ESG FRAMEWORK FATIGUE: NAVIGATING SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING FOR SMES
Course booking
“ESG reporting should never be a tick-box bureaucratic burden for small businesses. Our goal is to turn framework fatigue into practical business value, equipping leaders with lean, actionable tools that strengthen decision-making, organisational resilience and relationships with customers and stakeholders."
Professor Jason Snape
Costs
| Early bird rate (before 14th November 2026) | Standard rate (starting 14th November 2026) |
|---|---|
| £495 | £595 |
For early bird discount please use ESGFFEB100 discount code
VAT is not payable. Registration fees are fully inclusive of:
- Tuition
- Course materials
Registration is done online by Credit/Debit Card for instant payment and a guaranteed secured place on the course (please note the University of York does not accept American Express cards).
Course description
The rules of doing business are changing, with growing sustainability and ESG expectations across supply chains, customers, lenders and investors. For small and medium-sized enterprises, navigating these requirements can be complex, time-consuming and difficult to translate into practical action.
This course cuts through that complexity and helps SME leaders and advisers turn sustainability reporting requirements into a focused, proportionate business strategy. Across four live online sessions, participants will build practical skills in double materiality assessment to prioritise the sustainability issues that matter, carbon accounting, , governance, climate resilience, nature-related benefits and impacts, and building a compelling sustainability narrative that avoids greenwash. The course is designed to address common internal capability gaps and give participants tools they can use directly within their organisations.
Drawing on University of York expertise in environmental science, circular economy and sustainable management, the course combines academic insight with practical business application. Participants will learn how to identify material sustainability impacts, risks and opportunities, establish credible ESG priorities, calculate a robust carbon baseline, respond more effectively to supply-chain and customer requirements, reduce greenwashing risk, and strengthen organisational resilience.
By the end of the programme, participants will leave with practical outputs they can apply immediately, including a tailored sustainability priorities assessment, carbon baseline calculations, a proportionate governance approach, nature-related priorities, and a draft sustainability report aligned with the current EU Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard.
What your organisation will gain
- Clearer understanding of which sustainability requirements matter and why
- An effective and proportionate governance approach suitable for an SME
- Stronger responses to customer and supply-chain ESG requests that differentiate you from your competitors
- Practical tools to develop a carbon and nature baseline and action plan
- Reduced reporting and greenwashing risk
Programme schedule
Please find below the programme schedule. This course will be delivered over four weeks with one two-hour live session per week, for four weeks (8 hours total)
| Delivery Date | Start and End Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Tuesday 23rd February 2027 | 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Session 2 | Tuesday 2nd March 2027 | 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Session 3 | Tuesday 9th March 2027 | 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
| Session 4 | Tuesday 16th March 2027 | 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM |
Who is this course for?
This course is designed primarily for SME owners, directors and managers responsible for sustainability, operations, procurement, compliance, governance or supply-chain relationships.
It will also be valuable for professionals advising or supporting SMEs, including accountants, business consultants, environmental and EHS specialists, procurement professionals, communications teams and governance advisers.
The course is particularly relevant to organisations operating in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, healthcare and life sciences, food and agriculture, logistics, professional services, hospitality, NHS supply chains and the charity sector.
Prerequisites: No previous ESG qualification is required. The course is suitable for professionals with practical experience of business management, operations, sustainability or advisory work who want to build a clearer and more applied understanding of ESG and sustainability reporting.
Key topics covered
- Foundations of the EU Voluntary Sustainability Reporting Standard and its relationship with the wider ESG and sustainability reporting landscape.
- Sustainability materiality, impacts, risks and opportunities, including how materiality principles can support SME decision-making.
- Proportionate sustainability governance, leadership accountabilities and embedding a sustainability culture within your organisation.
- Carbon literacy and practical Scope 1, 2 and relevant Scope 3 emissions data collection techniques.
- Climate resilience, physical and transition risk identification, and scenario-based continuity planning.
- Biodiversity and nature-related dependencies and impacts, including relevant elements of the TNFD LEAP framework.
- Developing credible sustainability reporting, tracking relevant metrics and reducing greenwashing risk.
How is training delivered?
Format: Live online delivery through four interactive two-hour sessions, combining expert-led teaching, practical exercises, real-world examples and participant discussion
Online sessions: Four two-hour live sessions (8 hours total), covering core frameworks, theory, data preparation and practical application through real-world examples.
Teaching Styles: Theory brought to life through real-world examples, interactive exercises, carbon accounting hackathons, peer review and mentoring, group discussion, and live scenario design.
Course tutors
| Name | Bio |
|---|---|
|
Professor Jason Snape |
Professor Jason Snape is a leading ESG expert and environmental scientist at the University of York. With extensive experience spanning industry, policy, and academic research, he specialises in environmental impacts assessment, carbon strategy, and corporate sustainability standards. Professor Snape works directly with commercial organisations to translate complex environmental science into practical decision-making tools, equipping business leaders with the skills needed to navigate evolving compliance landscapes. Prior to joining the University of York, Professor Snape was the Global Head of Environmental Protection at AstraZeneca and a member of its Global Sustainability Leadership Team where he led the ESG and environmental strategy for a global multinational and supported C-Suite Leaders and Investor Relations at ESG investor roadshows. |
|
Dr Laura Harrison
|
Dr Laura Harrison is a senior sustainability leader and researcher at the University of York, specialising in corporate governance, circular economy, and SME capacity building. Her expertise focuses on bridging the gap between high-level ESG requirements and daily business operations. Dr Harrison has led numerous collaborative training initiatives designed to help smaller businesses establish lean governance structures, evaluate double materiality, and build long-term organisational resilience. |
Do you know where your organisation's greenhouse gas emissions come from, how it depends on nature, and how to report this credibly to customers and supply-chain partners? In our live practical sessions, you will calculate an emissions baseline, identify Scope 3 hotspots, explore decarbonisation priorities and assess your organisation's relationship with nature.