ESG & Impact Fundamentals for SMEs
Be future-ready, kickstart your ESG impact journey in a sector-specific cohort-based learning
In today’s fast-changing business environment, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors have become essential drivers of resilience, innovation, and long-term success. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada, embracing ESG is no longer just about compliance or corporate responsibility—it’s a strategic opportunity.
Integrating ESG principles can enhance brand reputation, attract investment and talent, open doors to new markets, and build lasting value. At the same time, global trends in regulation are moving quickly toward mandatory ESG disclosures—including climate-related risks—for large public and private companies. These shifts will directly affect SMEs through their roles in supply chains and procurement networks, making ESG readiness a critical business capability.
Our ESG and Impact Fundamentals for SMEs course is built specifically for SME leaders and teams. Delivered through sector-specific cohorts, it provides practical tools and foundational knowledge to implement ESG strategies tailored to your business. Going beyond traditional ESG frameworks, the course also covers impact measurement and management, contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the role of small businesses in advancing Indigenous reconciliation.
With a comprehensive and actionable approach, this training helps SMEs future-proof their operations, improve competitiveness, and contribute to a more sustainable, inclusive economy.
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About the program
Duration: 8 Weeks
Delivery Style: Hybrid
(asynchronous activities + live Zoom sessions)
Commitment: 3-4h//week
(approximately 36 hours total including workshops)
Access to Advisory: Meet one-on-one with an Advisor from the BC ESG Centre of Excellence to support your ESG action plan
Cost: Free or nominal fee to selected SMEs thanks to our sponsors
Accredited by:
Last offering: January 16-March 15, 2025
Sector focus: Ocean and Marine, in partnership with COAST Center for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies
Sponsorship: Blue Pathways is offering scholarships covering course tuitions ($2000 value) for companies in the blue economy (conditions apply)
Testimonials
Course benefits
Our course is specifically designed for small and med-sized companies, including startups, with a focus on practical implementation, providing simple but effective tools to identify, manage and report on ESG impacts. Participants will explore how ESG factors can significantly influence their business operations, recruitment, financial performance, and market reputation. Through interactive modules, real-world case studies, and expert insights, the course covers the full spectrum of ESG considerations. This includes environmental sustainability, social responsibility, effective governance, impact strategies, alignment with global SDGs, and fostering meaningful reconciliation with Indigenous communities in line with the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) . Equipped with these learnings and skills, you will be able to adopt sound ESG practices helping your business attract investments, become more competitive in net-zero supply chains, improve long-term resilience and lead your company towards a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future.
Course partners
This course was initially developed as part of our Mitacs-funded research collaboration with Alacrity Canada and benefited from their financial support to conduct initial research including interviews with companies, investors and ESG experts to assess the state of play in ESG practices in the context of SMEs. Our research revealed a significant knowledge ga. For most Canadian SMEs, the topic is difficult to navigate given limited resources, lack of skills, and the fast-evolving nature of the ESG landscape, which is overcrowded, with complicated jargon and many confusing frameworks and standards. The course content was tested in a pilot offering for BC SMEs in Spring 2023 thanks to financial support from Alacrity and Vancity. Current content has been expanded and improved based on feedback received from past participants. We are also adapting course content with a sector focus apprach, starting with the Ocean and Marine sectors in collaboration with COAST Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST).
Build your ESG leadership skills
Develop your ESG action plan
Learn from leading experts
Analyze your data and track progress
Collaborate with peers & industry leaders
Use custom templates to assess your ESG impact
”Learning the fundamentals of ESG is crucial for SMEs to not only improve their environmental and social impact but also to enhance their financial performance. We are proud to collaborate with the Impact Investing Hub to spearhead and expand this initiative, paving the way for SMEs in BC and Canada to thrive sustainably."
Burak EvrenDirector of Programming and Investment, COAST; Former VP, Sustainability at Alacrity
Course modules
Instructors
Module 1 - Introduction to ESG
Learning Goals:
- Explain what ESG means and why ESG matters for SMEs?
- Describe key environmental, social and governance factors for businesses.
- Explain how ESG factors affect firm performance and relationships with stakeholders (ESG materiality).
- Gain awareness of national and global trends in ESG and climate-related disclosures and implications for SMEs.
Module 2 - Deep Dive in Environmental Factors
Learning Goals:
- Explain key environmental issues and how they affect firms’ value drivers and relationships with suppliers, customers, employees, investors, government and community.
- Identify material environmental issues for your industry and your company (climate change, pollution and waster, natural resources scarcity, product life cycle, biodiversity, etc.).
- Understand climate-related risks and opportunities and how they are affecting business and investment activities, in BC, Canada and globally.
- Identify key strategies for SMEs to measure, manage and report of E factors (GHG emissions, waste, water, other material factors).
Module 3 - Deep Dive in Social Factors
Learning Goals:
- Explain key social factors and how they affect your company’s value drivers and relationships with stakeholders (focus on risks and opportunities related to recruitment, retention, productivity, customers/suppliers relations, etc.)
- Identify material social issues for your industry and your company (people management including EDI, labor relations, community engagement, product safety and security, etc.).
- Identify key strategies for SMEs to measure, manage and report of S factors.
Module 4 - Deep Dive in Governance Factors
Learning Goals:
- Understand the critical importance of governance in SMEs context.
- Explain key governance factors and how they affect business performance (board structure, diversity, executive remuneration, transparency, financial integrity, accountability, business ethics etc.).
- Identify material governance factors for your business.
- Understand the role of the Board of Directors and explain key characteristics of effective corporate governance.
- Identify key best practices in measuring and reporting on G factors
Module 5 - Business & Reconciliation in SMEs Context
Learning Goals
- Learn about the importance of SMEs in the reconciliation process.
- Identify how businesses can positively impact Indigenous communities through economic partnerships, employment, and entrepreneurship.
- Enhance cultural competency and sensitivity towards Indigenous cultures and issues within business practices.
- Understand the importance of respectful engagement with Indigenous communities.
- Provide resources, tools and best practices to develop and implement actionable reconciliation strategies within your business.
- Motivate participants to commit to ongoing learning and engagement with Indigenous reconciliation efforts.
Module 6 - From ESG to Impact & SDG Alignment
Learning Goals
- Explain the difference between ESG and Impact, and and how/when to effectively leverage them in your strategy as the sustainability reporting landscape is shifting from single to double double materiality (outcome-driven).
- Recognize different impact measurement and management (IMM) frameworks used by investors and other stakeholders (UN SDGs, IMP five dimensions of impact; IRIS+; etc.).
- Identify suitable impact frameworks for SMEs and relevant impact metrics for your company & business model.
- Develop strategies for communicate your impact story and performance metrics to different stakeholders(investors, customers, etc.)
Module 7 - Workshop 1: Develop your ESG baseline and action plan
Hands-on workshop applied to your own company using a custom reporting template to:
- Identify material ESG issues for your company
- Find relevant metrics (quantitative ad qualitative) for your business
- Analyze your baseline ESG score
- Set targets and prepare your action plan
Module 8 - Workshop 2: Develop your impact & reconciliation action plan
Hands-on workshop applied to your own company using a custom SDG alignment template + facilitated discussion to identify key steps for your company to develop and implement actionable reconciliation strategies.
- Reflect on your company’s impact goals using the SDG framework
- Identify relevant SDG targets aligned with your core business (emphasis on avoiding greenwashing)
- Practice with an impact reporting tool
- Identify key actions and resources for advancing reconciliation
- Communicate your impact story
Participants Presentations
- Each company to prepare a pitch deck summarizing your baseline ESG/Impact performance and proposed action plan for the next 12 months with identified KPIs for tracking.
- Each company to receive feedback on their action plan from a panel made of the instructors plus other experts
Basma Majerbi, Ph.D.
Director, Impact Investing Hub
Course leader; Award winning educator at Gustavson School of Business, with over two decades of teaching, and executive training research experience
LinkedIn
Joanna Buckzowska-McCumber, MBA
Fellow, Impact Investing Hub.
CEO and Chief Impact Strategist, Ideas for IMpact; Brings extensive experience in strategic advice and support for small businesses to meet their ESG and climate goals.
LinkedIn
CEO and Chief Impact Strategist, Ideas for IMpact; Brings extensive experience in strategic advice and support for small businesses to meet their ESG and climate goals.
Doug Stuart, MPAcc, CPA, CA, FSA
Fellow, Impact Investing Hub.
Professor, Chartered Professional Accountant, and FSA Credential holder. Former senior accountant at KPMG where he supported clients from various sectors and local governments.
LinkedIn
Tricia Laxǝlǝwǝtstnaat Thomas, MBA
Fellow, Impact Investing Hub
Award winning Indigenous entrepreneur, facilitator, speaker, committed to advancing reconciliation through business. She also teaches at Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria.
LinkedIn
