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Online Course in Sustainability Training for Events Professionals

Presentation

The Sustainability Training for Event Professionals course offers specialized training to address the environmental, social, economic and governance challenges of the events sector. Through practical tools and a flexible methodology, you will learn to design, measure and manage events that are responsible, inclusive and low-impact, creating value for people, communities and the planet in line with the SDGs.

Course with a 100% discount

Flexible training co-funded by the European Union

By taking this course, you will gain practical skills to manage sustainability across the full event lifecycle:

Developed within the Erasmus+ STEP project by five academic and industry partners from four European countries.
Flexible and free learning: modular online lessons, real case studies and quizzes, with certificates at each level and 2 ECTS credits.
Comprehensive approach: carbon, waste, mobility, inclusion, accessibility, governance, ISO 20121 and CSRD.
Teaching and sector expertise: Taught by an internationally renowned team of academic and professional experts in event studies at the UOC's Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

The course is aimed at developing specific professional skills.

Download the programme (PDF)

Start

10 Mar 2027
100%

Online
2

Credits ECTS

Languages: English
UOC-certified qualification
Duration:
Duration

At the UOC, an ECTS credit is equivalent to 25 hours of student work.

Depending on the number of ECTS credits, the duration of lifelong learning programs ranges from 1 month to 2 years, approximately:
- Lifelong learning master's degree: 2 years
- Specialization diploma: 1 year
- Expert diploma: 1 semester (6 months)
- Postgraduate course: between 1 and 6 months

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The UOC, Spain's best online university

We are rated the best online university in Spain by the main university quality rankings.

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The university that won the race against time

The virtual classroom

Course in Sustainability Training for Events Professionals

Academic programme

Academic programme
Learning resources
Duration
Academic pathway

The Sustainability Training for Event Professionals course is worth 2 ECTS credits (50 total study hours, 25 hours per credit) and lasts two months.

Content

Module 1: Introduction to Sustainability: Terminology, core frameworks (SDGs, planetary boundaries, 7Rs) and event certifications/labels.
Module 2: Environmental Sustainability: Waste management, energy/water use, stand materials, green mobility, digital/hybrid events and logistics.
Module 3: Social and Cultural Sustainability: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), accessibility, community engagement, heritage preservation and well-being.
Module 4: Economic Sustainability: Budgeting, ROI, responsible procurement (9Rs), funding, grants and green sponsorships.
Module 5: Governance and Strategic Planning: Brand mission/vision, stakeholder co-creation, risk management and regulatory alignment.
Module 6: Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation:

Academic Programme

The Sustainability Training for Event Professionals course is worth 2 ECTS credits (50 total study hours, 25 hours per credit) and lasts two months.

Content

Module 1: Introduction to Sustainability: Terminology, core frameworks (SDGs, planetary boundaries, 7Rs) and event certifications/labels.
Module 2: Environmental Sustainability: Waste management, energy/water use, stand materials, green mobility, digital/hybrid events and logistics.
Module 3: Social and Cultural Sustainability: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), accessibility, community engagement, heritage preservation and well-being.
Module 4: Economic Sustainability: Budgeting, ROI, responsible procurement (9Rs), funding, grants and green sponsorships.
Module 5: Governance and Strategic Planning: Brand mission/vision, stakeholder co-creation, risk management and regulatory alignment.
Module 6: Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation: Management systems (ISO 20121, CSRD), quantitative/qualitative metrics and certification processes.
Module 7: Legacy and Long-Term Value: Overall impact assessment, Return on Objectives (ROO) measurement and offsetting strategies.
Module 8: Communication: Impact storytelling, eliminating greenwashing/greenhushing and positive framing/nudging techniques for attendees.

Learning outcomes

In this course you will acquire the following knowledge, skills and competencies:

Identify sustainability frameworks, environmental certifications and key impact areas (waste, energy, materials and mobility) to analyse the environmental impact of decisions within the events sector.
Evaluate the social, cultural and economic impacts of events, considering diversity, inclusion, accessibility, community well-being, cultural identity and the implications of financial and sustainability decisions on different stakeholders.
Design strategic plans and sustainability monitoring systems for events, establishing key indicators, regulatory requirements and evaluation processes for decision-making and accountability to stakeholders.
Develop legacy plans and transparent communication strategies to convey the long-term social, environmental and economic value of events.

The course corresponds to Level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), equivalent to the postgraduate level.

This programme is not part of an academic pathway

Course in Sustainability Training for Events Professionals

Academic team

Programme director
Dean of faculty
Faculty

Programme director

Alba Colombo Vilarrasa

Dean of faculty

Anna Busquets Alemany

Doctor in History. She has been director of East Asian Studies, deputy director of the Vice-Rector's Office for Academic Organization (UOC). His research focuses on the relations between Europe and China during the 16th and 17th centuries, the analysis of texts generated by the Spanish about China and their relationship with Europeans of the same period, and the construction of the Chinese image based on the information provided by these texts.

Web

CV

Faculty

Alba Colombo Vilarrasa

Course in Sustainability Training for Events Professionals

Career opportunities

Objectives
Profiles
Competencies
Who is it addressed to?
Career opportunities

The course focuses on the acquisition of practical professional skills and has been designed to meet the current needs of society and the labour market.

Equip professionals with practical tools to calculate and reduce the ecological and social footprint of events.
Provide rigorous selection criteria for managing sustainable supply chains and vendors.
Train in compliance with governmental regulations and the implementation of sustainable management systems such as ISO 20121.
Promote the integration of diversity, equity and inclusion strategies throughout all event planning stages.

Employability

The employability of UOC students is key to the university's success. We identify and include in our programmes of study key competencies that are in demand in the job market. And our career guidance services empower you to make decisions and take action for your future occupation.

The course is targeted at project managers in event agencies, executive teams of organizing companies, MICE value chain managers (catering, logistics, stands, mobility), festival organizers, corporate sustainability officers and graduates in cultural or event management.

The course is part of the UOC microcredentials catalogue and certifies the development of the following professional competencies:

Environmental standards
Assess environmental impact
Supervise environmental management systems
Develop communication strategies

These key competencies in the job market have been defined based on the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) classification, in order to facilitate employability and labour mobility, and recognition between educational institutions

The course complements and expands the skills of the following professional profiles:

Sustainable and circular event managers: Design and execution of events aligned with ESG criteria and SDGs.
Ecological transition leaders in event agencies: Client consultancy and coordination with local and sustainable suppliers.
MICE and cultural sustainability consultants: Impact audits, certifications (ISO 20121) and sustainability reporting.
Social responsibility and sustainability officers: In festival organizations and corporate event departments of large enterprises.

The UOC, Spain's best online university

Ranking
CYD ranking

The UOC was ranked as the best online university in Spain by the 2026 CYD ranking.
Ranking
Times Higher Education

The UOC is the highest ranked online university from Spain in the 2027 Times Higher Education ranking.
Ranking
World University Rankings

The UOC is among the best 7% of universities in the world, according to the 2026 World University Rankings (CWUR).

Course in Sustainability Training for Events Professionals

Access requirements

Access qualification
Professional experience
Prior Knowledge
Technical requirements
Degree

Anyone can sign up for this course. No prior qualifications are required.

Boost your career

The UOC lifelong learning offers you programs aimed at acquiring the knowledge required for the most valued professional profiles.

No prior knowledge is required.

Students who successfully complete the course will receive a microcredential, an electronically signed certificate attesting to the competencies acquired during the training.

What is a microcredential?

It's a digital, portable certificate that can be easily shared with employers when job hunting, or with educational institutions if you want to further your studies and are applying for credit recognition.
It contains detailed, valuable information about the training completed, designed to facilitate its validation and recognition by third parties.
You can easily link to it from your CV and share it on social media platforms, such as LinkedIn.

Here's an example microcredential certificate.

In addition, students receive the microcredential via the Europass platform, a European Commission initiative designed to facilitate mobility for work and learning.

Course in Sustainability Training for Events Professionals

Enrolment and fees

Enrolment process and price
Payment options
Discounts

Enrolment process

This is the enrolment process that you have to follow if you want to start studying at the UOC for the first time. If you have already studied with us and want to continue, you should go to Virtual Campus Procedures.

Fill in the enrolment form that you will find on all the pages of the program. After registering your personal data, you will be provided with a username and you will choose your password to access the campus. Then you will access the economic data section, where you will choose the payment method and you can request an invoice, if you need it.

Once you have enrolled, you will receive two messages to the mailbox that you have indicated. A first message is the confirmation of the formalization of your registration. In a second message, we will remind you of the username and password you have chosen, which will allow you to access the virtual campus.

Once you have completed your enrolment there is a fourteen day period within which you may exercise your right to withdraw your enrolment.

How do you enrol?

There are two moments a year for enrolment in lifelong learning programmes, depending on when the program in question begins to teach. Check the registration period and the beginning of the course on the page of the studies you want to study.

Enrolment from May onwards

for programmes starting in September or October

Enrolment from November onwards

for programmes starting in February or March

Course with a 100% discount	Price
Co-funded by the European Union	0 €

Financial support

Early enrolment discounts
Payment in instalments
Grants, aid and discounts
Special conditions for companies
Support for elite athletes

104.500 graduates

90 % of students study and work at the same time

84 % would choose the UOC again

For new students, the first installment will be 10% of the amount.

Lifelong learning master's degree: The first installment will be paid with POS, at the time of enrollment, and the rest in a maximum of 20 monthly installments starting from the month of beginning of teaching, by direct debit.

In case of enrolling a master's degree with an amount higher than 5,000 euros, the first installment will be paid by direct debit.

Specialization diploma: The first installment will be paid with POS, at the time of enrollment, and the rest in a maximum of 9 monthly installments starting from the month of beginning of teaching, by direct debit.

Expert diploma and postgraduate course: for amounts over 350 euros the first installment will be paid with POS, at the time of enrollment, and the rest in a maximum of 4 instalments by direct debit.

Payment in instalments carries a cost of 31 euros per procedure.

Payment of the enrolment fee is made once only by direct debit. When choosing this payment option, you will have to enter your bank details on the enrolment form. The charge for the enrolment fee will be made the following month.

In the case of specialization courses, one-off payment is made by POS terminal.

Consult the financing terms and conditions:

BBVA
CaixaBank
Préstamo Aplazo (Deferred loan) Santander

For new students, the first installment will be 10% of the amount.

Lifelong learning master's degree : The payment option for payment in instalments of the enrolment fee is direct debit (if you have a SEPA account) or card direct debit (if you do not have a SEPA account).
The first installment will be paid at the time of enrollment, and the rest in a maximum of 20 monthly installments starting from the month of beginning of teaching.

Specialization diploma: The payment option for payment in instalments of the enrolment fee is direct debit (if you have a SEPA account) or card direct debit (if you do not have a SEPA account).
The first installment will be paid at the time of enrollment, and the rest in a maximum of 9 monthly installments starting from the month of beginning of teaching.

Expert diploma and postgraduate course: for amounts over 350 euros the first installment of the payment must be made by POS terminal at the time of enrollment, and the rest in a maximum of 4 installments by direct debit (if you have a SEPA account) or card direct debit (if you do not have a SEPA account).

Check here if your bank has a SEPA account.

Payment in instalments carries a cost of 31 euros per procedure.

Payment of the enrolment fee is made once only by card direct debit or bank transfer.

If you choose card direct debit, you will have to give the details of the card to be charged during the enrolment process. Remember that the cards we accept are VISA, Visa Electron and MasterCard (you cannot pay with American Express or Diner's Club).

The charge for the course enrolment fee will be made the following month. If you choose to pay for your course by card, remember that the terms and conditions to which you have agreed with your bank will apply. It is important that the card limit is higher than the cost of enrolment to prevent bills from being rejected.

If you have a SEPA bank account, payment can be made by direct debit. To choose this payment option, you will have to enter your bank details on the enrolment form. The charge for the course enrolment fee will be made the following month.

If you choose to pay by bank transfer, a scanned copy of the counterfoil must be sent via the Campus section: Secretary's Office / Enrolment / Payment options. The deadline for payment is ten days after the formalization date and always before the start of teaching.

You can arrange the transfer with the details shown on the enrolment sheet.

Banco Santander Central Hispano
Passeig de Gràcia, 5. 08007 Barcelona. Spain
Account number: 0049-1806-91-2111869374
Swift Code: BSCH ES MM
IBAN: ES15-0049-1806-9121-1186-9374

Companies may only make payments by bank transfer. They cannot make payment in instalments.

During the enrolment process, you can choose the form of payment for the company in the drop-down menu.

Important: if the company pays a percentage and the student the remaining percentage, the company's part must be paid by bank transfer, and the student's part using the available preferred payment option.

Discounts

The UOC offers a series of discounts. If you are entitled to any of these discounts, you should select them in the dropdown menu in the Discounts section at the time of enrolling. If you are entitled to more than one, you will have to choose the one that benefits you most.

If you are eligible for any of these discounts at the time of enrolling, you will have to accredit your eligibility by submitting the relevant documentation within a maximum period of 10 calendar days.

Students having large family status recognized by Spain or by the appropriate body in the other countries are entitled to the following discounts, according to their category:

Large families in the special category: 15% discount.
Large families in the general category: 7.5% discount

Students with a level of disability recognized by Spain as being equal to or greater than 33%, or the equivalent level recognized by any country, are entitled to a 15% discount.

Students (or their children or spouse) who have been acknowledged as victims of terrorist acts by the appropriate body in Spain, or any other country, are entitled to a 15% discount.

Students (or their dependent children) who have been acknowledged as victims of gender-based violence by the appropriate body in Spain, or any other country, are entitled to a 15% discount.

You can obtain this discount if you have done at the UOC free subjects, languages, seminars, customized training courses (UOC Corporate) or an expert diploma. If you are studying a university degree or master's degree but have not yet been titled, you will also be given the community discount.

You can obtain this discount if you have obtained an official degree (degree, bachelor's degree, diploma, engineering or university master's degree) or a lifelong learning master's degree or specialization diploma from the UOC.

You can get this discount if you have a link with a company associated with the UOC.

The UOC offers discounts to companies that participate and support the training of their professionals, prior agreement with the UOC.

Professionals linked to any company or institution that maintains a collaboration agreement with the UOC will be able to benefit from advantages and discounts on the cost of tuition fees for training programs in the University's catalog.

Students considered to be elite athletes are entitled to a discount on the enrolment fee.

Consulta la información del programa

If you're eligible for one of these discounts and you also enrol early, the discount for early enrolment will be applied first and then the other discount will be applied to the remaining amount.

Objectives, profiles and competencies

See who this programme is for and the new competencies that you can develop.

Academic pathway

Some programmes belongs to an academic pathway. Find out about the studies with which you can achieve your goals.

Online Course in Sustainability Training for Events Professionals

Presentation