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Add yourself to our Notify Me list to be informed when registration opens for our next cohort of Sustainable Capitalism & ESG Online (Spring 2024).

Introduction

Investors, regulators, employees, and the public are increasingly asking companies to address social and environmental issues. Yet, precisely how to do so remains unclear.

Our course addresses that challenge. Through a combination of focused lectures and case studies, curated readings, and in-depth interviews with over 50 thought leaders, we demonstrate how to incorporate environmental, social, and governance considerations into business and investment strategy.

Location & Start Date

Online

Self-Paced

Course Launch:

Spring 2024

Content Access: 5 months

Time Commitment: ~ 40 hours of mandatory content

Who Should Participate

This course approaches ESG from a cross-functional perspective and explores both legal and business risks and opportunities. Past participants include C-suite executives and other professionals from different disciplines including law, investor relations (IR), public affairs and policy, media, and communications.

Course Structure

Lectures

Each module begins with a lecture that includes theoretical underpinnings for each topic and case studies of leading company practices. Module descriptions are found below.

ESG Beat Insights

Through The ESG Beat, our interview series, we introduce thought leaders on the forefront of defining and implementing ESG. These conversations provide concrete insights into how ESG and sustainable capitalism are being debated and operationalized, and enable students to keep their finger on the pulse of this movement. Our experts include investors, board members, corporate executives, corporate counsel and general counsel, former judges, the media, academics, and leading NGOs and nonprofits.

Curated Readings

With new articles being published each day, it is difficult to navigate the vast literature on Sustainable Capitalism and ESG. In this course, we have curated some of the most important resources, which include:

  • Ground-breaking academic papers (which we have excerpted)
  • Opinion pieces and articles written by our guests on The ESG Beat and other experts
  • Industry reports containing data on ESG trends and highlighting ESG risks and opportunities
  • Media articles that show how ESG issues are being discussed and debated in the court of public opinion

Quizzes

To earn a certificate of completion, participants must earn a combined overall grade average of 75% on the module quizzes. Each quiz consists of no more than five questions directly related to the video lectures. All of the quizzes may be taken multiple times; however, a participant’s final grade will be calculated as an average of all of their quiz attempts.

Live Office Hours and Networking Sessions

To provide participants with the opportunity to engage in the discussion and debate, we will host four optional, live office hours, providing participants with the opportunity to ask questions and bring up topics for discussion. These live office hours are typically held on Thursdays at 9:00 am Pacific Time (exact dates to be shared with the cohort). In addition, we will host four networking sessions (two of which will focus on “Careers in ESG”).

Course Design

Below is a list of the course modules. For a detailed overview of the learning outcomes, format, course design, and modules, please download the Sustainable Capitalism and ESG course syllabus.

Module 1

Articulating and Enacting Corporate Purpose 

Module 2

Redefining the Roles of Government and Business to Address Social and Environmental Challenges

Module 3

Debating the Board’s Fiduciary Duties Under the Traditional and New Corporate Forms

Module 4

Communicating with Investors on Environmental and Social Risks and Priorities 

Module 5

Governing ESG Risks and Opportunities

Module 6

Measuring and Disclosing Environmental and Social Risks and Priorities

Module 7

Valuing Employees and the Workforce

Module 8

Prioritizing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Module 9

Respecting Human Rights

Module 10

Building Resilience Against Environmental Risks

Tuition & Discounts

General Tuition

$1,500

UC Berkeley Alumni*

$1,275 Save 15%

Partner Organization Members*

$1,275 Save 15%

Group Rate*

$1,275 Save 15%

Auditors*

This rate is only available to past program participants who earned a Sustainable Capitalism & ESG certificate and want to stay up to date on ESG. Includes access to course materials and live discussion forums only.

$375 Save 75%

*For all special rates (i.e. UC Berkeley alumni, partner, group, or auditor), please email [email protected] for instructions to access your tuition category. To register a group, please email [email protected].

Sallie Mae Financing

If you are interested in financing this course, Sallie Mae provides competitive education loan programs for credit-qualified borrowers. For more information and to apply, visit the Sallie Mae website. If you decide to pursue such financing, please submit your application to Sallie first and then contact us at [email protected]. We will provide additional instructions on completing your registration.

Professional Development Sponsorship

If your employer provides professional development opportunities and funding, we highly recommend asking them to subsidize the cost of tuition for Sustainable Capitalism & ESG. This certificate program is an excellent professional development and networking opportunity, and your employer may be willing to cover some, or all, of the costs. You are welcome to customize this template for your purposes.

Certificates & MCLE

Certificate Type

Certificate in Sustainable Capitalism and ESG

Participants who complete all ten modules, two written reflections, and two written responses will earn a Certificate in Sustainable Capitalism and ESG from Berkeley Law Executive Education.

MCLE

19 Hours

This program has been approved by the California State Bar to offer up to 19 credit hours of MCLE. Attorneys from other states will need to contact their local bar to verify their own certification requirements.

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Instructors

Headshot of Amelia Miazad

Amelia Miazad

Founding Director, Business in Society Institute at Berkeley Law

Professor Miazad is widely recognized as an expert in ESG. She teaches courses at the intersection of sustainability, corporate governance, and compliance. Her recent publications explore sustainability and ESG as a process for overseeing risk and a powerful tool for transforming corporate culture. Professor Miazad’s curriculum and scholarship rely on input from experts who are implementing environmental and social considerations into their business practices. This pedagogical approach, which blends theory and practice, is reflected in the design of this course.

Her recent publications explore sustainability and ESG as a process for overseeing risk and a powerful tool for transforming corporate culture and include: The Hidden Power of Compliance (Minnesota Law Review, 2019), Sex, Power, and Corporate Governance (UC Davis Law Review, 2021), and Corporate Law and Social Risk (Vanderbilt Law Review, 2020). Prosocial Antitrust (Hastings Law Journal, 2021).

Headshot of Angeli Patel

Angeli Patel

Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Business

Angeli Patel is the Executive Director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Business. Prior to joining Berkeley Law, she was an attorney in the Sustainability & ESG Advisory Practice at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in San Francisco where she advised clients on the governance of climate and social risks, and a Lecturer at Berkeley Law. Previously, Angeli was a corporate associate at Jones Day and held an advisory role at the UN Global Compact Network Australia. Angeli graduated from UC Berkeley, School of Law in 2020. While there, Angeli was the co-President of Women in Tech Law and an editor of the Berkeley Technology Law Journal. Prior to her legal career, Angeli served at the White House Office of Management and Budget under the Obama Administration and served as a policy advisor at the Ministry of Finance in the Government of Chile.

Headshot of Adam Sterling

Adam Sterling

Assistant Dean at Berkeley Law

Adam Sterling is the Assistant Dean for Executive Education and Revenue Generation at Berkeley Law. In addition to his administrative duties, Adam teaches courses and oversees research on topics including venture finance, corporate governance, and ESG.

Previously he was a startup and venture capital attorney at Gunderson Dettmer and the co-founder and director of the Sudan Divestment Task Force and Conflict Risk Network. Adam’s writings and work have appeared extensively in the press; including contributions to The Wall Street JournalThe Financial Times, and The New York Times. He has appeared on a number of broadcast news programs, including CNN’s Situation Room and CNBC’s Street Signs.

Research Associates & Course Facilitators

Headshot of Silvia Fregoni

Silvia Fregoni

J.S.D. Candidate ’24, Berkeley Law

Headshot of Danielle Santos

Danielle Santos

Research Associate, Business in Society Institute

Speakers | The ESG Beat

Headshot of Afra Afsharipour

Afra Afsharipour

Professor of Law at University of California, Davis School of Law

Headshot of Rick Alexander

Rick Alexander

Founder or The Shareholder Commons, Author of The Benefit Corporation Law & Governance

Headshot of Allison Bennington

Allison Bennington

Partner at PJT Partners

Headshot of Krystal Berrini

Krystal Berrini

Partner at PJT Camberview

Headshot of Lloyd Carney

Lloyd Carney

Independent Director, Visa Inc. and Chairman & CEO, Carney Global Ventures, LLC

Headshot of Rob Chesnut

Rob Chesnut

Former Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb & Author of Intentional Integrity

Headshot of Susan Mac Cormac

Susan Mac Cormac

Chair of Social Enterprise + Impact Investing Group and Co-Chair of Energy + Cleantech Group at Morrison & Foerster LLP

Headshot of Hilary Dessouky

Hilary Dessouky

General Counsel at Patagonia

Headshot of Heidi Dubois

Heidi Dubois

Global Head of ESG at Edelman

Headshot of Jaren Dunning

Jaren Dunning

Human Rights Director at PepsiCo

Headshot of Robert Eccles

Robert Eccles

Visiting Professor of Management Practice at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Headshot of Michelle Edkins

Michelle Edkins

Managing Director at BlackRock Investment Stewardship

Headshot of Gina-Gail Fletcher

Gina-Gail Fletcher

Professor of Law, Duke Law

Headshot of Kaye Foster

Kaye Foster

Board Director

Headshot of Bruce Freed

Bruce Freed

President and Co-founder, Center for Political Accountability

Headshot of Silvia M. Garrigó

Silvia M. Garrigó

Faculty at University of Miami Herbert Business School

Headshot of Stavros Gadinis

Stavros Gadinis

Professor of Law at Berkeley Law

Headshot of John Goldstein

John Goldstein

Head of the Sustainable Finance Group at Goldman Sachs

Headshot of Kent Greenfield

Kent Greenfield

Professor of Law at Boston College Law School

Headshot of Keir Gumbs

Keir Gumbs

Chief Legal Officer at Broadridge

Headshot of Jeff Hales

Jeff Hales

Professor of Accounting, University of Texas at Austin & Chair, SASB – Sustainability Accounting Standards Board

Headshot of Vanessa Havard-Williams

Vanessa Havard-Williams

Partner at Linklaters LLP

Headshot of James Hawley

James Hawley

Head Applied Research, TruValue Labs and Professor of Economics and Business, Saint Mary’s College of California

Headshot of Alex Heath

Alex Heath

Executive Vice President, Social Purpose at Edelman

Headshot of Lori Heinel

Lori Heinel

Executive Vice President & Deputy Global Chief Investment Officer at State Street Global Advisors

Headshot of Chris Hoofnagle

Chris Hoofnagle

Adjunct Professor of Law, Berkeley Law & UC Berkeley School of Information Co-Director, Berkeley Center for Law & Technology

Headshot of Seth Jaffe

Seth Jaffe

Executive Vice President & General Counsel at Levi Strauss & Co.

Headshot of Sonia Katyal

Sonia Katyal

Professor of Law, Berkeley Law and Co-Director, Berkeley Center for Law & Technology

Headshot of Courteney Keatinge

Courteney Keatinge

Director at Glass Lewis, ESG Research

Headshot of Tom Lin

Tom Lin

Professor of Law, Temple University School of Law

Headshot of Dorothy Lund

Dorothy Lund

Assistant Professor of Law at USC Gould School of Law

Headshot of Veronica Root Martinez

Veronica Root Martinez

Professor of Law at Notre Dame Law School

Headshot of Kilian Moote

Kilian Moote

Director, Forced Labor & Human Trafficking at Humanity United

Headshot of Melissa Murray

Melissa Murray

Professor of Law at NYU

Headshot of Faris Natour

Faris Natour

Director & Lecturer, Human Rights & Business Initiative for the Center for Responsible Business, Haas School of Business – University of California, Berkeley

Headshot of Chris Pinney

Chris Pinney

Founding President of High Meadows Institute

Headshot of Elizabeth Pollman

Elizabeth Pollman

Professor of Law at University of Pennsylvania

Headshot of Chloe Poynton

Chloe Poynton

Co-Founder & Principal at Article One Advisors

Headshot of Veena Ramani

Veena Ramani

Former Senior Program Director, Capital Market Systems at CERES

Headshot of Eunice Rho

Eunice Rho

Deputy Director, Strategic Partnerships, ACLU

Headshot of Bill Savitt

Bill Savitt

Partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Headshot of Anne Sheehan

Anne Sheehan

Senior Adviser at PJT Partners

Headshot of Anne Simpson

Anne Simpson

Interim Managing Investment Director, Board Governance & Sustainability at CalPERS

Headshot of Steven Davidoff Solomon

Steven Davidoff Solomon

Professor of Law and Faculty Director at Berkeley Center for Law and Business

Headshot of Leo Strine

Leo Strine

Of Counsel, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Former Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court

Headshot of Gillian Tett

Gillian Tett

Chair of Editorial Board & Editor-at- Large at Financial Times, US

Headshot of Brian Tomlinson

Brian Tomlinson

Director of Research at CECP’s CEO Investor Forum

Headshot of Anne Tucker

Anne Tucker

Faculty Director, Legal Analytics & Innovation Initiative at Georgia State University College of Law

Headshot of Amy Weaver

Amy Weaver

President & Chief Financial Officer at Salesforce

Headshot of Sandy Tesch Wilkins

Sandy Tesch Wilkins

Director, Forced Labor & Human Trafficking at Humanity United

Headshot of Cynthia Williams

Cynthia Williams

Professor of Law at Osgoode Hall Law School

Headshot of Tim Youmans

Tim Youmans

Director at Hermes EOS

Headshot of Rupert Younger

Rupert Younger

Director, Oxford University Centre for Corporate Reputation, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Headshot of Josh Zinner

Josh Zinner

CEO at Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility

Accessibility

For disability accommodation requests and information, please contact us at [email protected]. Please attempt to make your service request with as much advance notice as possible.