.

7/

Can I book for a group of people?

Yes. We can deliver the Sustainability Leadership Skills Programme to groups of up to 20 at a time and as small as 6. It's a high impact option for team development. If you'd like to explore this, please email contact@changeagents.org.uk and a member of the team will be in touch.

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