Globally, corporates are facing costly legal challenges, reputational damage, and loss of investor confidence arising from the impact of their business practices on the environment.

For many businesses, a bolt-on or formulaic approach to ESG is failing to create the promised value and performance.

This highly interactive course is designed to challenge and reframe your environmental governance strategies for greater impact and advantage.

Participants will gain an overview of the key aspects of both South African and international environmental law, the foundational principles, enforcement, and compliance mechanisms. The course will provide insights into current and emerging trends and how to leverage these for business transformation.

Join us for a fifteen-hour course, which will be presented in two parts.

When and where?

This course will be presented in two parts, from August to November 2024:

Part 1: 5 to 6 August 2024, 9:00 to 12:00 SAST
Part 2: 11 to 13 November 2024, 9:00 to 12:00 SAST

This course will be held remotely, most likely on Zoom - exact details will be sent to registered participants a few days before the course.

Course outline

A comprehensive understanding of the key elements and drivers of environmental law and sustainability is an essential tool for any business leader to ensure that their organisation remains relevant, flexible, and durable.

The course work will examine the business case for shifting from regulation-driven compliance to integrating sustainability into your business culture, policies, and practices.

Participants will critically reflect on why the environment matters to your organisation and how environmental governance can increase stakeholder confidence and be a force for societal good.

Topics will include:

  • What is environmental law and governance and why is it important for business?
  • Foundational principles and influencers of environmental law
  • Essential insights into South African environmental law and governance:
    • The regulatory regime
    • Compliance, enforcement, and liability: Who is responsible?
    • Administrative justice and access to information
    • Environmental litigation – lessons from case law
  • International environmental treaties and your business
  • The relationship between environmental law and sustainable development
  • Integrating sustainability into business practice - a case for the circular economy
  • Opportunities for competitive advantage: Business lessons from around the globe
  • Emerging trends

Outcomes

  • Gain deeper insights into national and international environmental law, governance, and emerging trends.
  • Demonstrate a foundational understanding of the principles, definitions, themes, trends, and practical application of sustainable development.
  • Understand how environmental law and regulation can be harnessed to optimise, mediate, avert, and remedy environmental challenges.
  • Develop the know-how to positively influence and lead changes in business culture, policies, management, and operational systems.
  • Gain an understanding of how environmental law leverages the transition to sustainability.
  • Confidently collaborate with government agencies and civil society in building sustainable development solutions.
  • Develop an environmental leadership mind-set.
  • Inspire a systemic approach to return on investment and business value.
  • Gain critical insights into a broader context, and identify trends for quality planning and decision-making.
  • Shift from reactive compliance to integration of environmentalism into business practice.
  • Convincingly articulate the imperative for the adoption of sustainable business practices to all stakeholders.
  • Gain new perspectives regarding the advantages of the triple bottom line.

Who will benefit from this course?

Mid-level and senior business managers

Presenter

Jennifer Kamerman is an environmental lawyer who holds a B.A. LLB. LLM (Environmental Law) from the University of Cape Town.
After graduating with an LLB, Jennifer spent 17 years in the retail industry, gaining broad-based experience in commercial law, business organisation, leadership, management, and governance, at a senior level.
Since 2009, Jennifer has provided legal expertise to those seeking to effectively address threats to their environment. Jennifer is passionate about creating a platform for meaningful participation in environmental decision-making for communities who lack the know-how to navigate environmental law, policy, and regulation.
Further, Jennifer expresses her commitment to ongoing education by researching, writing, and teaching professional skills development courses, in various aspects of environmental law, ESG, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable development.
In addition, Jennifer advises and trains corporates on the integration of sustainability into their business practices and assists with their stakeholder engagement strategies and processes.
Jennifer is an internationally accredited mediator who is experienced in facilitating long-term solution-building in multi-stakeholder environmental disputes.
Extramurally, Jennifer is actively involved in several environmental justice, social transformation, and civic initiatives.

How much?

R4,700 per person.

Certificate

A certificate of attendance from UCT will be issued to those who attend the full course.

How to sign up

Complete and submit the registration form. You will then be given the payment information. Please note that your registration is not complete until payment has been made.

One or two days before the course, we will send you the Zoom link. You will need to register and use a password to enter the virtual classroom.

Registrations close three days before the course starts.

Download the brochure.