Leading Sustainability

Leading Sustainability is a UKGBC short-course supporting busy built environment professionals to lead on sustainability within their organisations and our industry.

The Tools to Lead

The world is on track for a catastrophic 2.6C of global heating by the end of the century, far beyond the 1.5C limit set out in the Paris Agreement. How clear are you on what this means for you as a leader, for how your business is positioned, and for the system-level shifts needed in the built environment?

We largely have the technical solutions we need, but too often we make small tweaks when the moment calls for real change. Closing that gap takes leadership, and it doesn’t have to come from the top. Leading Sustainability gives you the time, space and tools to step back, reset, and lead with purpose.

Capturing insights and knowledge from UKGBC’s sustainability leadership programmes, Leading Sustainability is a four-week short-course that conveys the key concepts and take-aways required to deepen your understanding, expand thinking, and drive behaviour change at individual, organisational, and system level. It is designed to empower participants to lead progress, whatever their job title.

This course is perfect for busy leaders who want to get started in their role as a leader for sustainability, or for those already more well-versed leaders in need of a boost of inspiration and to refine their skills alongside a cohort of passionate peers

You’ll Walk Away With

A clear picture of your leadership style and how to adapt it
A leadership story that moves people with practical techniques to win people over
Confidence to lead, whatever your role
Clarity on how your personal purpose aligns with your organisation’s
Tools to protect your energy, manage stress, and stay open and creative when the pressure is on
A network of peers across industry

Course Content

1

Context and the Science of Leading

Why sustainability leadership matters now, and how stress shapes our behaviour.
2

Behaviours and Purpose

How you show up, how to shift unhelpful patterns, and what drives you
3

Storytelling

Take the case for change and craft your own leadership story
4

Resilience

Look after your “interior condition” so you can keep leading for the long term

How It Works

Over four weeks, this digital course explores core sustainability leadership concepts through compact and manageable learning insights, each summarised with practical actions and next-step suggestions. Learnings are deployed through a combination of:

1) Weekly online learning: short reading, reflection prompts and practical exercises that fit around a busy diary.
2) Three live group sessions: a virtual kick-off, midway check-in and close-out with your cohort.
3) The Sustainability Leadership Companion: a guide to keep, covering purpose, innovation, storytelling and systems change.

Who Should Take Part

Every one of us has the potential to act as a leader within our spheres of influence, regardless of position or job title. This course will support you think through your own agency and help build your confidence in leading for sustainability. It is open to sustainability and non-sustainability professionals, and may particularly benefit anyone who is: 

1
Leading sustainable change through uncertainty
2
Putting a sustainability vision into practice
3
Motivating your team on sustainability
4
Bringing your values and your work closer together
5
Short on time, but ready to invest in yourself

Secure Your Place

Leading Sustainability will next take over 4 weeks, beginning 25th January 2027. Email us to book your place today at leaders@ukgbc.org.

Costs: £200+VAT, discounted at £150+VAT for UKGBC members.