SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT

This course will begin by clearly defining what sustainability management is and determining if a sustainable economy is actually feasible. Students will learn to connect environmental protection to organizational management by exploring the technical, financial, managerial, and political challenges of effectively managing a sustainable environment and economy. This course is taught in a case-based format and will seek to help students learn the basics of management, environmental policy and sustainability economics. Sustainability management matters because we only have one planet, and we must learn how to manage our organizations in a way that ensures that the health of our planet can be maintained and bettered. This course is designed to introduce students to the field of sustainability management. It is not an academic course that reviews the literature of the field and discusses how scholars thing about the management of organizations that are environmentally sound. It is a practical course organized around the core concepts of sustainability.

• Instructor: Steven Cohen
  CULPA: 1 Wikipedia h-index: 21 Info
• 3 points

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT

This course will begin by clearly defining what sustainability management is and determining if a sustainable economy is actually feasible. Students will learn to connect environmental protection to organizational management by exploring the technical, financial, managerial, and political challenges of effectively managing a sustainable environment and economy. This course is taught in a case-based format and will seek to help students learn the basics of management, environmental policy and sustainability economics. Sustainability management matters because we only have one planet, and we must learn how to manage our organizations in a way that ensures that the health of our planet can be maintained and bettered. This course is designed to introduce students to the field of sustainability management. It is not an academic course that reviews the literature of the field and discusses how scholars thing about the management of organizations that are environmentally sound. It is a practical course organized around the core concepts of sustainability.

• 3 points

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT

This course will begin by clearly defining what sustainability management is and determining if a sustainable economy is actually feasible. Students will learn to connect environmental protection to organizational management by exploring the technical, financial, managerial, and political challenges of effectively managing a sustainable environment and economy. This course is taught in a case-based format and will seek to help students learn the basics of management, environmental policy and sustainability economics. Sustainability management matters because we only have one planet, and we must learn how to manage our organizations in a way that ensures that the health of our planet can be maintained and bettered. This course is designed to introduce students to the field of sustainability management. It is not an academic course that reviews the literature of the field and discusses how scholars thing about the management of organizations that are environmentally sound. It is a practical course organized around the core concepts of sustainability.

• 3 points

SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT

This course will begin by clearly defining what sustainability management is and determining if a sustainable economy is actually feasible. Students will learn to connect environmental protection to organizational management by exploring the technical, financial, managerial, and political challenges of effectively managing a sustainable environment and economy. This course is taught in a case-based format and will seek to help students learn the basics of management, environmental policy and sustainability economics. Sustainability management matters because we only have one planet, and we must learn how to manage our organizations in a way that ensures that the health of our planet can be maintained and bettered. This course is designed to introduce students to the field of sustainability management. It is not an academic course that reviews the literature of the field and discusses how scholars thing about the management of organizations that are environmentally sound. It is a practical course organized around the core concepts of sustainability.

• Instructor: Paul Washington
  Info
• 3 points

Innovative Sustainability Leadership

This course will prepare students to be leaders in developing innovative sustainable frameworks and solutions. We will analyze the characteristics of innovative sustainability leaders, including common themes (if any), how they have grappled with success and failure, and how these individuals become effective leaders who inspire their teams and organizations to act as catalysts for change. Through guest speakers, in-depth discussion, and by using a variety of examples and case studies from the non-profit, profit, and public sectors, we will examine the impacts that innovative sustainability leaders have on organizational success and failure. 

Against the backdrop of a world transformed by climate change, we will then expand our view to assess the significance of collaboration both within and beyond the conceptual boundaries of organizations, considering the pivotal roles that diverse stakeholders play in driving advancements in sustainable innovations. Ultimately, we will evaluate the role and responsibility of innovative sustainability leaders to effect transformational change on a societal level. By the end of the course, students will have developed actionable tools, strategies, and critical thinking skills for leading transformational change in their organizations and beyond.

• Instructor: Sara Goddard
  Info
• 3 points

Climate Change and Sustainable Water

SCIENCE OF SUSTAINABLE WATER

This course covers all topics and material about water sustainability, the global water crisis and the impacts from climate change. It is a comprehensive introductory water resource class that all sustainable-minded professionals should have.  The topics and materials studied in the class strikes a balance for management, business, science, and technical specialists. 

The sustainability of water has become an increasingly critical issue, and over the coming decade, as awareness and resources go into addressing public health, economics, growing development, climate and weather changes, and aging infrastructure. Water resources are affected by changes not only in climate but also in population, economic growth, technological and scientific changes, and other socioeconomic factors.  In addition, they serve a dual purpose; water resources are critical to both human society and natural ecosystems. The objective of this course is to provide a fundamental understanding of key global water challenges and hydrological processes in the natural and built environment.  We will then use this understanding to explore aspects of sustainable strategies for integrated and climate-resilient water resources management.  We will explore the roles of humans as an integral part of the water cycle: how we use our water resources and how our actions help shape the water cycle. In addition, students will be encouraged to think about how climate change will impact water resources.

• Instructor: Shannon Marquez
  Info
• 3 points

ECONOMICS OF SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT

ECONOMICS OF SUSTAINABILITY MG

This course builds on core economics courses and addresses issues of environmental, resource and sustainable economics. It focuses on the interaction between markets and the environment; policy issues related to optimal extraction and pricing; property rights in industrial and developing countries and how they affect international trade in goods such as timber, wood pulp, and oil. An important goal of the class is to have students work in groups to apply economic concepts to current public policy issues having to do with urban environmental and earth systems. The use of the worlds water bodies and the atmosphere as economic inputs to production are also examined. The economics of renewable resources is described and sustainable economic development models are discussed and analyzed. Some time will also be devoted to international trade and regulation, and industrial organization issues. Students not only learn economic concepts, but they will also learn how to explain them to decision-makers. The instructor will tailor this course to the skill level of the students in order to most effectively suit the needs of the class.

• Instructor: Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou
  Info
• 3 points

Reversing the Biodiversity Crisis

Course Overview

Often described as “twin crises,” climate change and biodiversity loss are among the most urgent sustainability challenges to be addressed in our modern era. While much focus has rightfully been placed on climate change mitigation actions at local, regional, and global scales, biodiversity loss is less often addressed by governments, institutions, industries, and individuals as a critical piece of the sustainability puzzle. In 2021, COP 15, the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, received far less media attention than COP 26, the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change. Yet climate change and biodiversity loss are inextricably linked, and without biodiversity and the associated ecosystem services and biospheric resilience upon which human society relies, a sustainable world is not possible. Moreover, certain climate change mitigation actions can actually be to the detriment of biological diversity.

 

Unlike a traditional conservation biology course geared towards ecologists and biologists, this course will be taught through the lens of sustainability management, equipping sustainability managers with the knowledge and direction needed to begin integrating biodiversity conservation and restoration into their professions. This course will illuminate the critical importance of biodiversity to sustainability and human well-being, the science and politics behind the current biodiversity crisis, and proposals, policies, and actions for bending the curve of biodiversity loss to create more sustainable and equitable outcomes for both humans and the non-humans with which we share our planet.

 

Students who seek to deepen their understanding of ecological sustainability and address the biodiversity crisis through the lens of sustainability management are encouraged to take this course. This course is an on-campus (or Hy-Flex) elective offered during the Fall semester and fulfills 3 credits within the Physical Dimensions of Sustainability Management curriculum area in the Master of Science in Sustainability Management program. Cross-registration is available to students outside of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management program, space permitting.

• Instructor: Amy Karpati
  Info
• 3 points

PRAC-INNOVATV SUSTAIN LEADRSHP

This course deals with a fundamental question of sustainability management: how to change organizations and more complex systems, such as communities, industries, and markets, by integrating sustainability concerns in the way that they operate. The course poses this question to a dozen leading sustainability practitioners, who answer it by discussing management strategies that they use in their own work. Through these guest lectures, extensive class discussion, readings, and writing assignments, students identify and simulate applying practical ways for transforming how organizations and complex systems work. The practitioners, who work in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and in a wide variety of organizations, make presentations in the first hour of the course. Students then have time to ask questions and speak informally with the guest practitioners, and will participate in an instructor-led class discussion, geared toward identifying management strategies, better understanding their application, and considering their effectiveness. By the end of the course, the students gain an understanding of management tools and strategies that they, themselves, would use to integrate sustainability in organizations.

The course complements the M.S. in Sustainability Management program’s required course, Sustainability Management (SUMA K4100). In that course, students study management and organization theory. In the Practicum, students learn directly from leading practitioners, who confront sustainability management issues daily.

• 1-3 points

COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS

This course is about cost-benefit analysis and the economic evaluations of policies and projects. Cost benefit analysis (CBA) consists of a comprehensive set of techniques used to evaluate government programs. It is now routinely applied in such program areas as transportation, water projects, health, training and education, criminal justice, environmental protection, urban policy and even in the international arena such as foreign direct investment. Many of the techniques of CBA can also be applied to private sector decision-making. The objective of CBA is to determine whether the benefits of a particular program, policy or decision outweigh its costs. The techniques used to determine this are sometimes quite simple, but on other, increasingly frequent occasions are highly sophisticated. Sophisticated cost benefit studies are based on a framework that utilizes the basic concepts of economic theory. In addition, statistical and econometric analyses are often needed to estimate program effects from diverse available data. The course has two parts: methodology and practice. The goal is for students to be practically adept to undertake an independent cost-benefit analysis.

• Instructor: Alexander Heil
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• Instructor: Anyi Wang
  Info
• 3 points

THEORY & PRACTICE OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSME

THEORY & PRAC LIFE CYCL ASSMNT

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a methodology to assess the environmental impact of products, services, and industrial processes is an increasingly important tool in corporate sustainability management. This course teaches both the theoretical framework as well as step-by-step practical guidelines of conducting LCAs in companies and organizations. Particular emphasis is placed on separating the more academic, but less practically relevant aspects of LCA (which will receive less focus) from the actual practical challenges of LCA (which will be covered in detail, including case studies). The course also covers the application of LCA metrics in a companies’ management and discusses the methodological weaknesses that make such application difficult, including how these can be overcome. Product carbon footprinting (as one form of LCA) receives particular focus, owing to its widespread practical use in recent and future sustainability management.

• Instructor: Christoph J Meinrenken
  h-index: 15 Info
• Instructor: Kim Matsoukas
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• Instructor: Adriana B Kliegman
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• 3 points

CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING AND S

CORP SUST REPORTING & STR

The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of trends and best practices in corporate communications relating to sustainability, with a particular focus on global sustainability reporting frameworks and green marketing communications. It is designed for those who hold/will hold positions in organizations with responsibilities for communicating the sustainability goals, challenges and achievements, as well as accurately and honestly communicating the environmental aspects of an organization's products and services. Increasingly, large corporations are creating c-suite roles or dedicated departments to oversee this function. More typically, multiple functions contribute information such as: Corporate Communications, Marketing, Community Affairs, Public Policy, Environmental Health & Safety, R&D, Facilities, Operations and Legal. Benefits of reporting range from building trust with stakeholders, and uncovering risks and opportunities; to contributing to stronger long-term business strategy, and creating new products and services.

• Instructor: Celine S Ruben-Salama
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• Instructor: Suzanne M Klatt
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• Instructor: Jessica M Thurston
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• 3 points

GHG EMISSIONS: MEASURING AND MINIMIZING

GHG EMISSIONS CARBON FOOT

Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are now at a record high, and the world’s scientific community agrees that continued unabated release of greenhouse gases will have catastrophic consequences. Many efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, both public and private, have been underway for decades, yet it is now clear that collectively these efforts are failing, and that far more concerted efforts are necessary. In December 2015, the world’s nations agreed in Paris to take actions to limit the future increase in global temperatures well below to 2°C, while pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5°C. Achieving this goal will require mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors, both public and private. Critical to any attempt to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is a clear, accurate understanding of the sources and levels of greenhouse gas emissions. This course will address all facets of greenhouse gas emissions accounting and reporting and will provide students with tangible skills needed to direct such efforts in the future.

Students in this course will gain hands-on experience designing and executing greenhouse gas emissions inventories for companies, financial institutions and governments employing all necessary skills including the identification of analysis boundaries,  data collection, calculation of emissions levels, and reporting of results. In-class workshops and exercises will complement papers and group assignments. A key component of this course will be critical evaluation of both existing accounting and reporting standards as well as GHG emissions reduction target setting practices.

This course will introduce many of the challenges facing carbon accounting practitioners and will require students to recommend solutions to these challenges derived through critical analysis. Classes will examine current examples of greenhouse gas reporting efforts and will allow students the opportunity to recommend improved calculation and reporting methods.

• Instructor: Jonathan C Dickinson
  CULPA: 1 Info
• Instructor: Ryan A Meinke
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• Instructor: Anthony M Guerrero
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• 3 points

ESG ALIGNED CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

ESG-ALIGNED CORP GOVERNANCE

Environmental, social and governance issues (‘ESG’) are moving to center stage for corporate boards and executive teams.  This elective course complements management and operations courses by focusing on the perspective and roles of the board and C-suite of corporations, financial institutions and professional firms in addressing ESG risks as well as promoting and overseeing governance aligned with ESG principles. The course focuses on the interchange between the external legal, competitive, societal, environmental and policy ‘ecosystems’ corporations face (which vary around the world) and a company’s internal structure, operations and pressures. We will use the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the UN Global Compact Principles (which incorporate all aspects of ESG) as the central frameworks to explore the concept of a corporation’s responsibility to respect and remedy human rights and environmental harms.  We will also examine the Equator Principles and other frameworks that spell out good practices for project finance and other investment decisions, and reference a wide range of the myriad indices, supplier disclosure portals and benchmarks that exist in this inter-disciplinary field.  Relevant regulations, corporate law regimes and court cases will be discussed from the point of view of what business managers need to know. While most of the course will deal with companies and firms serving global, regional or national markets, several examples will deal with the question of how the ESG ecosystem affects or offers opportunities to start-ups.

• Instructor: Bridget C Murphy
  Info
• 3 points

CRITICAL URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SUSTAI

What are urban infrastructures that promote sustainability? Such infrastructure must reduce environmental pollution at all scales, provide necessary urban services efficiently and enhance urban resilience to multiple potential crises. Sustainable infrastructure also must promote social and economic equity and environmental justice. And sustainable infrastructure must be economically feasible. This class will use these concepts to evaluate urban infrastructure and identify challenges to making urban infrastructure sustainable. Importantly, the course will use theories of urban transitions to help identify the drivers of potential change in infrastructure development and envision the emergence of sustainable infrastructure. This class will examine these notions across the energy, transportation, water supply and waste water treatment, buildings, health and open space urban sectors.

• Instructor: Peter J Marcotullio
  Info
• 3 points

SUSTAINABLE FASHION AND STARTUP STRATEGY

SUST FASHION & STARTUP ST

Fashion’s consistent ranking among the top 3 global polluters has become a decades old fact struggling to gain a proportionate response among the brand startup and sourcing community. With industry revenues set to exceed $1 trillion, there is an opportunity to critically address existing revenue models predicated on traditional metrics, such as constant growth, and singular bottom lines. The course attempts to create a nexus between the fashion entrepreneur and systems thinker to explore strategic solutions that address sustainability though an environmental, social and economic lens. The aim is to foster a mindful, yet critical discourse on fashion industry initiatives, past and present, and to practice various tools that help transition existing organizations and incubate new startups towards sustainable outcomes.

• Instructor: Ammar Belal
  Info
• 3 points

SUSTAINABLE FINANCE

This course is an introduction to how sustainability issues (commonly referred to as ESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance) have become financially material to the global equity, credit, underwriting, insurance, risk management, venture capital, and asset management capital markets. These issues have a direct impact on risk exposure and the quality of public, private and government debt/equity investments. The course will devote significant time to fundamental principles of finance including valuation, financial statements, time-value of money, capital markets, and asset management. Students will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively communicate sustainability/ ESG issues to a financial professional.

This course gives students a foundation in how sustainability issues affect the various sectors of finance and an understanding of how integrating sustainability principles and practices into finance can be used to make a business become more efficient, effective, reduce risks, create opportunities and provide competitive advantage, for both companies and financial firms alike. The course will provide a framework for how sustainable investing has subcategories for socially responsible investing (SRI), ESG integration, ESG thematics, and Impact Investing. The alignment and tradeoffs of sustainability issues and their impact on management and investors will also be addressed.

• Instructor: Bruce Kahn
  Info
• 3 points

ENERGY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

ENERGY AND SUST DEVELOPMENT

This course addresses the relationship of energy production and use to human development and sustainability. It explores “sustainable development” as both an ideal and practical challenge, a global concern but a specific local consideration in energy production and use.

The focus of Energy & Sustainable Development is the planning and implementation of energy projects, programs, businesses and policies (collectively "energy enterprises") in frontier markets; that is, smaller, less developed countries, as well as niche opportunities within larger settings and more developed economies. 

Students should consider this course if they wish to:


Examine the interconnections of energy to the major issues that comprise sustainable development, such as health, poverty, economic opportunity, social and environmental conditions, climate and weather, and energy ethics and justice.

Explore established and cutting-edge options for delivering modern energy in developing countries and other frontier markets; and,

Prepare market analysis, and energy for development proposals. It is helpful but not essential for students to be comfortable with rudimentary financial analysis and feasibility tools.

• 3 points

SUMA PS5157 Carbon Markets and Global Cl

Carbon markets have become a central tool in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This course explores the economics, institutions, and pricing mechanisms that shape these markets, providing students with a fundamental description and analysis of emissions trading systems (ETS), carbon taxes, voluntary carbon markets, internal carbon transfer pricing and emerging financial instruments. Beginning with microeconomic foundations such as externalities and market-based climate policies, students will analyze the role of international organizations and regulatory frameworks, including the Paris Agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, and regional policies like the EU Green Deal, the California carbon market and RGGI. Through real-world case studies, students will evaluate carbon pricing mechanisms across jurisdictions and industries, gaining the analytical skills necessary to assess policy effectiveness and market integrity. Designed for graduate students in environmental economics, public policy, sustainability, and finance, this course is particularly relevant for those pursuing careers in climate policy, carbon finance, and international development.

This course serves as a critical component of the environmental policy and sustainability curriculum, bridging economic theory with practical policy implementation. By integrating key concepts from environmental economics, climate governance, and financial markets, it reinforces students’ understanding of how carbon pricing aligns with broader sustainability goals. Additionally, the course supports programmatic objectives by equipping students with the technical expertise and policy fluency needed to navigate and shape carbon markets. Whether students aim to work in governmental agencies, international organizations, or private-sector sustainability roles, this course provides the necessary foundation to engage with one of the most dynamic areas of climate policy.

• Instructor: Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou
  Info
• 3 points

Climate Finance and Sustainable Developm

Climate Finance & Sust De

The course provides an overview of the opportunities and challenges of transnational financing from public and private sources that seeks to support mitigation and adaptation investments intended to address climate change. Although there is increased and widespread commitment to taking climate action on the part of corporations, financial institutions, countries and sub-national actors, there remains a paucity of examples where a just transition has been furthered. The conditions engendered by the advent of widespread pandemics have exacerbated global differences in capacity and access to solutions. Nevertheless, the emergence of new financial mechanisms and global cooperative responses to the pandemic have revealed potential methods to finance enhancements in mitigation and adaptation in the regions where these are most lacking. We examine current capital and trade flows and their relationship to flows of embedded carbon, methods of carbon pricing and the implementation of low-carbon pathways, with an evaluation of decentralized co-benefits that can advance sustainable development. We combine analysis of carbon accounting and financial structuring to design potential investments in example decarbonization projects which integrate additionality in mitigation and adaptation, co-benefits and poverty alleviation.

• Instructor: Satyajit Bose
  CULPA: 4 Info
• 3 points

RESPONSIVENESS AND RESILIENCE IN THE BUI

RESPONSIVENESS & RESILIENCE

Urban Systems and their Sites
There are general, consensual definitions and practices that accrue to resilience, and we will consider these in our readings and lectures. But when considering a specific place and its hazards, specificity is necessary. This semester, we are considering how one city, Providence, deals with its flows of materials and wastes; how its systems can be improved for lesser climate impact (mitigation); how the locations and means of flows can help to respond to climate change challenges (adaptation and resilience); and how to realize potentials of urban systems for their capacity to deliver on promises to the people who depend on them.

This course will ask you to engage actively as well as providing information through lectures and readings. The work includes class discussion, student presentations, longer-term group research projects, in-class lab time, and an elective weekend design workshop conducted with the Department of Architecture at Rhode Island School of Design. Outside experts will occasionally lecture. All that you learn will be leveraged in your final group design project for Providence, RI.

• Instructor: Lynnette Widder
  Info
• 3 points

Sustainability Metrics: Driving Urban an

SUSTAINABILITY METRICS

Over the past two decades, public and private institutions have set clear targets for environmental, economic, and social performance and they are increasingly using analytical tools to assess problems and measure progress.  The advent of “Big Data” has accelerated this work – and opened up new possibilities and challenges. This course will examine the use of data and metrics to shape and implement sustainability policies and programs and to assess and communicate their outcomes.

The course will survey a range of real-world sustainability challenges and evaluate the choices confronting public officials, private companies, NGO’s, advocates, and citizens – and the data that can be used to diagnose problems, develop solutions, and measure success. Particular focus will be given to urban sustainability efforts and corporate sustainability.  We will explore how data can be used and misused in each of these domains.  Throughout we will emphasize the importance of context, comparability, and completeness of information. 

Students will be required to critically evaluate what they read and hear. In addition, the course will give students an opportunity to learn how to express their ideas verbally and in written form and conduct a critical analysis of how environmental data is used to develop and implement public policy. Assignments will give students the opportunity to use their technical and analytical skills while understanding the real-world applications that will be important to their future work as planners, policymakers, advocates, architects, environmentalists, or other professions. The course will feature guest lectures from speakers who are leaders in their fields. Lecture topics may be moved to accommodate speaker travel and availability. Notice will be provided to students in advance of any schedule changes.

• Instructor: Adam Freed
  Info
• 3 points

Sustainable Operations - Corporate Value

Leading and advancing sustainability within an organization’s operations requires a strategic and balanced approach. Focusing on the integration of a wide range of today’s sustainability drivers, in a manner consistent with the organization’s culture and business objectives, optimizes the chances for long term success and impact. To that end, this course takes a broad high level approach at systematically analyzing both risks & opportunities to integrate sustainability at each step along a complex value chain. Specifically, students will be asked to assume the role of a sustainability professional within a private sector company, tasked with integrating various sustainability strategies, initiatives and tools into the fabric of the business.

Throughout the semester, the entire end-to-end value chain will be examined, however it is not the intent to conduct full in-depth technical analyses of each value chain area, rather we will look at sustainable operations from a high-level strategic management viewpoint, discussing integration opportunities and intersections related to: product design, procurement, logistics, physical operations, stakeholder engagement, product/service use and end-of-life disposition.

By considering the organization holistically, we will discuss analytical concepts and industry tools related to life cycle thinking, cost/benefit analyses, corporate sustainability strategies, and risk assessments. In addition to technical sustainability considerations such as climate change, energy, water and waste, students will learn to implement practical sustainability initiatives within operating organizations by carefully considering key stakeholder expectations and overall materiality. Finally, the intersection of sustainability and brand purpose will be explored, helping to find the sweet spot between sustainability science and creative/marketing communication.

• Instructor: Vance Merolla
  Info
• 3 points

Sustainable Operations - Supply Chain Ma

In an era of growing environmental and social awareness, supply chains have emerged as a powerful lever for driving
sustainability in operations. Supply chain emissions are, on average, 11.4 times higher than operational emissions (1)
making them a critical focal point for impactful change in operations. This course explores the essential role of supply
chains in achieving sustainable outcomes and equips students with the tools and insights needed to transform
conventional practices into innovative, responsible, and efficient systems. This course is part of a broader curriculum
aimed at cultivating leaders who can integrate sustainability into the heart of business strategy. It is designed for
students from diverse professional and academic backgrounds, no prior experience in operations or supply chain
management is required to excel in this course.

Through this interdisciplinary journey, students will gain a robust foundation in supply chain management, learning
to integrate sustainability principles across operations. The course balances analytical skills with creative problem-
solving, preparing students to address real-world challenges. Upon completing this course, students will gain a
comprehensive skillset to analyze, design, and implement sustainable operations solutions in their future careers.
Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the strategic role of supply chains in modern economies,
including their critical impact in decarbonization efforts. Students will also learn to apply key analytical tools such as
demand forecasting and risk assessment, while mastering strategies for sourcing, supplier management, and logistics
optimization.

• Instructor: Catarina Carvalho
  Info
• 3 points

ACCOUNTING, FINANCE, AND MODELING OF SUS

ACCT FIN & MOD OF SUS INV

This course is designed to provide students with working knowledge on how to make successful investments in sustainable companies and to prepare students to be conversationally literate in financial reporting. As you leave the school and become leaders of organizations financial literacy will be a skill set that will be vital to success no matter what career path you go down. It starts with a strong foundation in accounting and corporate finance, then moves on to ESG/Impact screening of potential investments, along with valuation techniques used to arrive at a purchase price. It will explore financial models that can aggregate multiple variables used to drive investment decisions.

To understand and lead a transition to a sustainability-aware business, managers must first be familiar with the terminology, practices and consequences of traditional accounting and finance. Students will learn traditional financial and accounting methods and tools. We will examine how these methods and tools are changing to improve product and service design, resource efficiency and allocation, employee productivity and sustainability performance outcomes. Students will learn how value is created in a company and the different methods employed to create that value, conduct due diligence, discuss optimal capital structure to finance a transaction, execute a transaction, and implement a Sustainability-based value-added operating plan to the target company. The course will conclude with students preparing a persuasive investment memo and accompanying financial model to the investment committee of an impact investing asset management firm. The course also provides a practical introduction to selected non-financial accounting topics including sustainability reporting standards, ESG corporate performance indicators and corporate social responsibility report (CSR Reporting).

• Instructor: Brad Schwartz
  Info
• 3 points

FINANCING THE CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY

FINANCING CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY

We need to transition toward a more environmentally sustainable society given both pollution and its health effects, and the impacts of extreme weather and climate change. The production and consumption of energy is the largest contributor to these concerns, and so the transition to a clean energy economy is essential. The increasing energy needs of the world’s growing population make this an ongoing challenge. At the same time, energy security and affordability, and social and economic inequities, must also be considered. New technologies and effective policies are needed to help drive increased deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Finance is also a key lever to drive the implementation of clean energy. The availability and cost of capital is a key determinant in scaling renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

This course focuses on the finance and market aspects of the clean energy economy, and integrates technology, policy, and finance to evaluate both the opportunities and challenges. There is a focus on renewable energy generation, as mass electrification using cleaner generation sources is necessary to sustain our energy-dependent lives and economies. The course also looks at energy efficiency, including specific end-uses of energy that are responsible for the majority of emissions (e.g., personal vehicles, buildings). Throughout the course, finance will be analyzed as a barrier to, or enabler of, greater adoption of clean energy, particularly as we think about the allocation of capital.

• 3 points

The Sustainable Transportation Economy

Course Overview

Transportation accounts for about 25% of global GHG emissions.  Significantly reducing emissions in this sector is fundamental for addressing climate change.  Historically, the technical and commercial tools for tackling emissions in this sector have lagged other sectors (for example, electricity production).  But over the last several years, this dynamic has changed and there is now unprecedented capital and brainpower focused on transportation decarbonization. The course focuses on capturing the key elements that will speed the scale-up to low- and no- carbon transportation (“sustainable transportation”) across the breadth of transportation sectors.  In doing so, this scale-up will create new industries and business models – and has the potential to benefit a wide group of people, including those who in the past have been disproportionally affected by poor air quality caused by existing transportation sources.  The course is designed for any student who wishes to understand these elements in a deeper way.

 

The course will explore the decarbonization opportunities and challenges across the various transportation sectors, including light duty, commercial fleets, public transportation, aviation, and marine sectors – as well as areas that cut across all sectors, such as battery adoption, the supply chain for materials, fueling/charging. and the impact of hydrogen.  Because the carbon content of propulsion fuels is dependent on other sectors (for example, the transition to renewable electricity), the course will examine the energy transition in transportation in the context of broader decarbonization trends.  In exploring each transportation sub-sector, the course will focus mainly from the commercial perspective, but will incorporate the external factors (e.g., innovation, policy, macro-factors) that affect commercial success.

 

The course is intended for anyone wishing to further their knowledge or their career in the areas of sustainable transportation – especially in areas related to electric transportation.  The course will rely on lectures and discussions, both led by the professor and guest lecturers.  There are no prerequisites for the course.  The course assignments will include a combination of problem sets, financial modeling, and case studies/written assignments.  No previous financial modeling experience is required; the professor and/or TA will provid

• Instructor: Scott Fisher
  Info
• 3 points

INTEGRATIVE CAPSTONE WORKSHOP

• 3 points

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATIONS SYSTEMS (GIS) FO

GIS FOR SUST MGMT

Maps have long been used to explore and communicate spatial information for practical tasks such as navigation and more analytic pursuits such as understanding relationships at the intersection of social and natural sciences. Today, most data—whether in spreadsheets, documents, apps, or sensor logs—is tied to a location, making it “mappable”. Learning to analyze this spatial data allows us to discover patterns and quantify relationships which support data driven decisions. 

This course introduces students to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a modern end-to-end toolset to collect, store, analyze, and visualize spatial data. Through lectures, readings, guided discussions, weekly hands-on exercises (both in class and at home), and an individual term project, students practice core spatial analysis techniques and spatial data visualization. Weekly lectures will cover GIS applications in fields relevant to sustainability management as well as GIS theory and skills. Weekly assigned readings will match lecture topics on both applications and GIS theory/skills. The required term project allows each student to connect and apply GIS methods to a question of personal or professional importance, producing a polished spatial analysis and map product which will be presented to the class using StoryMaps.

• Instructor: Antoinette V Wannebo
  Info
• 3 points

Climate Technology and Innovation

This course is designed to furnish students with a conceptual framework for understanding climate tech innovation and an overview of practical ways to professionally engage in it. We focus on climate tech because the current global rate of decarbonization is not sufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C. To accelerate the rate of change and stabilize our planet’s climate, innovative technology development and diffusion is required. Beyond the moral imperative, rapid decarbonization represents an unprecedented economic opportunity. To realize the promise of a low-carbon economy, new practitioners must join the innovation ecosystem and drive it forward. This course will prepare students to do so.

The course starts by framing what climate tech means (i.e., all technologies focused on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the impacts of climate change) and how climate tech innovation will occur (i.e., as a complex process including co-evolution of technology, regulations, infrastructure, and consumer behavior). It then provides an overview of the innovation value chain including various stakeholders and avenues for professional involvement. It concludes with a survey of sectoral innovation opportunities. Considerations of equity and just transition are covered throughout.

• Instructor: Luke C Apicella
  Info
• 3 points

Sustainability in Sports: Theory and Pra

The global sports industry is substantial, encompassing various aspects such as sporting events, merchandise, broadcasting, and more. In 2022, the industry's revenue amounted to nearly $487 billion. By 2027, the global sports market is expected to surpass $623 billion.
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However, the influence of sports extends far beyond the field. Fans are both dedicated and passionate supporters who contribute to the industry's success and have a massive following across continents. From local matches to international tournaments, fans engage through attendance, viewership, merchandise purchases, social media interactions, and so much more.

As the market continues to grow, the sports industry has made significant progress toward embracing sustainability practices. Brands are increasingly transparent about their sustainability efforts, businesses are looking to partner with sustainability-focused organizations that have reputable certifications and initiatives, real estate developers and investors are designing environmentally friendly facilities, and athletes and their fan bases are demanding climate action, just to name a few. Despite some progress, there's ample room for growth within emerging sustainability practices in sports. Continued innovation can lead to eco-friendly materials, sustainable event management, ensuring sustainability across supply chains, and greening stadiums, venues, and event infrastructure, which can further minimize resource consumption and pollution and contribute to a healthier planet.   

This course introduces the concept of sustainability and its relevance to the sports industry. It examines the environmental, social, and economic impacts of sports activities, events, and organizations and explores the strategies and practices that can enhance the sustainability performance of the sports sector. The course covers topics such as the definitions and dimensions of sustainability and how they relate to sports; the drivers and challenges of sustainability in sports (climate change, stakeholder expectations, governance, and innovation); frameworks and tools for assessing and reporting on sustainability in sports; best practices and case studies of sustainability in sports; and opportunities and benefits of sustainability in sports (fan engagement, athlete activism, business development, and social impact).

• 3 points

THE EARTH'S CLIMATE SYSTEM

This class provides a broad, quantitative introduction to the science underlying our understanding of the Earth’s climate system. Students will first learn the basic, fundamental concepts of energy transfer, the greenhouse effect, and general circulation in the climate system. We will then build on these ideas to explore more specialized topics, including climate variability now and in the past, the signs of climate change, climate models, extreme events, and projections of future climate. Lectures and slides will draw from the scientific literature, as well as the latest IPCC Assessment Report (AR6).  By the end, students will have a working knowledge of the climate system, giving them the knowledge and skills to evaluate statements and claims in the media and from their peers. Limited math (basic algebra) will be necessary for some of the assignments. All lectures will be recorded, and all slide decks will be uploaded to Courseworks after class.

• 3 points

Smart Agriculture for a Changing Climate

Agriculture is highly dependent on stable climate conditions to produce the world’s food with sufficient nutritional quality at an affordable cost. Climate change is threatening the breadbaskets of the world with shifting rainfall, pests, and weather patterns. Farmers face enormous challenges in adapting to this volatility that is affecting their livelihoods and communities locally, and threatens the global food systems stability. Adaptation to these changes has become a high priority for policy makers, corporations, and investors around the world. Climate smart agriculture presents solutions to the existential threat to the global food supply by utilizing a range of tech enabled methods for producing more food with less resources. The challenge is daunting because there is no “one size fits all” solution. Instead, localized solutions that meet the social, environmental, and economic realities of farmers need to be developed, accelerated, and implemented.

• Instructor: Henry A Gordon-Smith
  Info
• 3 points

DATA ANALYSIS AND VISUALIZATION IN SUSTA

DATA ANALYSIS & VIS SUST

Data science is an exciting new field of applied research that takes advantage of the ever-growing volume of data being collected to support of decision-making in both the public and private sectors. Similar to traditional statistical analysis, these new approaches have limits and issues that are important to understand before application to problem solving. This is a full semester course taught in person.  It aims to introduce the common methods used in data science, best practices in data management, and the basic scripting skills required to start analyzing data in R and Python. After introducing foundational scripting and data analysis methods, a case study approach will be used to highlight both what can be accomplished with data analysis and the limits of the data and methods used. Lab exercises will teach basic skills in scripting in Python and R and then move to a common approach for data analysis: adapting existing scripts and software libraries to solve applied data problems.

 

The requirement to understand the interaction of social and natural systems requires data-driven policy decisions, and the ongoing assessment of policies requires rigorous, reproducible assessments of effectiveness for promoting sustainability. Both requirements can be met in part by data science approaches that are applicable to the natural and social sciences and reproducible in academic and applied settings. Data science techniques have been developed to derive insight from large volumes of available data that are often collected for purposes other than the interests of the data scientist. This flexibility in approach means that the techniques used in data science are well adapted to support gaining insights from data relevant for sustainability science. This course has been designed to introduce these techniques in anticipation of increased use in promoting sustainability.

• Instructor: Tavis M Barr
  Info
• 3 points

Digital Product Development for Sustaina

In April 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that global efforts are unlikely to reduce carbon emissions in line with COP21 targets of 1.5o C above preindustrial levels.  This finding underscores the urgency around decarbonizing the economy and sustainably managing natural resources.  A so-called “big, hairy, audacious goal,” it requires that similarly ambitious solutions be implemented across countries and industries.

It is only by measuring resources that stakeholders can manage them and ensure that they are available in sufficient quantities for future generations. Web tools provide up-to-date analyses of aggregated data; distill complex issues into accessible visualizations; enable users to drill down to answer questions; offer insights into complicated and interdependent issues; and display changes in performance over time.  For example, Sustainable 1/S&P Global’s ESG Scores are valuable because they expose patterns in data related to environmental, social and governance risks and opportunities.

This elective course will introduce students to the digital product management role in the context of sustainability.  Students will get a strong understanding of what it means to be a product manager and its role in the organization.  The course will demonstrate how to define a product vision; identify a product strategy; create product roadmaps; design a customer experience; enable data-driven decisions; understand the development process; manage for results; and, by “leading through influence,” coordinate cross-functional teams of business analysts, developers, data providers, marketing, users, customers, senior management and other stakeholders.  The course is about product strategy and how to innovate and launch new products and features.  Students will be prepared for product management roles in companies; though many of those skills are applicable to entrepreneurship, the course is not geared toward start-ups or new ventures.

• Instructor: Teri Mendelsohn
  Info
• 3 points

INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

INTL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

International Environmental Law is a fascinating field that allows students to consider some of the most important questions of the 21st century – questions that have profound ramifications for the quality of life for our generation as well as future generations. Global environmental problems are real and urgent. Their resolution requires creative and responsible thought and action from many different disciplines. 

 

Sustainability practitioners must understand global environmental issues and their effects on what they are charged to do. At one level, this course will consider the massive challenge of the 21st century:  how to alleviate poverty on a global scale and maintain a high quality of life while staying within the bounds of an ecologically limited and fragile biosphere -- the essence of sustainable development.  From a more practical perspective, the course will provide students with an understanding of international environmental policy design and the resulting body of law in order to strengthen their ability to understand, interpret and react to future developments in the sustainability management arena.

 

After grounding in the history and foundational concepts of international environmental law and governance, students will explore competing policy shapers and the relevant law in the areas of stratospheric ozone protection, climate change, chemicals and waste management, and biodiversity. The course satisfies the public policy course requirement for the M.S. in Sustainability Management program.

• Instructor: Richard Horsch
  CULPA: 2 Info
• 3 points

IMPACT FINANCE FOR SUSTAINABILITY PRACTI

IMPACT FINANCE FOR SUST PRACT

This survey course examines a range of sustainable and impact investing fixed income and equity products

before transitioning to the asset owner perspective on sustainable and impact investing. Each class session

includes elements of financial analysis, financial structure, social or environmental impact, and policy and

regulatory context. Brief guest lectures, podcasts, and three experiential exercises bring these topics to life.

At the end of the course, each student will be able to (i) construct a diversified portfolio of impact

investments based on the range of products tackled in class, (ii) integrate ESG into debt and equity valuation,

(iii) develop an impact investing product that an asset manager or investment bank could launch, (iv) develop

an impact investing strategy for an asset owner, and (v) lead either side of the investor-corporate dialogue on

sustainability. The lectures are designed to prepare students for both the impact investing product

development exercise and the impact investing asset owner strategy exercise, and these two exercises are

designed to prepare students for impact investing leadership over the course of their careers.

As an early innovator in social finance, dating back 24 years, the instructor provides students with a practical

toolkit, honed by making mainstream financial institutions and products more beneficial to a broader range

of stakeholders and making specialist impact investment firms more relevant to and integrated with

mainstream markets.

• Instructor: Bhakti Mirchandani
  Info
• 3 points

Sustainability Value Creation in Private

This course provides an overview of the way sustainability (environmental, social and governance) factors are analyzed in private markets. It focuses on preparing students to implement their understanding of the financial and societal risks and opportunities within the investment making process. In private markets, limited partners (pension funds, endowments, high net-worth individuals) have pushed the sustainability imperative and social consciousness of private equity funds and asset managers by seeking greater clarity around how their money is invested in both a responsible and financially meaningful way. Alongside this trend, an evolving regulatory environment globally has propelled the need to systemize evaluation frameworks for stakeholders within investment functions and advisors who support them.Unlike public markets, sustainability information is harder to glean in private markets and requires a skilled extraction and evaluation process. During this course, we examine a traditional ESG due diligence process embedded within the wider investment lifecycle (sourcing, diligence, hold and exit) through the lens of changing geographic regulatory landscape in financial investing and the market leading frameworks that quantify ESG factors for evaluation. The course culminates with a deal due diligence process that mimics an investment committee (IC) comprised of private equity leaders that understand the commercial and purpose-driven viability of an investment.

• Instructor: Angela Jhanji
  Info
• 3 points

WRITING OP-EDS, SMALL PERSONAL ESSAYS AN

WRITING OP-EDS, ESSAYS &

This class is designed to give students exercises and guided experiences in producing and marketing publishable opinion essays. In the last two decades, newspapers, magazines and websites have opened up their pages to reader contributions. This development provides an unprecedented opportunity for students and faculty to connect with the general public about policy issues—and also to their personal passions. Op-eds provide a relatively new pathway to communication and advocacy. This course aims to teach journalistic writing so that our students can gain a larger forum on matters like climate mitigation, conservation biology, green roofs, urban farming, ecologic waste disposal, environmental justice, and pandemic prevention.

• 3 points

CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR SUSTAINABILITY PROF

CIRC ECON FOR SUST PROFS

Throughout history, societies have discovered resources, designed and developed them into textiles,

tools and structures, and bartered and exchanged these goods based on their respective values.

Economies emerged, driven by each society’s needs and limited by the resources and technology

available to them. Over the last two centuries, global development accelerated due in large part to the

overextraction and use of finite resources, whether for energy or materials, and supported by vast

technological advancements. However, this economic model did not account for the long-term impacts of

the disposal or depletion of these finite resources and instead, carried on unreservedly in a “take-make’-

waste” manner, otherwise known as a linear economy. Despite a more profound understanding of our

planet’s available resources, the environmental impact of disposal and depletion, and the technological

advancements of the last several decades, the economic heritage of the last two centuries persists today;

which begs the question: what alternatives are there to a linear economy?

The premise of this course is that through systems-thinking, interdisciplinary solutions for an alternative

economic future are available to us. By looking at resources’ potential, we can shape alternative methods

of procurement, design, application, and create new market demands that aim to keep materials,

products and components in rotation at their highest utility and value. This elective course will delve into

both the theory of a circular economy - which would be a state of complete systemic regeneration and

restoration as well as an optimized use of resources and zero waste - and the practical applications

required in order to achieve this economic model. Achieving perfect circularity represents potentially

transformative systemic change and requires a fundamental re-think of many of our current economic

structures, systems and processes.

This is a full-semester elective course which is designed to create awareness among sustainability

leaders that those structures, systems and processes which exist today are not those which will carry us

(as rapidly as we need) into a more sustaining future. The class will be comprised of a series of lectures,

supported by readings and case-studies on business models, design thinking and materi

• Instructor: Danielle Azoulay
  Info
• 3 points

Internship Experience 2 - SUMA

Internship in SUMA

This asynchronous, 1.5-credit elective combines a supervised professional internship with guided analysis of workplace culture, ethics, and feedback practices. Students evaluate organizational values, inclusivity, and ethical decision-making while developing the skills needed to navigate professional environments and identify the workplace cultures in which they will thrive.

• 1.5 points

SOLAR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

At the end of this course, students will be prepared to fully evaluate the technical and financial aspects of a solar project. They will be equipped with skills allowing them to either develop or rigorously vet solar project proposals. The course introduces and provides students with a holistic understanding of the end-to-end solar development process. The course has two goals: 


To provide students a deep understanding of the dozens of critical interrelated steps critical to developing a successful operating solar project. 

To equip the students with the tools and understanding of the skills necessary to develop a solar project beginning with site selection encompassing the entire process to commissioning and operations.

• Instructor: Daniel J Giuffrida
  Info
• 3 points

Infrastructure Development for Sustainab

ENVIRO INFRSTRCTURE SUS CITIES

Sustainable and resilient cities require integrated networks of transportation, water, waste, stormwater, energy, parks, housing, and communication infrastructure to support a low-carbon society and lifestyles. This course, led by two experienced practitioners and civic leaders, examines climate solutions at the city level through the lens of capital programs and policies, including responses to Hurricane-related challenges in New York City. Class modules cover key topics such as program development, stakeholder engagement, public support, project finance, contracting, and public-private partnerships, alongside sector-specific challenges, technologies, and initiatives. Grounded in real-world case studies, the course features guest lectures from city agencies and private-sector experts, as well as a field trip offering a behind-the-scenes look at an infrastructure facility. Designed for future sustainability leaders, this course equips students with the knowledge and skills to shape the cities of tomorrow.

• 3 points

SUMA PS5715 Intelligent Energy Systems:

Modernizing energy systems is essential for achieving a sustainable future. This course provides an in-depth exploration of intelligent energy systems, emphasizing the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in advancing grid operations and sustainability objectives. Designed to integrate theoretical foundations with real-world application, the course highlights innovative methodologies and cutting-edge tools, enabling students to tackle critical challenges such as renewable energy intermittency, curtailment, grid reliability, and resilience. Through a challenging yet approachable curriculum, students will develop both the knowledge and hands-on expertise required to lead innovations in the renewable energy industry within an increasingly complex and interconnected world. This elective course is designed for students interested in the intersection of renewable energy, technology, and environmental stewardship. This course will emphasize transformative technologies in grid modernization, highlighting the pivotal roles of AI and BESS.

• Instructor: Jingbo Hao
  Info
• 3 points

POLICY AND LEGAL CONTEXT FOR SUSTAINABIL

PLCY/LGL CNTX FOR SUSTAINABLTY

• 3 points

Sustainable Management of Forests

The course intends to give an overview of forests – how they function, and how they can be managed sustainably. The course addresses both the ecology and economics of forests. Combining the study of these two disciplines is necessary to understand and develop management actions and solutions to deforestation.  The emphasis in integrating ecology and economics is going to be on learning tools and techniques for managing forests. The course accounts both for North American and forests in other countries, including tropical ones. Current typical conceptions of forests are somewhat paradoxical: forests are considered marginal in sustainability, and yet they connect with many issues of central concern such as biodiversity, climate change, household energy for the poor, homelands for indigenous people, water and human shelter, to name a few. More specifically, forests provide a fruitful line of inquiry into many environmental issues, such as the complex balances within ecosystems, global cycling of elements, such as carbon, the nature of sustainability, and interactions between economic development and the conservation of nature.  For example, we will study biodiversity in forests. Much biodiversity is found outside of forests, but our study will provide an understanding of the ecological dynamics involved with biodiversity, the possible management options, and its importance for human survival. The course is going to emphasize the role of forests in the carbon cycle and the contribution of deforestation to climate change.

• Instructor: Ralph C Schmidt
  Info
• 3 points

Geographies of Environmental Justice and

The origin of the American Environmental Justice Movement can be traced back to the emergence of the American
Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and more specifically to the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964. These historical
moments set the stage for a movement that continues to grow with present challenges and widening of economic,
health and environmental disparities between racial groups and socioeconomic groups. The environmental justice
movement builds upon the philosophy and work of environmentalism, which focuses on humanity’s adverse impact
upon the environment, entailing both human and non-human existence. However, environmental justice stresses the
manner in which adversely impacting the environment in turn adversely impacts the population of that environment.

At the heart of the environmental justice movement are the issues of racism and socioeconomic injustice.
This course will examine the intersections of race, equity, and the environment – focusing on history and the
growing role and impact of the environmental justice movement in shaping new sustainability discourses, ethics,
policies, and plans for the twenty-first century. Environmental Justice embeds various disciplines into its analytical
framework ranging from human geography and history to urban studies, economics, sociology, environmental
science, public policy, community organizing, and more. Drawing from these disciplines, as well as from recent
policies, advocacy, and regulations, students will develop a deeper understanding of equity, sustainability, social
impact, and environmental justice in places and spaces across the nation.

Building on the broadness of environmental justice and sustainability, this course will use the geography lens and
frameworks, building on the concept that geography brings together the physical and human dimensions of the
world in the study of people, places, and environments. Geography will set the stage for us to explore a variety of
environmental justice topics and issues in different regions across the nation, from the Black Belt South to the Rust
Belt to Cancer Alley, New Orleans, and Atlanta; then back to New York City and the metropolitan area, introducing
students to initiatives, policies, stakeholders, research, community groups, and advocacy involved in the
development and implementation of environmental laws, policies, practices, equity-based solutions, and sustainable
infrastructure.

• Instructor: John E Williams
  Info
• 3 points

Internship in Industry - SUMA

Internship In SUMA

This asynchronous, 3-credit elective provides an immersive, supervised professional internship experience paired with structured reflection and applied academic work. Students integrate theory with practice while assessing organizational culture, ethical decision-making, feedback practices, and professional competencies. Through guided analysis and reflective assignments, students deepen self-awareness, strengthen career readiness, and clarify how their internship experience shapes future professional goals.

• 3 points

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Independent Study is a one- or three-credit course that can count toward the curriculum area requirement in Integrative Sustainability Management, Economics and Quantitative Analysis, Physical Dimensions, Public Policy, General and Financial Management, or Elective, with the approval of the faculty advisor. A final deliverable relating to the Sustainability Management curriculum is required at the end of the semester, and will be evaluated for a letter grade by the faculty advisor and reported to the SUMA program office.

• Instructor: Maria L Gray
  Info
• 1-3 points

Workshops in Sustainability Career Paths

Workshops in Sust Careers

The M.S. in Sustainability Management program is offering a panel workshop series, featuring SUMA alumni who will share firsthand insights into the courses that shaped their professional journeys. The workshops will offer a unique opportunity to hear how alumni applied their classroom learning in real-world sustainability careers across sectors, including corporate sustainability, sustainability finance, policy, consulting, environmental justice, and more. 

This is a 0 credit ungraded course open to all students in the MS in Sustainability Management, MS in Sustainability Science, MPA in Environmental Science and Policy, MS in Climate, MS in Climate Finance, and MA in Climate and Society programs. Students can attend as many or as few workshops as they'd like, in person or virtually. The Zoom link and classroom location will be confirmed in the coming weeks. 

Workshop dates and topics:

September 9 - Governmental Sustainability, Decarbonization, and Environmental Protection

September 16 - Corporate Sustainability

September 21 - Sustainability Finance

October 7 - Environmental Justice

October 14 - The Built Environment

October 21 - International Careers

November 11 - Energy Consulting

November 18 - Sustainability Analytics

December 2 - Nonprofit and Advocacy

• Instructor: Cindy Ip
  Info
• 0 points

Environmental Law and Policy in New York

New York City has positioned itself as a global leader in the fight against climate change, often serving as a model for other jurisdictions to follow. This course explores the development and implementation of environmental legislation and policy in New York City during the past two decades. It includes discussions about historical context, environmental policymaking considerations, political processes, outcomes, and the role of stakeholders such as advocates, business, industry, labor, government actors, and community. Students will gain broad knowledge of key legislation and policies related to sustainability, resiliency, energy, emissions, waste and the circular economy, transportation, water and air quality, and green space. Furthermore, students will consider how environmental justice and equity play a role in the development of legislation and policy, and assess best practices for providing equitable treatment and engaging all communities. While the focus of the class will be on New York City, students will also learn about environmental policies implemented in other jurisdictions.

Introduction to Environmental Law and Policy in New York City is available to students in the Graduate Program for Sustainability Management. It is designed to provide future sustainability practitioners and others with a fundamental understanding of how legislation and policy is made, what influences this development, and how legislation and policy seek to address climate change in New York City in urban environments like New York City. Students will be able to use this knowledge to help government and public and private organizations achieve more sustainable solutions.

This is a semester-long elective class that will be taught on campus. Specific competencies or prerequisites are not required. This course will be interactive and discussion-intensive, engaging students to utilize and reflect critical and analytical thinking about how environmental legislation and policy is developed and how they can create innovative environmental legislation and policy in the future. Students will participate in class discussions, think critically about policy development and assigned readings, write a reaction essay on environmental justice and equity, and present their analysis to classroom colleagues. For the final project, students will write a research report and present their report to the class, focusing on a particular environmental policy topic, identifying areas where policymaking can be improved upon and/or expande

• Instructor: Laura Popa
  Info
• 3 points

FASHION POLICY AND THE POLITICS OF GOVER

The fashion industry is an ideal case study on how governments, citizens and international institutions attempt to limit the environmental and social impacts of complex consumer industries with global supply chains. Historically, apparel and textiles have been at the center of some of the most consequential government actions under liberal Western democracy, including the abolition of slavery and the passage of the first workplace safety and labor laws in the United States. In recent years, fashion has returned to the center of dynamic policy debates within the sustainability and social impact space.

 

The $2.5 trillion global fashion industry’s social and environmental impacts often evade regulation. Major brands leverage long and opaque supply chains for raw materials and cheap manufacturing costs with very little accountability. Private regulation and voluntary commitments have policed fashion for the better part of four decades, an approach that arguably has ended in failures to protect human and environmental rights. The industry’s lack of accountability has cost lives, including the notorious Rana Plaza building collapse in 2013 where 1,132 garment makers died, and now contributes to a sizable percentage of annual climate change. Profits have been pushed to the top of the supply chain while garment makers consistently toil for poverty wages, and the pollution and environmental degradation of fashion is a burden almost exclusively carried by low-and-middle income nations and communities of color that manufacture clothing and produce raw materials.

 

But the tide is turning. Governments are being asked to step in and regulate the fashion industry. Can effective fashion policies police international supply chains and achieve their intended aims? Might they unleash unintended consequences and in what ways? This course is an introduction to the fast-evolving space of modern environmental and labor policy as it intersects with fashion, and which seeks to incentivize more responsible business behavior in the realm of social, environmental and governance impacts. The class will use recently passed and proposed fashion social and sustainability policies as our case studies, including the New York State Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act; mandatory human rights due diligence in Europe; California’s Garment Worker Protection Act and Congress’s FABRIC Act; the FTC Green Guides and the UK CMA’s Green Claims Code; and Europe&rsquo

• 3 points

Navigating Global Sustainability: Corpor

Global Sustainability Dis

This course takes a dual-pronged approach to the importance of sustainability reporting: examining both the corporate perspective on preparing sustainability disclosures and the investor perspective on how these disclosures are used to inform capital allocation, risk assessment, and stewardship decisions. At a time when the sustainability reporting landscape—both voluntary and mandatory—is rapidly evolving, focusing on the investor perspective provides clarity. This approach helps students anchor their learning in what matters most for capital markets, enabling them to organize and lead sustainability reporting processes within their own organizations. The goal of this two-sided lens is to equip students with the skills to deliver decision-useful, transparent, and consistent sustainability information that aligns with the demands of today’s regulatory and investment environments.

In the first half of the course, students will explore the evolving landscape of sustainability frameworks and regulations. Key regulatory regimes—such as California’s SB 253 and SB 261, the EU’s CSRD, and the CSDDD and GRI, Sustainability Reports, ISSB —will serve as anchors for case discussions. These discussions will play a crucial role in helping students understand how to administer sustainability reporting as a strategic organizational function, and in emphasizing the organizational capacity and management practices needed to comply with these frameworks. By the end of the course, students will be able to design, manage, and implement the internal processes required to respond to mandatory and evolving ESG disclosure expectations.

The second half of the course will adopt the lens of the investor, exploring how ESG disclosures are integrated into decision-making across three asset classes: public equity, private equity/alternatives, and fixed income. Students will engage in structured modules for each asset class, assuming the role of institutional investors tasked with interpreting disclosures, engaging with companies, and making recommendations. Each module will feature live engagements with real-world investors, offering students direct insight into market practices and expectations.

• Instructor: Carolyn Allwin
  Info
• 3 points

SUMA PS6135 Art & Sustainability

Since the first Earth Day in 1970, artists have increasingly addressed ecological issues in their work. This trend has magnified greatly in the past two decades. Around the globe, artists are creating artwork that addresses the impact of loss of biodiversity, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, plastic pollution, and the fragility of our shared ecosystems. Their art raises awareness of the need to act collectively, suggesting frameworks for replacing anthropocentric and colonial approaches to nature, and amplifying the urgent need for environmental justice. In this pivotal moment of climate change, artists inspire by cultivating new narratives and giving form to the invisible or unimaginable, demonstrating how art can help awaken resolve and shape our next steps. They invite viewer participation and action, and suggest ways to make a difference. In the process, they expand our potential for empathy and agency.

The cultural sector has an important role to play in shifting attitudes that would lead to developing more sustainable and equitable global futures. Artists focus on both local and global environmental issues, expanding the field of climate change communication and at times offering out-of-the-box solutions. The artists covered in the course are cognizant of the need for systemic social change in order to achieve policy change. Blurring the boundaries between art and activism, many are working collaboratively across disciplines and with various communities to address both the physical and ethical dimensions of sustainability. Others work independently to provide new visions for the future. The course is designed for people who are interested in the contribution that art can play in creating fresh paradigms.

• Instructor: Julie Reiss
  Info
• 3 points

Green Industrial Policy - Field Course i

Until recently, due to their laissez faire underpinnings, market economies eschewed significant and overt government planning of sector-specific incentives and investment guidance. Nevertheless, in recent years many countries with quite different economic systems have embraced programs of targeted investment in specific industries as an integral part of a long term strategy of economic development. While the rationale for fostering innovation in strategic industries has a long and venerable tradition, there are also many current and historical examples of the potential for misallocation, malinvestment and rent-seeking protectionism in the actual record of centrally planned economies.

Recent Chinese advances in fostering the world’s largest investments in renewable energy, battery technology, electrified mobility, ultra-high voltage transmission and a supply chain ecosystem for automation and artificial intelligence both in deployments and manufacturing capacity may represent an extensive and illuminating example of the sustainable development potential of industrial policy. The field course will combine 5 weeks of preparatory in-person on-campus instruction followed by a 9-day field tour of instruction and visits to government agencies and companies in the renewable energy, battery technology, and electric vehicle manufacturing companies in China.

This elective course will provide training for those wishing to investigate the rationale, methods, limitations and examples of targeted government intervention to encourage investment in sustainability-related industries. The syllabus will include the logic of green industrial policy, the strengths and limitations of the policy toolkit, China’s experience with 5-year plans and the details of its directed growth in key green industrial sectors, as well as lessons for other countries. The content is designed to be of interest to Sustainability Management students whose career goals will lead them to strategy & planning positions in either private corporations, government agencies or international organizations. The course will be open to a maximum of 20 students, with priority given to SUMA and MoSSS students. An intermediate course in economics at the undergraduate level is a highly recommended prerequisite.

• 3 points