Climate Action & Sustainability Reporting

This one-year, part-time programme provides public servants with some of the knowledge, skills, and competencies they will need to contribute to the climate action and sustainability efforts that are now central to contemporary public management. They will also be able to help their organisations comply with sustainability reporting requirements.



The Irish public service is tasked with leading Ireland’s transition to an environmentally sustainable and climate neutral economy. This programme responds to the fact that public servants, at all levels and in all sectors, urgently require significant education and training in climate- and sustainability-related matters if Ireland is to meet necessary national and international goals. The growing legislative and regulatory requirements around climate action and sustainability targets also require public bodies to undertake and report on various actions.



This programme will furnish public servants with an in-depth and practical understanding of what the Irish state has set itself to do around climate and sustainability and of how sectors and organisations will report their activities in local, national, and international contexts. A level nine postgraduate qualification that attends to both the theory and practice of climate action and sustainability reporting, it:



Explains how the climate and sustainability emergencies will affect Ireland’s economic and social development.



Places Ireland’s climate action plans and responsibilities in EU and international contexts.



Critically evaluates those plans, the relevant targets, associated budgets, and key implementation issues.



Examines the international standards, protocols, and instruments developed to measure climate and sustainability efforts.



Distinguishes the various elements of sustainability reporting.



Explores sustainability reporting in different sectors and professional settings.



Engages with frameworks for integrated reporting and with ways of meeting compliance obligations effectively.



Links sustainability reporting with leadership and public sector management.



Delivery



This part-time programme is delivered through a blended learning model and can be taken from anywhere in the country. It is designed to be taken by those with busy professional and personal lives.



Teaching combines in-person lectures and workshops at the IPA on selected Fridays throughout the academic year and some online weeknight webinars.



Between teaching sessions, students study a range of resources provided on a dedicated online platform.



Key Benefits for You and Your Career



Obtain Expertise: Gain in-depth knowledge of climate action strategies and plans, their effects on Irish public bodies, and the requirements of sustainability reporting.



Practical Application: Apply your learning to the real-life climate action and sustainability reporting requirements and challenges that your organisation is facing.



Career Advancement: Present to your organsiation and others as someone with a university-level qualification in an area of huge importance and some complexity.



Leadership Development: Acquire the strategic and planning skills to advise and lead on various climate and sustainability initiatives.



Networking Opportunities: Connect with fellow public servants, working in a range of sectors, who are interested in climate and sustainability and establish a professional network to help you in your career.



Continuous Professional Development: Stay abreast of the latest insights and developments in climate action and sustainability reporting as they pertain to the Irish public sector.

Module 1: Climate Action – Context and Challenges

This module introduces participants to the climate and wider sustainability emergencies that Ireland and the world are facing. It attends to the challenges facing the public sector, the need for a just transition, the leadership required, and the EU and international frameworks around climate action and policy.



Module 2: Climate Action Planning & Implementation

The second module turns to Ireland’s climate action plans, analysing their content from various perspectives and the role of the public sector in climate actions. Participants will deal with stakeholder engagement and with implementation issues currently arising and those likely to arise in the future.



Module 3: Sustainability Reporting: Standards, Protocols and Guidance

This module will focus on the sustainability reporting obligations that public service bodies have to meet. It will consider financial, non-financial, and sustainability reporting within the context of international standards, protocols, and instruments.



Module 4: Sustainability Reporting: Application

The final module attends to the practical tasks involved in sustainability reporting. It will examine sustainability reporting in different sectors, with a focus on integrated reporting. It will also examine how compliance obligations can be most effectively and efficiently met.

Applicants must have a primary degree or equivalent qualification. Transcripts of undergraduate qualifications are required at the application stage.

1 year.



Delivery

Blended Learning



There are four in-person, day-long seminars over the academic year and four weeknight webinars.



In-person seminar Friday, September 18, 2026

Evening webinar Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Evening webinar Wednesday, October 28, 2026

In-person seminar Friday, November 20, 2026

In-person seminar Friday, January 15, 2027

Evening webinar Wednesday, February 3, 2027

Evening webinar Wednesday, February 24, 2027

In-person seminar Friday, March 12, 2027

Exam April 2027

Commences 18/09/2026

Students can take selected modules rather than all four. On completion of a module, they will receive a Certificate of Learning. When all modules are completed, these micro-credentials will combine to see the qualification awarded.



Graduates can move on to study other IPA postgraduate programmes, including a Professional Certificate in Governance and a suite of Master of Arts public management specialisms.