Sustainability in Business

This course focuses on the role of business in addressing the vast sustainable development challenges faced by the world. There is a complex relationship between business and sustainability, as business has historically been the source of many of these challenges (e.g. climate change, inequality, pollution), and yet business must also be part of the solution, given the size and scope of global business activities. Against this backdrop, there has been an undeniable shift in business attitudes towards sustainability, with corporations increasingly wanting to act sustainably.

With this in mind, the focus of this course is first on understanding the nature of this tension, and second on understanding how business strategies can address ecological and social issues. To truly pursue the needed sustainability shift, companies must creatively address the needs of their diverse stakeholders.

Overall, the course will cover expansive ground, including business strategy, corporate activism and corporate political activity, supply chains, sustainability management and communication instruments, innovation for sustainability, and system change towards sustainability.