University of Cambridge
Sustainable Real Estate: Creating a Better Built Environment
Learn how to lead the transformation of the built environment by addressing sustainability risks and seizing emerging opportunities as you learn to collaborate across the sector, impacting communities, real estate assets and the full lifecycle of buildings and infrastructure.
Start date
07 October 2026
95%
Cohort-based learning
Group learning, expert guidance
8 weeks
Excluding orientation
English
Access resources from start date
7–10 hours per week
Self-paced learning online
Course overview
The total global floor area is expected to increase by 40 billion square metres between 2023 and 2030 – the equivalent of five times the current floor area of Indonesia – in just seven years.
UN Environment Programme (2023)
Sustainable bond issuance reached a record $1 trillion globally in 2024, highlighting growing investor demand for green and transition-aligned assets.
UN Trade and Development, World Investment Report (2025)
Duration: 8 weeks (excluding orientation)
Creating and operating the built environment accounts for over a third of all global greenhouse gas emissions.¹ The building and construction sector contributes significantly to the climate emergency and other critical sustainability issues like resource scarcity and social inequality. At the same time, the sector depends on natural resources, a stable climate and a thriving society, and must therefore consider key sustainability issues for its own survival. Increasing exposure to climate, regulatory and transition risks threaten real estate asset performance, insurability and value, as well as the buildings, infrastructure and places that make up our cities and landscapes; the built environment must be reimagined to support a sustainable future for all.
The Sustainable Real Estate: Creating a Better Built Environment online short course, developed by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), provides you with the knowledge and tools to address sustainability challenges and seize related opportunities within the built environment. The course explores the greatest risks facing the sector, as well as industry trends, regulations and market changes. Throughout this course, you will examine how sustainable design, procurement, planning and real estate investment practices can create long-term social, environmental and financial value for all stakeholders. In this course, we take a systems approach and consider the entire life cycle, exploring strategies and practices that mitigate risk, increase performance and strengthen resilience.
Over eight weeks, you will develop a personal action plan to address sustainability challenges within your built environment context. This plan will guide you in identifying opportunities for improved sustainability performance and enable you to take practical steps to lead change in your organisation or sphere of influence. By implementing these strategies, individuals and organisations can contribute to a more sustainable future and positively impact communities, supply chains and the systems that shape how buildings and infrastructure are financed and managed.
¹ World Economic Forum (Jun, 2024).
Is this course for you?
This course is designed to provide professionals from a wide range of disciplines, such as finance, planning, design, construction, operations and client services and with a foundational understanding of the sustainability challenges and opportunities in the built environment sector. The course is tailored to meet the needs of various practising professionals, including real estate developers, entrepreneurs, city planners, architects, engineers and other built environment professionals. Through this course, students will gain insights into how technology, data, regulations and design approaches can support low-carbon development, increase community resilience, improve energy performance, and enable climate mitigation and adaptation.
Public sector professionals will also benefit from this course, as it examines the impact of sustainability on society, systems and the broader built environment. Investment professionals will also find value in this course, as it explores how climate and transition risks are reshaping real estate asset values and investment decisions.
Regardless of role, seniority or familiarity with sustainability, the course is an excellent opportunity for those looking to ensure business resilience, seize sustainability opportunities and contribute to a thriving future for people, nature and the climate.
CISL Connect: Online live sessions
CISL has developed three bonus CISL Connect: Online Live Sessions for all students joining any of our online business sustainability leadership courses. Through these sessions, you’ll get direct access to CISL's leading voices on today’s most urgent business topics – competitiveness, AI and resilience. This format gives you the chance to connect, collaborate and exchange ideas with a far broader global network of professionals beyond your cohort.
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This course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The course has an estimated 65 hours of learning.
Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is upon you. CISL and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.
This is your opportunity to unleash your potential for extraordinary impact. By completing a course with CISL, you'll develop the skills, confidence, and network to lead change in your sector, organisation and sphere of influence to make significant contributions to society. Extraordinary change happens when passionate and inspired individuals share a common purpose to drive meaningful impact for the collective good.
Course overview
Course overview
Duration: 8 weeks (excluding orientation)
Creating and operating the built environment accounts for over a third of all global greenhouse gas emissions.¹ The building and construction sector contributes significantly to the climate emergency and other critical sustainability issues like resource scarcity and social inequality. At the same time, the sector depends on natural resources, a stable climate and a thriving society, and must therefore consider key sustainability issues for its own survival. Increasing exposure to climate, regulatory and transition risks threaten real estate asset performance, insurability and value, as well as the buildings, infrastructure and places that make up our cities and landscapes; the built environment must be reimagined to support a sustainable future for all.
The Sustainable Real Estate: Creating a Better Built Environment online short course, developed by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), provides you with the knowledge and tools to address sustainability challenges and seize related opportunities within the built environment. The course explores the greatest risks facing the sector, as well as industry trends, regulations and market changes. Throughout this course, you will examine how sustainable design, procurement, planning and real estate investment practices can create long-term social, environmental and financial value for all stakeholders. In this course, we take a systems approach and consider the entire life cycle, exploring strategies and practices that mitigate risk, increase performance and strengthen resilience.
Over eight weeks, you will develop a personal action plan to address sustainability challenges within your built environment context. This plan will guide you in identifying opportunities for improved sustainability performance and enable you to take practical steps to lead change in your organisation or sphere of influence. By implementing these strategies, individuals and organisations can contribute to a more sustainable future and positively impact communities, supply chains and the systems that shape how buildings and infrastructure are financed and managed.
¹ World Economic Forum (Jun, 2024).
Is this course for you?
This course is designed to provide professionals from a wide range of disciplines, such as finance, planning, design, construction, operations and client services and with a foundational understanding of the sustainability challenges and opportunities in the built environment sector. The course is tailored to meet the needs of various practising professionals, including real estate developers, entrepreneurs, city planners, architects, engineers and other built environment professionals. Through this course, students will gain insights into how technology, data, regulations and design approaches can support low-carbon development, increase community resilience, improve energy performance, and enable climate mitigation and adaptation.
Public sector professionals will also benefit from this course, as it examines the impact of sustainability on society, systems and the broader built environment. Investment professionals will also find value in this course, as it explores how climate and transition risks are reshaping real estate asset values and investment decisions.
Regardless of role, seniority or familiarity with sustainability, the course is an excellent opportunity for those looking to ensure business resilience, seize sustainability opportunities and contribute to a thriving future for people, nature and the climate.
CISL Connect: Online live sessions
CISL has developed three bonus CISL Connect: Online Live Sessions for all students joining any of our online business sustainability leadership courses. Through these sessions, you’ll get direct access to CISL's leading voices on today’s most urgent business topics – competitiveness, AI and resilience. This format gives you the chance to connect, collaborate and exchange ideas with a far broader global network of professionals beyond your cohort.
.
This course is certified by the United Kingdom CPD Certification Service, and may be applicable to individuals who are members of, or are associated with, UK-based professional bodies. The course has an estimated 65 hours of learning.
Note: should you wish to claim CPD activity, the onus is upon you. CISL and GetSmarter accept no responsibility, and cannot be held responsible, for the claiming or validation of hours or points.
This is your opportunity to unleash your potential for extraordinary impact. By completing a course with CISL, you'll develop the skills, confidence, and network to lead change in your sector, organisation and sphere of influence to make significant contributions to society. Extraordinary change happens when passionate and inspired individuals share a common purpose to drive meaningful impact for the collective good.
Get this course for your team
Leading organisations recognise the value of this course and invest in it to enhance their employees' skills and expertise.
What will set you apart
An understanding of the intersecting sustainability trends impacting the built environment and real estate sector, as well as related risks, opportunities and emerging solutions.
Insight into how a more sustainable and resilient built environment benefits communities and delivers social and business value.
A personal action plan to deliver sustainable outcomes in your organisation or sphere of influence.
Networking opportunities to grow your professional network and connection to the wider Cambridge sustainability community.
Unlimited access to edX's Career Engagement Network, offering you exclusive resources and events to support your professional journey and drive your career forward.Course curriculum
Orientation module
Welcome to your Online Campus
Module 1
Real estate sector challenges and opportunities
Module 2
Frameworks and objectives for a sustainable real estate sector
Module 3
Systems thinking for resilience
Module 4
Redefining the business value for sustainable real estate
Module 5
Design and procurement for sustainable real estate
Module 6
Sustainable operation of the built environment
Module 7
Developing a strategy and encouraging action
Module 8
Maximising your influence and impact
Course Convenors
Kirsten Henson
Director, KLH Sustainability
Martin Roberts
Sustainability and education specialist and former Director of Digital Learning, University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership
About the certificate
Learn about sustainable practices in the real estate industry and earn an official certificate of completion from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Assessment is continuous and based on a series of practical assignments completed online. In order to be issued with your digital certificate, you’ll need to meet the requirements outlined in the course handbook. The handbook will be made available to you as soon as you begin the course.
Get more information
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Why choose GetSmarter?
GetSmarter operates as edX's partner for premium online short course products from the world's leading universities and institutions. With edX, we leverage our people, technology, and resources to power your education and your potential.
We deliver market-led courses that equip working professionals with the expertise required to upskill, reskill or kickstart a completely new career. Through a data-driven approach, we analyze future skills requirements and ensure all courses address this need. We ensure that leading universities and institutions are your expert guides and our people, technology, and resources are your engine – together we power more than just education, we power your potential.
Read more about GetSmarter here and edX here.
Find out more about GetSmarter’s approach to digital learning, course design, and online delivery here.
Payment options
You can pay your course fees before the course starts, or you may opt for a split payment plan on courses that are nine weeks and shorter. For courses 10 weeks and longer, there is a three-part payment plan available. To find out more about payment options please visit our Payment and Financing page, or contact an enrollment specialist, to find out which option you qualify for.
Manage your time
GetSmarter's learning model is designed to help you, as a working professional, improve your skills without compromising on work and family responsibilities. The course work is broken up into weekly, manageable bite-sized modules, with incremental deadlines, designed to help you pace yourself over the duration of the course and allow you the legroom to work when it suits you best.
At the beginning of each module you'll be presented with the course content and assignments necessary for completion. You also have access to your enrollment specialist who will help you manage your time, and support you with any administrative or technical queries you might have.
Seek employer assistance
By improving your skills and industry knowledge, you'll have an influence on the success of your organization. Why wouldn't you ask your boss to help you fund your studies if it's going to have an impact on the way you do business?
Of our past students, 37 percent have received financial assistance from their employers. You can ask for help, too. Here is a guide to show you how to request financial assistance from your employer.
If you are a Learning & Development (L&D) manager, or involved in training and upskilling for an organization, you can request information regarding our corporate offering on our GetSmarter for business page.
How to change your start date
As part of our commitment to your professional development, GetSmarter offers you a two-week period to change your course start date or request your money back if you’re not fully satisfied.
To qualify for a deferral of your course start date, or to cancel your enrollment and receive a refund of your course fee, your request would need to reach our enrollment specialists before the release of Module 2. For more information, please read our Terms and Conditions.
Discover the Online Campus
The Online Campus will be your virtual classroom for the duration of your course. Through its easy-to-use interface you'll have access to a diverse variety of course content formats including: interactive videos, module notes, practice quizzes, presentations, assignment briefs, and additional web resources.
On the Online Campus, you'll also be able to ask questions and interact with your fellow students and teaching team through the discussion forums. If you are looking for your Online Campus login, please visit your Account page here.
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