Corporate Sustainability Strategies

Before 2000, "environmental management" in business was largely driven by the need to respond to environmental, health, and safety (EHS) pollution regulations. More recently, concerns about sustainability began influencing business change, with environmental management giving way to environmental strategy. This seismic shift moved sustainability efforts away from siloed EHS departments, leading to new business lines and increased integration of environmental issues into numerous corporate functions. Today, a changing climate – and the recognition of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) issues amongst investors, consumers, and rating agencies – are shaping companies’ futures. Now, business units of all types will be impacted by sustainability concerns in new laws, industry guidelines or norms, new technologies, energy planning, customer expectations, changes in raw material availability, performance metrics, and reporting requirements. With the help of readings, class discussion, guest lectures, and written assignments, students will learn how sustainability is defined and operationalized within organizations, and how sustainability strategies are developed, measured, and reported on. They will further develop skills to critique and defend sustainability strategies and frameworks, an essential skill in this fast-evolving space.