Sustainable Fashion

The Sustainable Fashion course, offered by Copenhagen Business School through Coursera, is an engaging online program designed to introduce learners to the challenges and opportunities in creating sustainable business models within the fashion and textile industry. This beginner-friendly course explores key concepts like sustainability, circular economy, and innovative practices, using real-world examples from startups and established brands to illustrate pathways toward ethical and environmentally responsible fashion. Taught by instructors Kirsti Reitan Andersen, Ana Lucia Diaz Schiavon, and Esben Rahbek Gjerdrum Pedersen, it requires approximately 20 hours to complete over eight modules and has garnered high ratings for its insightful content on transforming the industry's unsustainable practices.

Core Content

The curriculum is structured into eight modules that progressively address sustainability in fashion. It begins with an overview of the industry's environmental and social impacts, including resource consumption and waste generation, and introduces foundational concepts like sustainable business models and circular fashion. Subsequent modules delve into circular economy principles, challenges in transitioning to circular practices, and innovative approaches such as garment leasing and recycling. The program examines sustainable materials, their production processes, and lifecycle considerations, alongside interviews with experts on topics like local production and transparency. It covers diverse business models, partnerships for sustainability, and tensions in implementation, culminating in a peer-reviewed case study assignment where learners analyze a fashion brand's sustainability efforts.

Key Skills

Participants develop the ability to identify sustainability challenges in the fashion supply chain, evaluate business models for environmental and social impact, and apply circular economy concepts to real-world scenarios. The course builds competencies in discussing sustainable materials, analyzing partnerships and tensions in sustainability initiatives, and creating strategies for ethical fashion practices. Graduates gain practical expertise in assessing garment lifecycles, fostering collaborations for change, and communicating sustainability ideas effectively, enabling them to contribute to or advocate for responsible business transformations in the industry.

Target Learners

This program is tailored for beginners interested in sustainable fashion, including students, professionals in design or business, entrepreneurs, and consumers seeking to understand ethical practices. It is particularly suited for those in the fashion industry, consulting, or activism roles aiming to integrate sustainability without prior expertise, as well as environmentally conscious individuals motivated to drive positive change through informed choices and innovations.

Learning Format

Delivered fully online via Coursera, the course spans eight self-paced modules with flexible deadlines, featuring video lectures, readings, quizzes, assignments, and discussion prompts. It includes interactive elements like peer-reviewed case studies and expert interviews, allowing progression at one's own speed. Learners can audit for free or pay for a certificate (typically around $49) to access graded assessments and a shareable credential upon completion, with subtitles available in multiple languages for global accessibility.

Additional Benefits

Completing the course provides a certificate from Copenhagen Business School, enhancing professional profiles and demonstrating commitment to sustainable practices in fashion. Participants join Coursera's global community for ongoing discussions and gain inspiration from industry examples, supporting career growth in ethical design, consulting, or advocacy while contributing to broader efforts in reducing the fashion sector's environmental footprint.

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