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You will develop your knowledge and understanding in order to evaluate opportunities and barriers; explore relevant strategies, tactics and tools; and develop a personal action plan.

Certificate of Professional Development offered through a partnership between CHE and the Dept of Geography & Sociology, University of Strathclyde.

Why Ethical Enterprise?

This course is for anyone interested in contributing to ecological sustainability and social justice through commercial activity - such as fair trade, social enterprise, organics, charity trading, and any business with strong environmental or social values.

The course is based around two intensive two-day workshops (Thursday and Friday) with additional private study. The workshops will include presentations, case studies, practical exercises, and specialist guest speakers. By working in small groups, using a participative approach, sharing experiences and knowledge, you will, by the end of the course:

• Have a critical understanding of ethical enterprise, its background, potential and limitations.
• Be able to communicate to your colleagues, trustees, customers and other stakeholders, the potential benefits of ethical enterprise, and its relevance to social justice and ecological sustainability.
  
• Be able to evaluate the opportunities and barriers to integrating this approach into your organisation's strategy.
• Be able to identify and select the information and support you need to develop your ethical enterprise.

The course is also an optional class in the MSc in Human Ecology - MSc students and CPD participants benefit from the interaction between these different groups in the same course.

Course Content

Introduction to Ethical Enterprises: Introduction to ethical enterprises, their development, past and projected growth. Discussion of ethics, values and application in organisational context. Conflicts and congruence between social, environmental and financial goals.

Ecological Sustainability and Social Justice: The linkages, local and global, direct and indirect, between the enterprise and ecological sustainability and social justice. Critical reflection on the potential of ethical enterprise to contribute to the advancement of both ecological sustainability and social justice.

Strategies and Tactics: Current and emerging strategic approaches to reducing negative (and maximising positive) environmental and social impacts. Tools for evaluating and managing social and environmental impact.

Communicating Values: Positioning the ethical enterprise in the marketplace: how, and whether, to communicate the enterprise’s ethical position; sustainable advertising. Communicating environmental and social performance.

Political and Policy Environment: Introduction to current and emerging aspects of the political environment and selected policy developments relevant to ethical enterprise.

Corporate Developments: Introduction to current and emerging responses to the sustainable development and social justice agendas from major corporations; critical examination of such responses.

Personal Strategies: Developing personal action plans, selecting strategies and tools, appropriate to specific situations and individual needs.

Project: You will carry out a practical project during the course, applying your learning to your existing - or potential - ethical enterprise and writing this up in a project report. This is marked and award of the CPD certificate depends on achieving a satisfactory mark.

Course Leader

Osbert Lancaster BSc MBA, Director of Footprint Consulting Ltd, has led business and sustainability projects with the Scottish Parliament, Traidcraft plc and WWF-UK.

Course details

Award: Successful completion of the course leads to the award of a Certificate of Professional Development by the University of Strathclyde.

Dates: The course runs from 6 October to 18 December 2007. The two workshops are: 16 & 17 October and 27 & 28 November 2007. Attendance at both workshops is essential.

This course can also be run in-house for organisations at other times. Please contact Osbert Lancaster on 0131 243 2616 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Location: The course is based at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow city centre.

Fee: The course fee is £495. This covers the cost of participation, but not food or accommodation.

Offer: Book two people from the same organisation on the same course and the second person pays 50% of standard fee.

How to apply: Complete this form and send it with your payment. Once accepted on the course, deposits can only be refunded if you cancel at least six weeks before the course start date. Your place can not be held for you without a deposit.

Send your application to:

Ethical Enterprise CPD,

Dept of Geography & Sociology,

University of Strathclyde,

Graham Hills Building,

50 Richmond Street,

Glasgow G1 1XN 

Further information: If you have specific questions about the application process, call 0141 410 1100 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it If you have questions about the content of the course, contact Osbert Lancaster on 0131 243 2616 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it