(2026 LSS) Sustainability Strategies for International Business

About

This course explores how businesses are responding to the big challenges facing energy, transport, water, and food systems. Although businesses are strategically rethinking their sustainability strategies, many struggle to achieve their sustainable goals or to authentically communicate their efforts. The course covers key topics such as climate change, social responsibility, resource competition, the energy transition, and greenwashing. Students will learn about the complexities of sustainability, including the triple bottom line, or how companies balance financial success with social responsibility and environmental care. They will analyse why it’s not always easy to meet all these goals at once and why sustainability often means managing difficult trade-offs and paradoxes. This course also looks closely at how different parts of the world experience and define sustainability differently, helping them understand the broad and conflicting realities that shape sustainable business strategies today. It incorporates voices and perspectives from both Western and the non-Western world, addressing the growing criticism about sustainability objectives set primarily by the Western countries and according to their standards.

Course leader

BEVERIDGE Ivana, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Milton Aldrete, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland

Target group

Bachelor students

Course aim

• Obtain the knowledge needed to define, interpret and operationalize the concept of social and ecological sustainability in a business context
• Understand the major themes and issues related to sustainability efforts
• Understand limitations and challenges with sustainability efforts
• Critically reflect on the main sustainability issues influencing business strategy

Fee info