How can training in ESG reporting benefit your career?
Instructor and specialist Reem Tanta explains how Mount Royal’s programming is especially relevant for today’s corporate and career landscape
Reem Tanta is the creator of the ESG program in the Faculty of Continuing Education, and ESG Lead Advisor with WSP Canada Inc, a world leading engineering consulting firm
Transparency and accountability are the hallmarks of ethical businesses. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting is gaining prominence across workplaces as responsible investors, stakeholders and organizations include these factors in their analysis of business performance.
Mount Royal’s ESG Reporting Extension Certificate gives students an opportunity to learn how to deliver the core content of a corporate ESG report, including analyzing and understanding the relevant data. The complete certificate is earned in three courses, each of which counts as a standalone micro-credential, offering a convenient way for working professionals to earn a new post-secondary credential.
Instructor Reem Tanta
Reem Tanta is an ESG instructor in the Faculty of Continuing Education, and ESG Lead Advisor with WSP Canada Inc, a world leading engineering consulting firm. She has more than 20 years of ESG experience working in Canada and around the world.
It was during her time working as a consultant primarily in the energy and mining industries that Tanta noticed that the constantly-evolving ESG reporting expectations and standards over the years were overwhelming those working in the area.
As she sorted through the changes and best practices in those industries, she was keen to update her knowledge and expertise and to get the credentials to pursue new opportunities.
“When I realized that things were coming together, I realized it was time to reach out to an educational institution and share my ideas,” Tanta recalls. She reached out to the Faculty of Continuing Education, who Tanta credits with being very welcoming and supporting of her initiative to create an ESG program at Mount Royal, which she did in 2021.
As Alberta adds to its energy sector with sustainable production such as solar and wind, and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), organizations need a strategic approach to their ESG reporting. “They could see the demand in the market was growing,” she explains. “There is a huge connection between a corporation’s approach to sustainability and how much they’re willing to do and how much they care for any proposed project in a community. Stakeholders are demanding those disclosures and we’re getting very close to being able to give them what they need.
The coursework offers the students an opportunity to think on behalf of companies and offer them solutions. Ultimately, our goal is to prepare our students to be able to fill all those great positions in the market.”
Tanta designed a program with three courses that are flexible enough to keep up with current ESG regulations and best practices to equip students to work as ESG managers or ESG coordinators. LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise list for 2024 show sustainability and energy roles dominating the list, alongside jobs focussed on employee experience and philanthropy.
Tanta says that Mount Royal’s ESG programming is among the first, and most nimble, post-secondary ESG programs in Canada. “Our program was first offered while the whole market was still trying to understand what ESG reporting and disclosure was, and why organizations need to do it.
We stepped in to cover an existing gap and provide the right knowledge and information to build the expertise of potential ESG managers or coordinators and allow them to fill in the existing positions in the ESG market.”
Mount Royal’s ESG programming has gained significant interest and attention by potential ESG specialists, as it was built in a way that corresponded to different industries. Students come from all backgrounds, with experience levels ranging from new graduates, to mid-career professionals seeking a transition, to CEOs and CFOs who want to build their understanding of the elements of ESG reporting.
“The position of an ESG manager or coordinator requires a person who can bring together resources and specialists from different teams to dive into each piece of a puzzle,” Tanta says. “Our courses are meant to create ESG managers and coordinators who understand the big picture.
“The engagement with professor Tanta throughout the course of the certification was insightful. This includes her feedback in response to discussion and assignment submissions, as well as periodic industry updates,” said student Param Subramanian. “Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. This certification course is a remarkable aid to equipping students in a structured way to understand ESG fundamentals and apply their knowledge in diverse ways across industry and service segments.”
A micro-credential can offer a new skill to any consultant, specialist, or any person mid-career or newly graduated who needs to add an additional skill or differentiator. Diversification reduces vulnerability as the job market shifts. “Not to mention, Tanta adds, “you are supporting a great global initiative and contributing to the ‘big cause’ of trying to encourage sustainable performance and behaviour.”