This book explores sustainability in the context of organisational practice and its implications for learning. Based on a systems thinking approach, it provides a thorough grounding in the principles of systems thinking and tools that can be used to help implement sustainability-focused learning strategies.

Bryan Hopkins is a learning and development consultant with over 30 years of work experience with private and public sector organisations within the United Kingdom and internationally to design, deliver and evaluate learning and development programmes. The bulk of his work is with United Nations agencies on humanitarian and development projects, and he has collaborated on a number of projects related to climate change and sustainability.

Learning Strategies for Sustainable Organisations explores sustainability in the context of organisational practice and its implications for learning.

Based on a systems thinking approach, it provides a thorough grounding in the principles of systems thinking and tools that can be used to help implement sustainability-focused learning strategies. Increasingly, organisations are recognising the importance of adapting their practices to become more sustainable. Drawing on the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, new knowledge, skills and attitudes are required to help provide products and services that align with changing social and ecological environments and better serve the communities of which they are a part. This book is a practical guide showing how to facilitate sustainability learning and development within organisations, explaining how to identify gaps in current practice, take into account different contexts and perspectives about what sustainability means, and evaluate results following implementation. Learning resources include chapter summaries, illustrations, reflection points, mind maps and further reading.

Written by an independent performance and learning consultant with extensive experience working with international organisations, this book provides a necessary toolkit for human resource development directors, training managers, chief sustainability officers and management consultants specialising in sustainable development.

Introduction 1. Sustainability: development of a concept 2. Systems thinking, complexity and sustainability 3. The political economy of sustainability 4. The sustainable organisation 5. Developing a learning strategy 1: what to learn 6. Developing a learning strategy 2: how people learn 7. Developing a learning strategy 3: designing formal learning 8. Developing a learning strategy 4: informal learning and the learning environment 9. Preparing the final strategy 10. Evaluating learning about sustainability 11. Reflecting on learning about learning