ESG & Sustainability

Training for a Sustainable future

Organizations that are serious about establishing and assessing their level of sustainability must absolutely take an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) approach. The three elements are inextricably interwoven, and every sustainable organization relies on them to develop their strategy, business, and operations. There is growing evidence that businesses genuinely concerned with environmental, social, and good governance issues get ahead in the long run.

Related laws and regulations have positively deluged the market, throwing down the gauntlet to investors, lenders, corporate leaders, and the corporate environment at large and requiring them to master ESG and Sustainability issues fast and properly.

VdA Academia is keenly aware of these challenges and of the novelty and complexity of these already inescapable issues. We put together a training package that covers the most important ESG issues to help improve corporate leaders’ ESG literacy.

Our training contents can be combined and customized to cater to each specific sector’s requirements. You can also choose between a ‘getting started’ or a more ‘in-depth’ training model, according to your leaders’ needs.
Our training is available in both English and Portuguese.

For more information, email us at esg@vdacademia.pt

Training Contents

The ESG framework in a nutshell

Why it is a Must for the corporate ecosystem
The ESG framework in a nutshell
Why it is a Must for the corporate ecosystem

Understanding the “E”, the “S” and the “G” and why an ESG approach is a must for any kind of business, regardless of the sector in which it operates, and not just for financial organisations.

The Taxonomy Regulation and Climate Delegated Acts

A common language on sustainable activities
The Taxonomy Regulation and Climate Delegated Acts
A common language on sustainable activities

Grasping the essentials of a new language on sustainable activities and understanding how the EU Taxonomy and its Delegated Acts interact with the other measures of the Sustainable Finance Action Plan.

The European Green Deal and the Sustainable Finance Action Plan

An Overview
The European Green Deal and the Sustainable Finance Action Plan
An Overview

Learning about the most relevant goals and measures of a broad and ambitious European plan, including with respect to climate neutrality, which has triggered a legislative avalanche with impacts on every organisation.

Sustainable Finance

The Regulatory Package
Sustainable Finance
The Regulatory Package

Gaining an overview of an extensive regulatory package that will dramatically change the face of the financial system and anticipating its main impacts on business life.

Green bonds and other sustainable debt

Novos paradigmas de financiamento sustentável
Green bonds and other sustainable debt
Novos paradigmas de financiamento sustentável

Learning about the basic characteristics and objectives of green bonds, blue bonds, SDG-linked bonds, social bonds, sustainability-linked bonds, how these operations are structured, and identifying how they relate to the sustainable finance regulatory package.

New ESG Reporting Obligations

What changes, inside and outside Europe?
New ESG Reporting Obligations
What changes, inside and outside Europe?

Understanding the extensive new reporting obligations and why sustainability information is now on equal footing with financial information, based on specific KPIs.

The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation

Implications and practical considerations
The Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation
Implications and practical considerations

Grasping the overarching impact that the Regulation known as "SFDR" will have on entities operating in the financial market and learning how it purports to deter greenwashing.

European and Portuguese Climate Law

A Net Zero Europe by 2050
European and Portuguese Climate Law
A Net Zero Europe by 2050

Understanding the main drivers, features and implications of legislation that imposes a legally binding net zero emissions target for 2050 in a bid to ensure an irreversible transition to climate neutrality.

Businesses and Human Rights

The Directive on corporate due diligence and corporate accountability
Businesses and Human Rights
The Directive on corporate due diligence and corporate accountability

Gaining awareness of the expected new legal obligations on businesses' liability for any human rights (including environmental) violations because of their operations and supply chain.

Sustainable Corporate Governance

The new expected requirements
Sustainable Corporate Governance
The new expected requirements

Learning about the concerns motivating the change in sustainable corporate governance’s legal status quo, particularly in connection with fiduciary duties, senior officers’ compensation policies, and the organization's sustainability goals.

Employee Engagement

Alignment between the organizations’ and their employees’ goals
Employee Engagement
Alignment between the organizations’ and their employees’ goals

Appreciate the importance of leveraging the company's success and economic growth on effective employee engagement with the business purpose, with diverse impacts on productivity, loyalty, and talent retention.

Diversity’s and Inclusion’s dividend

So much more than just a moral issue
Diversity’s and Inclusion’s dividend
So much more than just a moral issue

Understand why proper management of diversity and inclusive employment issues by companies contributes to better performance, including financial performance.

Anti-Money Laundering (AML)

A regulatory requirement for most corporations
Anti-Money Laundering (AML)
A regulatory requirement for most corporations

Acquire key knowledge on how to implement effective compliance systems to prevent money laundering and avoid misdemeanor, criminal and financial liabilities.

The European hydrogen strategy in the context of carbon neutrality

Uma nova economia do hidrogénio?
The European hydrogen strategy in the context of carbon neutrality
Uma nova economia do hidrogénio?

Understanding the challenges posed by the green hydrogen strategy and identifying the opportunities afforded by the different “hydrogen economy” supports.

Sustainable Public Procurement

Um instrumento chave rumo aos objetivos de sustentabilidade
Sustainable Public Procurement
Um instrumento chave rumo aos objetivos de sustentabilidade

Learning about the legal mechanisms and good practices that enable sustainable public procurement, turning it into a powerful tool to protect the environment and contribute to the achievement of the applicable stringent climate targets.

Sustainability and Taxation

Que estratégia de risco fiscal?
Sustainability and Taxation
Que estratégia de risco fiscal?

Analyzing the main metrics and guiding principles of the different tax regimes as they relate to ESG issues and learning how to align tax strategy with the organization's sustainability objectives and how to define a "tax integrity" line.

Privacy and Cybersecurity

How to manage risk?
Privacy and Cybersecurity
How to manage risk?

Learn about different strategies to address the high cyberattack and other data breach risks to which organizations can be exposed.

Ethics and Artificial Intelligence

Regulatory issues
Ethics and Artificial Intelligence
Regulatory issues

Keep up with EU’s prolific AI regulatory production, heavily predicated on mitigating the risk of algorithmic discrimination, in the context of the current coordinated European approach to AI’s human and ethical implications.

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)

A new paradigm of ESG reporting
The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS)
A new paradigm of ESG reporting

Learning about the new ESG reporting requirements, their expected impact on companies, the architecture of the new European reporting standards, and what must be done to comply with these new requirements.

“Fit for 55” Package

Reducing GHG emissions by 55% by 2030
“Fit for 55” Package
Reducing GHG emissions by 55% by 2030

Understanding what measures will be adopted to ensure the energy transition and achievement of the European targets, and what sectors will be most affected by this extensive package of new measures.

Financial Institutions and Climate and Environmental Risks

The ECB’s perspective
Financial Institutions and Climate and Environmental Risks
The ECB’s perspective

Understanding the European Central Bank’s supervisory expectations on the management of climate and environmental risks by financial institutions and how these risks may affect capital requirements.

The EU Taxonomy Minimum Safeguards

A sustainability requirement
The EU Taxonomy Minimum Safeguards
A sustainability requirement

Analysing how compliance with the Minimum Safeguards (with respect to human rights, corruption/bribery, responsible taxation, etc.) is essential for an activity to be considered environmentally sustainable under the Taxonomy Regulation.

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