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Accessibility statement
A image to illustrate Sustainable organisations: theory and practice module
Environmental pressures on organisations are increasing. For instance, global greenhouse gas emissions need to halve by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 to alleviate the worst impacts of climate change. Achieving these and the variety of ambitious environmental targets requires transformative thinking and actions at all levels of society. Organisations and businesses will play an essential role in delivering these targets, helping transition to sustainable green economies that are low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. This module provides the background knowledge and a practical skill-set to lead the way in transforming or creating sustainable organisations.
This module has three blocks:
Block 1: Introduction to sustainable organisations
This block provides the background, context and rationale for the module. It establishes the basics of sustainable thinking and practice and explores organisations’ role in reaching net zero by 2050. It introduces key sustainable development concepts; you’ll see how these approaches help develop innovative products and practices. The block finishes by outlining key legislation and policy and how they’re used to achieve sustainable change.
Block 2: Assessment tools for effective change
The second block explains technical concepts and empowers you to make informed and reliable sustainability assessments, such as financial appraisals and carbon audits, within organisations. It’ll introduce you to simple maths concepts that can help inform decision-making, and tools that enable you to analyse resource use and efficiency within organisations. It explores the change management theory and how to influence change, allowing you to communicate effectively and drive change in a workplace setting. Finally, you’ll explore how to evaluate change initiatives to avoid costly repetition of mistakes in future projects.
Block 3: Demonstrating compliance and communicating success
The final block introduces tools and concepts related to monitoring performance and key indicators to demonstrate and communicate success. You’ll learn about the importance of management systems and effective auditing in demonstrating sustainable practices. You’ll also explore tools such as environmental impact assessments, environmental policies and corporate social responsibility reporting.
You’ll learn the tools, techniques and concepts to enable you to initiate change and monitor environmental and sustainability indicators in organisations.
This module will be of interest if you are or intend to become one of the following:
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
The module is entirely online. You’ll have access to the module website, which includes:
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
T892 is a compulsory module in our:
T892 is an option module in our:
Sometimes you cannot count a module towards a qualification if you have already counted another module with similar content. To verify any excluded combinations with this module, check with an adviser before registering.
Sustainable organisations: theory and practice (T892) starts once a year – in May.
It will next start in May 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in May 2030.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no entry requirements for this module.
Although this module has no entry requirements, we recommend you have a bachelor's degree (or equivalent).
You don’t need expert knowledge or experience in environmental science, business or engineering. However, an appreciation and understanding of sustainability issues and basic numeracy skills would be advantageous. While you don’t need to be in paid employment, there will be an opportunity to draw on your prior knowledge or experience of organisations to personalise the assessment.
We recommend studying Making environmental decisions (T891) before this module.
Written transcripts of any audio components are available, as are printable versions of the online text-based material. Some online material may not be fully accessible using a screen reader, and mathematical and scientific materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.
StartEndRegister byEngland fee
01 May 202731 Oct 202708 Apr 2027£1,930
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.
Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.
You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2027. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
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