This online certificate course delivered by University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) helps marketers build practical skills to lead sustainable marketing and brand strategy, creating measurable business value while driving long-term social and environmental wellbeing.
IPA members can claim up to 20% discount on the IPA Excellence in Sustainable Marketing Management delivered by CISL. This course will equip you with practical strategies, expert guidance and a global network to transform marketing and brand management into a force for long-term social and environmental wellbeing, culminating in a personalised Strategy for Action. The course has an estimated 75 hours of learning and will give you 3 stars towards your MIPA pathway.
Course benefits
- Enhanced knowledge of your role in challenging and redefining marketing, media and creative’s business-as-usual practices to recreate value and contribute to sustainable development.
- Real-world strategies for rewiring marketing’s psychological and sociological impacts and reforming its physical impact on people, nature and climate.
- The tools and confidence to innovate and disrupt unsustainable marketing practices through purpose-led marketing and leadership.
- An ambitious and practical Strategy for Action to drive transformational change and amplify your impact.
- Access to a global cohort of like-minded change agents, as well as the CISL Network comprising over 20,000 professionals and leaders from across industries and society.
- This course will give you 3 stars towards your MIPA pathway.
Course curriculum
- Module 1: Reclaiming marketing.
- Module 2: Transition and transform marketing for a sustainable future.
- Module 3: Reform marketing's footprint.
- Module 4: Rewire marketing's psychological, sociological and cultural influence.
- Module 5: Navigate the complexities of greenwashing and purpose-washing.
- Module 6: Purpose-driven leadership and innovation
- Module 7: Articulate your ambition for change.
- Module 8: Strategise for action and unite for impact.
How is the learning delivered?
- 8 weeks
- 8-10 hours per week
- Online, tutor-assisted
This CISL online certificate course is delivered in collaboration with online education provider GetSmarter. Join a growing community of global professionals who've already had the opportunity to:
- Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from a top-tier university, entirely online and in your own time.
- Enjoy a personalised, people-mediated online learning experience that consistently achieves over 90 per cent course certification rate.
- Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.
Your course convenors
The design of this online course is guided by CISL faculty and industry specialists and led by one of our expert Head Tutors.
Paul Randle, Head Tutor, Sustainable Marketing, Communications and Brand Management, CISL
Paul Randle is an award-winning author and sustainability and marketing thought leader, ranked among the Technology for Marketing’s Top 100 Marketing Influencers. He co-authored Sustainable Marketing – the industry’s role in a sustainable future, winner of the American Marketing Association Leonard Berry Book Award and a finalist in the 2024 Business Book Awards.
Paul serves as Head Tutor of the online course on Sustainable Marketing, Communications and Brand Management at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and co-founded the Sustainable Marketing Compass and Effectiveness 2.0 framework. With over three decades of experience in digital, data, AI, and sustainability-driven transformation, he helps global brands reframe competitiveness for a sustainable future. Currently, he leads ESG Marketing & Training at Boston Scientific and runs Pickle Consulting, advising on strategic marketing and sustainability. Dr Victoria Hurst, Independent pracademic
Victoria Hurth, Fellow, CISL and Head Tutor, Sustainable Marketing, Communications and Brand Management, CISL
Dr Victoria Hurth works globally at the intersect of academia and hands-on business to help companies transition to be drivers of long-term wellbeing for all (sustainability). This includes advising executives across a wide range of sectors on the intersect between purpose, sustainability, ESG and reporting and how to lead the transformative change needed.
Among other achievements she co-led the 5-year development of the first global ISO standard in Governance of Organizations (ISO 37000:2021), was Technical Author for the first national standard in Purpose-Driven Organisations (PAS 808:2022) and advised the UN on the methodology for SDG 12.6.1 (sustainability reporting). As a Fellow of University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) Victoria is engaged in a range of executive and academic leadership programmes.
Victoria heads the Sustainability Impact Advisory committee for UnaTerra Venture Capital, a member of SACE’s (Italy’s national export underwriter) Impact Advisory Committee, a regular UNCTAD review panel member for ISAR Honors and was a member of WBCSD’s working group on Governance. Victoria is currently a Non-Executive Director of the organic standards company Soil Association Certification Ltd. She has over 20 years’ experience in business transformation having previously worked for 3M and Accenture and developing theory as a full time Associate Professor of Sustainable Business and Marketing.
CPD Certified
This course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The course has an estimated 75 hours of learning.