Capacity Building for Global Executives
Project Overview
What happens when senior executives from around the world come together to rethink how business drives the green transition?
That question sparked a global leadership programme commissioned by a government agency dedicated to strengthening international trade, cooperation, and trust in Sweden. The goal: equip experienced leaders across 24 countries with the mindset, tools, and networks needed to accelerate sustainability inside their organisations and sectors.
A core team from Sustainability Collaborative joined forces with Impact Hub Stockholm to design and deliver a programme that was as practical as it was transformative. Sweden’s long-standing leadership in sustainability provided inspiration and context, while participants brought real-world challenges from energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, and other critical industries.
The ambition was clear: move sustainability from good intentions to strategic business action — and do it at scale.
The Challenge
The global green transition is advancing - but not fast enough, and often in silos. Many organisations pursue sustainability initiatives without a systems perspective, limiting their ability to create lasting business value or industry-wide impact. Our client wanted to strengthen executive leadership capacity in key sectors by training leaders to navigate complexity - and turn sustainability into a strategic advantage. In short:
- Embedding systems thinking into decision-making
- Accelerating sustainability-driven innovation
- Enabling leaders to scale impact across organisations and value chains
- Creating a trusted global peer network for continued learning
Our Approach
The result was a seven-month executive capacity-building journey built around two powerful themes: leading in complexity and sustainable business transformation.
Executives participated in dynamic learning sessions introducing the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), systems thinking, and applied sustainability strategies. Rather than abstract theory, the focus was on translating insight into action inside real organisations.
Smaller peer-learning groups created space for reflection, experimentation, and honest dialogue. Leaders sharpened capabilities in collaboration, change leadership, and strategic communication — essential skills for driving transformation across cultures and sectors.
Each participant developed a strategic business project aimed at delivering measurable sustainability impact within their company or region. This ensured that learning produced tangible outcomes, not just inspiration.
A programme highlight was a five-day in-person gathering in Stockholm, where executives connected with Swedish innovators, sustainability pioneers, and fellow participants — strengthening both perspective and partnership opportunities.
Delivery
The programme was carefully tailored to bridge Swedish sustainability leadership with the realities faced by executives operating across the Global South and other high-growth regions.
Blended learning — combining digital sessions, peer exchange, and immersive in-person experiences — created a rhythm that kept participants engaged while accommodating demanding executive schedules.
Critically, the programme leveraged the deep expertise already present in the cohort. Participants didn’t just learn from facilitators — they learned from each other. This cross-sector, cross-regional exchange accelerated innovation and surfaced practical solutions that could travel across markets.
Learning themes included:
- Building cultures that enable innovation
- Stakeholder collaboration and ecosystem thinking
- Transforming sectors and value chains
- Financing and scaling green initiatives
A deliberate emphasis was placed on relationship-building, ensuring that the network formed during the programme would continue to generate value long after formal sessions ended.
Outcome
Over two years, approximately 200 senior executives completed the programme — representing organisations with a combined annual revenue of roughly USD 800 billion and employing more than 2 million people globally. The scale of influence created a powerful multiplier effect for sustainability-driven business transformation.
Strategic projects launched through the programme delivered measurable outcomes, including:
- Reducing coal dependence by 50% through renewable energy integration
- Securing USD 1.2 billion financing for green hydrogen steel production
- Developing low-carbon cement innovations
- Creating large-scale carbon sinks
- Scaling biochar production for climate-positive agriculture
- Advancing fair labour and safe working conditions
Equally important was the creation of a global alumni network that continues to exchange knowledge, partnerships, and opportunities — reinforcing long-term leadership capacity and cross-border collaboration.
Participant satisfaction reached 97.5%, reflecting strong perceived value, relevance, and impact.
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