Facilitated Australian course
Greenwashing:
Time to stop the spin cycle
Course Overview
This course is designed to equip marketing and communications professionals with the knowledge and skills to identify pitfalls in communicating about environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) topics and to avoid greenwashing.
Learn from a range of experts and from your peers, about what a good ESG narrative looks like and your role as communications and marketing professionals in creating a better world.
To drive efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, it is critical that businesses adopt sustainability reporting, and that people everywhere have access to relevant information about businesses’ sustainability practices.
With both the Australian Security and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) targeting environmental and sustainability claims as a current enforcement priority, the topic of greenwashing has never been more important for Australian businesses.
The development of this training course has been made possible with the expertise and generous support of Cahoot Learning and Salterbaxter.
Learner Feedback
“Some great learnings as we move into developing and promoting products that meet our ESG goals.”
“I suddenly feel very aware of language, and asking myself “Is this the right term to use? Can I verify this claim easily?”
“Fantastic experience, exactly what I have been looking for as a way to upskill my sustainability knowledge in a comms context.”
“Overall the course was fantastic, the delivery from the facilitators and in how the content is broken down is easy to digest and varied media to keep it interesting.”
2025 Course Scheduled Calls
The scheduled calls for the 2025 Facilitated Rounds of the course are as follows
November 2025 Round
1. Pre-course Kick-off Meeting – Friday 21 November 12.30pm – 1.30pm AEDT via Zoom
2. OPTIONAL Open Office Hour #1 – Wednesday 26 November 1.00pm – 2.00pm AEDT via Zoom
3. OPTIONAL Open Office Hour #2 – Tuesday 2 December 1.00pm – 2.00pm AEDT via Zoom
4. Wrap-up Meeting – Friday 5 December 12.30pm – 1.30pm AEDT via Zoom
Course Benefits
The purpose of this program is to equip you with the knowledge and skills required to identify and avoid greenwashing by learning from a range of experts and one another.
What you will learn
- To unleash the potential of the marketing and communications community to contribute to a better world
- How to identify examples of greenwashing
- Strategies to avoid greenwashing
- The foundations of sustainability
- Ways talk to others in your business about greenwashing and how to avoid it.
What you will gain
- The ability to avoid false and misleading statements and claims in the context of sustainability
- Confidence to create communications and marketing strategies that deliver positive ESG outcomes
- Certificate of completion.
Registration is now open for our 2025 Cohorts
Registration is now open for the 2025 Facilitated Rounds of the UN Compact Network Australia’s Greenwashing course.
Register below to participate in one of our 2025 Cohorts.
As part of the facilitated cohort of this course, you will receive:
Guidance and inspiration
Knowledge and training sessions
Peer-to-peer collaboration
Hands-on support
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the purpose of the 'Greenwashing: Time to stop the spin cycle' course?
This course is designed to equip marketing and communications professionals with the knowledge and skills to identify pitfalls in communicating about environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) topics and to avoid greenwashing.
Why is the content of this course important in the Australian business landscape?
To drive efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, it is critical that businesses adopt sustainability reporting, and that people everywhere have access to relevant information about businesses’ sustainability practices. And with both the Australian Security and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) targeting environmental and sustainability claims as a current enforcement priority, the topic of “greenwashing” has never been more important for Australian businesses.
What is the time commitment required to complete the course?
The course will take place over a 2 week period and has a total time requirement of a minimum of 8 hours for the on-demand content.
We recommend setting aside at least 4 hours each week over the 2 week period to complete the course’s on-demand content.
Some participants do dedicate more than 8 hours to the course, depending on the level of detail they want to go into certain topics and optional readings. All course materials remain accessible to participants after the official course period end.
Additionally, there will be live elements as part of the course. The dates and times for these are as follows for 2025 rounds:
August 2025 Round
1. Pre-course Kick-off Meeting – Friday 29 August 12.30pm – 1.30pm AEST via Zoom
2. OPTIONAL Open Office Hour #1 – Wednesday 3 September 1.00pm – 2.00pm AEST via Zoom
3. OPTIONAL Open Office Hour #2 – Tuesday 9 September 1.00pm – 2.00pm AEST via Zoom
4. Wrap-up Meeting – Friday 12 September 12.30pm – 1.30pm AEST via Zoom
November 2025 Round
1. Pre-course Kick-off Meeting – Friday 21 November 12.30pm – 1.30pm AEDT via Zoom
2. OPTIONAL Open Office Hour #1 – Wednesday 26 November 1.00pm – 2.00pm AEDT via Zoom
3. OPTIONAL Open Office Hour #2 – Tuesday 2 December 1.00pm – 2.00pm AEDT via Zoom
4. Wrap-up Meeting – Friday 5 December 12.30pm – 1.30pm AEDT via Zoom
What is the peer-to-peer component of the course?
The course gives participants the opportunity to engage with their peers through the interactive learning platform in a live private discussion group facilitated by the UN Global Compact Network Australia team.
Who is this course designed for?
The course on greenwashing is developed specifically to support marketing and communications professionals, however, other professionals are welcome to join.
What is the cost?
The cost of the course is as follows:
- UN Global Compact Network Australia Participant – $764.50
- Non-Participant – $984.50
How can I find out about the next course?
To find out about future upcoming courses, register your interest and be the first to be notified of new course dates.
How is this course similar / different to your other greenwashing course?
The UNGCNA has developed two versions of the greenwashing course, enabling you to select the option that best meets your particular needs.
Global Greenwashing: Time to Stop the Spin Cycle is available fully on-demand to business professionals around the world. There are no set start dates and no live events, so you have complete freedom to choose your own 3-week block to complete the course. Global Greenwashing also provides content on regulatory frameworks from more than 20 jurisdictions around the world, catering to professionals who work for multinational companies and to those based in a range of jurisdictions. The course content also tracks the UN Environment Programme’s Guidelines for Providing Product Sustainability Information.
Greenwashing: Time to Stop the Spin Cycle is the original, Australia-specific version of the course. This version of the course is fully-facilitated by experts, with some live sessions, and participants go through the course real-time with a cohort of fellow professionals. The direct peer-to-peer engagement enriches the learning and experience for all. The course content also tracks the ACCC’s 8 principles for trustworthy environmental claims. The Australian course is run at defined times throughout the year (see our website for upcoming sessions), or custom facilitated cohorts are also available to your business upon request.
Questions? Please contact Dan Wilcock, Head of Sustainability and Governance, for further details.