WATER RESOURCES AND CLIMATE

This course will cover the science needed to understand hydrology, the link between hydrology and climate, and why climate change will affect the hydrologic cycle. It will then look at what changes have occurred in the past, and what changes are projected for the future and how these changes may affect other sectors, such as agriculture. The final module of the course will look at adaptation measures to adapt to climate change. The course will be formatted to be a mixture of lectures and seminars, with the lecture portion used to introduce scientific concepts and the seminar portion to discuss and evaluate the readings assigned. At the end of this course, students will the hydrologic cycle and its connection to climate, how changes in climate have affected/will affect how much water is available on land, how water impacts ecosystem services, and how to diagnose the cause of a climate-related water problem and develop solutions to address it.

• TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• 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.

• MW 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Alexander Heil
  Info
• 3 points

THEORY & PRACTICE OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSME

THEORY & PRAC OF LIFE CYC

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.

• TR 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Adriana B Kliegman
  Info
• 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.

• TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Carl A Otto
  Info
• 3 points

DECISION MODELS & MANAGEMENT

DECISION MODELS & MGMT

This course provides an introduction to computer-based models for decision-making.  The emphasis is on models that are widely used in diverse industries and functional areas, including finance, accounting, operations, and marketing.  Applications will include advertising planning, revenue management, asset-liability management, environmental policy modeling, portfolio optimization, and corporate risk management, among others. The applicability and usage of computer-based models have increased dramatically in recent years, due to the extraordinary improvements in computer, information and communication technologies, including not just hardware but also model-solution techniques and user interfaces.  Twenty years ago working with a model meant using an expensive mainframe computer, learning a complex programming language, and struggling to compile data by hand; the entire process was clearly marked “experts only.”  The rise of personal computers, friendly interfaces (such as spreadsheets), and large databases has made modeling far more accessible to managers.  Information has come to be recognized as a critical resource, and models play a key role in deploying this resource, in organizing and structuring information so that it can be used productively.

• MW 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Lucius J Riccio
  CULPA: 4 Info
• 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.

• TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• 3 points

ESG-ALIGNED CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

ESG-ALIGNED CORP GOVERNAN

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.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Jessica M Thurston
  Info
• 3 points

SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE

• MW 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Jenna M Lawrence
  CULPA: 6 Info
• 3 points

SUSTAINABLE FINANCE

• R 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Luke C Apicella
  Info
• 3 points

ENERGY MARKETS & INNOVATION

Existing energy sources and the infrastructures that deliver them to users around the world are undergoing a period of rapid change. Limits to growth, rapidly fluctuating raw material prices, and the emergence of new technology options all contribute to heightened risk and opportunity in the energy sector. The purpose of this course is to establish a core energy skill set for energy students and prepare them for more advanced energy courses by providing a basic language and toolset for understanding energy issues.

Using theoretical and practical understanding of the process by which energy technologies are developed, financed, and deployed, this course seeks to highlight the root drivers for change in the energy industry, the technologies that are emerging, and the factors that will determine success in their commercialization. Understanding these market dynamics also informs good policy design and implementation to meet a broad range of social welfare goals.

Upon completing the course, students should not only understand the nature of conventional and emerging energy generation and delivery, but also the tools for determining potential winners and losers and the innovative pathways to drive their further deployment.

• TR 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Travis Bradford
  CULPA: 1 Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

WRITING ABOUT GLOBAL SCIENCE FOR INTERNA

WRITING-GLOBAL SCI-INTL M

This is an interdisciplinary workshop for scientists, future NGO workers and journalists seeking skills in communicating 21st-century global science to the public. Scientists will be given journalism skills; journalists will learn how to use science as the basis of their story-telling. The course is designed to give students exercises and real-world experiences in producing feature stories on global science topics. While most scientists and international affairs professionals have been trained to write in the style of peer-reviewed journals, we will focus on journalism techniques, learning how to translate global science into accessible true stories that reach wide audiences.

Science is performed by passionate individuals who use their intelligence and determination to seek answers from nature. By telling their histories and uncovering the drama of discovery, we believe that there are ways for science to be successfully communicated to readers who might otherwise fear it.

• TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Claudia Dreifus
  CULPA: 1 Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

ACCOUNTING, FINANCE, AND MODELING OF SUS

ACCTG, FIN & MODL OF SUST

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).

• MW 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Brad Schwartz
  Info
• 3 points

INTEGRATIVE CAPSTONE WORKSHOP

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Kizzy M Charles-Guzman
  Info
• Instructor: Thomas Abdallah
  Info
• Instructor: Anne L Degnan
  Info
• 3 points

SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Jonathan Hollander
  Info
• 3 points

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE

• R 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Bruce Kahn
  Info
• 3 points

DATA ANALYSIS AND VISUALIZATION IN SUSTA

DATA ANALYSIS & VIS SUST

• TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Tavis M Barr
  Info
• 3 points

Illuminating Sustainable Pathways with M

Material Flow Analysis

Material flow analysis (MFA) is a foundational tool for aiding decisions concerned with the physical aspects of sustainability. MFA fills crucial data gaps on the state of society’s resource use and provides insights such as inefficiencies in urban systems, misallocation of useful products into landfill, risks in resource security, and business opportunities for enterprises. 

These qualities make MFA a premiere tool for enabling the transition to a circular economy at the local, regional, national, and global levels. 

As a topic embraced by the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Program, MFA will equip students with a systems view and a versatile skill that will be instrumental for working on many sustainability topics, including a connection with advanced life cycle assessments. Students may particularly be fascinated by the ability of MFA to derive the material footprints of nations and to inform environmental policies. The addition of an MFA course to the Sustainability Management curriculum will contribute greatly to the program’s track record of producing students that “transform organizations by formulating and implementing the sustainability strategies necessary to compete and win in the 21st century.” 

The skill is sought after especially in the European Union, where annual reporting of material accounts by member states is mandated. There is also increasing demand of MFA practitioners from local entities, most recently the municipal governments of Portland and Copenhagen, in support of their circular economy and sustainability initiatives.

• TR 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Koichi Kanaoka
  Info
• 3 points

SOLAR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

TBA

• W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Daniel J Giuffrida
  Info
• 3 points

EQUITY, ENERGY AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

EQUITY, ENERGY AND BUILT

• TR 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• 3 points

Internship In SUMA

N/A

• Instructor: Mariela Torres
  Info
• 3 points

INDEPENDENT STUDY

• Instructor: Maria L Gray
  Info
• 3 points

SUSTAINABILITY & URBAN FORM

• MW 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Allison L Bridges
  Info
• 3 points

MANAGEMENT OF SEC CLIMATE COMPLIANCE

Management of SEC Climate

This course will teach students how to develop the organizational capacity and management skills
necessary for compliance with the new SEC Climate Disclosure Regulations. This course will introduce
regulated ESG reporting, emphasizing climate disclosure. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) Climate disclosure will serve as the basis for the discussion and could be used as a case study to
illustrate the best practices for administering a sustainability reporting regime and sustainability reporting
more broadly within an organization. By the conclusion of this course, students will be able to design,
manage, and implement new processes and procedures within their organizations to respond to the new
SEC Climate Disclosures and other forthcoming regulated and mandatory disclosures.
To increase comparability, relevancy, and accuracy of the environmental data and sustainability
information reported by companies on climate and human capital matters, the SEC prioritized climate
change and ESG regulations throughout 2022, promising new rules to better inform and protect investors
and other stakeholders. This unprecedented action paves the way for disclosures that were previously
voluntary to become required. The evolution of the ESG landscape will considerably transform ESG from
a reputational risk concern to a regulatory-driven activity, thereby increasing the ESG lens/scrutiny at the
level of financial statements.
Due to the complexity of this SEC Climate Rule, this course will focus on the SEC Climate Disclosures in
their first year of implementation so that students can interpret, acquire a deeper understanding of the new
rules, and develop a Year 1 implementation strategy. To prepare the next generation of sustainability
leaders to respond to this new regulatory regime, the intended audience of this course consists of
sustainability leaders from a diversity of industries responsible for climate reporting.

• MW 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• 3 points