MBA in Sustainability
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This course lays the foundation for understanding the theory and practice of sustainable business. In doing so, it provides a preview of the content of the subsequent courses in the MBA curriculum. Major themes include Innovation, Sustainability Strategy, Organizational Culture, Storytelling, Systems Thinking, Impact Business Models, Persuasive Communication.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES / KEY CONCEPTS

After taking this course, students will be better able to:

1. Discuss the history and theory of change behind sustainable business.
2. Understand the shift from shareholder to stakeholder capitalism.
3. Employ systems thinking for analyzing business challenges and opportunities.
4. Identify potential sustainability strategies for a company.
5. Make the business case for sustainability and JOI strategy to “skeptics”.
6. Utilize practices like calling in to build a stronger JOI-centered organizational culture.
7. Discuss key strategy tools, and sustainability regulatory and reporting frameworks.
8. Utilize scenario analysis to develop sustainability strategy.
9. Learn the core vocabulary of sustainable business.
10. Develop and Pitch a Sustainable Business Model.

Economics for Decision Making is designed to give you a non-mathematical overview of microeconomics, macroeconomics, international economics, community economics, and ecological economics.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The learning objectives for this course are:

• You should be able to apply economic logic and thinking to the requirements of any business you start, lead, or work for, whether they are for-profit, nonprofit, cooperative, or government agencies. That means fully exploiting the power of economic arguments, and also appreciating the limits of many of the underlying assumptions.

• You should be able to understand and engage critically with most articles in the mainstream business press, such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Guardian, Business Week, and the Economist. Engaging critically means knowing the strengths and weaknesses of various kinds of economic analysis and arguments.

• With your sharpened economic tools, you should be able to contribute constructively—as businesspeople and as citizens—to the resolution of the toughest problems facing the planet, including climate disruption, inequality, and racism.

The Personal Leadership Development (PLD) course is designed to enable you to discover and develop your personal motivations and understand their influence and interactions on you as a leader - in relationship to yourself, others, and systems.

Using a personal mastery approach, you will critically explore, examine and engage the course’s five core competencies:

1. Articulating a shared vision

2. Demonstrating self-awareness and emotional intelligence 

3. Empowering others through action

4. Recognizing systems interactions

5. Building personal and community resilience.

In this course, you will examine strengths and gaps in your leadership style, and through the introduction and application of concepts, skills, techniques, and tools, you will enhance your personal leadership approach and be better equipped to apply your approaches as a leader in organizations and systems.

Recognizing the necessity for sustainability leaders to be equipped to lead audaciously in ever changing times, this course will intentionally integrate concepts of justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism toward creating a shared understanding as well as practices that seek to dismantle systemic and environmental racism.

As such, in this course you will be expected to:

• Examine your individual leadership attributes through a personal journey that explores concepts such as world view, emotional intelligence, vision, mission, values, and leadership manifestos.
  
  
• Participate in individual and group activities and assignments that focus on better understanding and assessing your individual strengths and challenges, and personal leadership style in a collaborative context.

• Engage with leaders, case studies and real world scenarios that illustrate leadership responses and models in a variety of contexts including business, community-based organizations, religion, pop culture as well as local, national and international political settings, towards the goal of supporting the case for new and unique leadership models that ensure a sustainable and flourishing future.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Personal leadership is very - personal. Sustainability leaders must know how to lead themselves before they can lead people and change in organizations and systems. For these reasons, this course is unique in that the focus is not on what’s right, but rather what’s right for you.

The main learning objectives for this course include:

• Improve student’s capacity to lead themselves and others through values first, words and actions second
  
  
• Demonstrate mastery and application of at least three concrete leadership competencies of their own choosing; demonstrated improvement others not mastered
  
  
• Develop of an ongoing leadership toolkit through the identification and sharing of current best practices and resources in leadership development
  
  
• Develop of a sounding board network for ongoing leadership development

By the completion of the course, you will be able to better recognize, understand, and/or embody the following behaviors aligned with the core competencies discussed in this class:

• Vision (Who am I and what's important to me?)

  • Establish and articulate personal visions, mission, values; Understands own leadership style in relation to others.​

• Emotional Intelligence (How do my emotions affect me as a leader? Do I recognize the emotions of others as I lead?)

  • Self aware; Demonstrates the ability to to effectively use emotion in motivating themselves and connecting with others.

• ​Community Leadership (How do I demonstrate my commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and antiracism in my leadership style? How do I lead authentically in order to empower others?)

  • Behavior: Holds one’s self accountable to actions which promote equity; Acts authentically to build trust, promotes collaboration through inclusive leadership; Provides constructive feedback and actively seeks feedback for oneself.

• Systems & Networks (What is my personal theory of change? How am I connected to networks and systems?)

  • Understands patterns of interconnection and interdependence in networks and systems; Recognizes systemic nature of leadership and stewardship; Analyzes, challenges, and presents alternatives to the status quo.

• ​Resilience (How do I stay the course, or stay true when things get tough?)

  • Builds personal practices to increase the resilience of themselves and others amidst volatile, uncertain, complex and/or ambiguous conditions; Demonstrates a growth mindset; Remains curious when navigating paradoxes.

This course is designed to introduce students to key ideas in accounting, with the objective of enabling them to analyze current business practices and organizations using these ideas.

The course begins with a brief overview of the basic language of accounting, emphasizing the difference between financial and managerial accounting. These concepts are used to develop an understanding of the integrated bottom line, including financial and non-financial value creation.

Students explore several of the major sustainability frameworks and regulations, including ISSB, CSRD and the SEC climate disclosure rule, and other ongoing changes to the rapidly evolving sustainability framework space.

Students learn basic financial ratios, and how to use them to analyze both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. We then analyze why organizations succeed or fail when externalities are not accounted for, and how sustainable finance professionals attempt to internalize externalities.

The course culminates in students presenting their own ideas for change in the Disrupt to Sustain business pitch competition.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The key learning objectives for this course:

• Understand the basic language of managerial accounting
  
  
• Gain familiarity with the concept of integrated reporting
  
  
• Learn basic principles of discounting and compounding
  
  
• Create financial models and develop projections
  
  
• Conduct financial statement analysis to deliver a compelling business narrative
  
  
• Create a sustainable business model case and pitch to investors
  
  
• Develop a robust business vocabulary

NYCLab is a key component of the Bard MBA in Sustainability curriculum. Working
in teams, students engage in consultancies for businesses, government agencies, and
nonprofits.

Students will gain confidence in their ability to manage projects, solve business problems, communicate effectively, and work in teams.

Students will be matched up with a project based on a number of factors, including
student preference, skills and team size.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
This course provides an opportunity to pull together business, leadership and sustainability learnings from other courses in a real-world project setting.

This course explores the emergence of modern operations theory and practice, and the ways in which lean methods have been adapted into environmental and social governance systems. A key focus is cost reduction through lean management and green operational innovation. The course reviews the lean revolution, optimization models, and statistical quality control methods, and then focuses on supply chain management for sustainability. The focus here is on control systems and standards designed to insure ecological integrity and social justice. The coursealso  provides background on the major codes of conduct, standards, and guidelines for companies in the area of human rights, environment, governance and integrity for sustianable supply chains.

After completing the course, students will be better able to:

• Assess operations against the core principles of lean management systems, and opportunities for green innovation
• Understand statistical frameworks used for quality control
• Apply the key codes of conduct and standards in the field of human rights and the environment, governance and integrity

This course explores two questions: how can firms gain access to finance for sustainability, and how can the global financial system be made more sustainable? The focus is on the financial environment of the firm, both internal and external. ESG topics include the information landscape for investors and various ESG investment strategies. Corporate finance topics include corporate governance and capital budgeting; project and firm level valuation; stock and option valuation including portfolio theory; debt and equity; and sources of financing. The course explores the broader financial landscape, with a focus on financial markets, market players, risk management and systemic risk.

After completing the course, students will be better able to:

• Describe how forecasted future cash flows inform both capital-budgeting and asset valuation
• Evalaute ESG investment theses, including accessing ESG  data through various channels
• Understand how risk and variance factor into the cost of capital and asset valuation, and implement simple hedging strategies
• Assess the risks and benefits of debt financing
• Characterize major financial markets
• Explain the recurring nature of financial crisis, major strategies for reform, and business level strategies for mitigating risk

The purpose of this course is to provide students with a solid understanding of marketing fundamentals and applied stakeholder theory. We study how technology and the internet has accelerated the way marketers connect with consumers and address sustainability across the brand value chain. At the intersection of Marketing, Technology and Sustainability are a range of business, social and environmental issues raised by multiple stakeholders – customers, employees, investors, shareholders, communities, activists and policymakers – each with varying levels of interest and influence on a company’s operations and its brand reputation. Whether you are an intrapreneur, social entrepreneur or a change agent leading change within the private or nonprofit sector, marketing and communication skills are in demand. This course will give you the vocabulary to speak the language of marketing, improve your strategic thinking through effective storytelling and help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing and new media.

The learning objectives for this course include, and are not limited, to the following instruction methods:

• Introduce Marketing frameworks, techniques and workshop activities that enhance strategic marketing decision-making using readings, case study assignments, guest lectures, and the course term projects.
• Understand the critical role of authentic commitment to mission as a foundation for stakeholder engagement.
• Develop knowledge and understanding of Marketing fundamentals in order to build more sustainable and equitable brands that address multi-stakeholder interests.
• Use stakeholder engagement theory to evaluate how to affect the behavior change required to influence and lead organizations more equitably.
• Apply critical thinking to readings, case studies and secondary research that leads to rich insights and discovery.
• Synthesize course learning through the art and science of Strategic Marketing Planning.

Data plays a front-and-center role in business. This course is designed to help the non-analyst understand and
adopt an analytic mindset – and analytics teaming mindset – to be more effective in their work.

Analytics can range from conducting analyses, and overseeing projects, to influencing decision making. We will look at data’s evolving role in management, sustainability, and ESG throughout the semester. This review will include racial
and other inequities exacerbated by how businesses use data.

You will learn the building blocks to perform useful analyses, tell compelling stories, work with data teams,
and understand the field of data occupations.

Our focus on asking strategic questions to propel successful data-based decisions and management is paramount.

This class combines hands-on tasks with theoretical work.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The learning objectives for this course:

● Gain a basic understanding of the world of data

● Learn how to conduct basic and intermediate analyses

● Understand what often goes wrong with data projects

● Participate in and/or manage data projects with a focus on business and/or sustainability outcomes

● Recognize where racial and other discriminatory biases occur in data and technology projects, and ways to address them

● Understand the trends in data-related technology and data ethics

This course explores the business model as a foundation of entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial activities in support of sustainability initiatives. Topics include diffusion of innovation, invention, the importance of diversity of creative styles, creative destruction in the economy, the role of the innovator, the principle of the displacement of concepts, including biomimicry, user-led innovation and crowdsourcing as well as innovation adoption strategies.

After completing the course, students will be better able to:

• Build business models for successful sustainability initiatives
• Understand and apply the principles of the successful practice of innovation
• Assess their personal innovation style
• Evaluate and improve the innovation culture in their own organization

The ability to lead change within organizations is essential for solving the complex and urgent challenges of our time.

This experiential course places emphasis on key building-blocks to drive and sustain organizational change including stakeholder buy-in, systems-thinking, and identifying leverage points for change.

Students will gain practical skills through stakeholder engagement, facilitation, business research, and exploring frameworks and strategic approaches for leading change.

Students will apply practical skills through critical analysis, persuasive writing, oral communication, qualitative and quantitative reasoning, and social-emotional intelligence.

It is important to note that while many business courses focus on content, by necessity, this course emphasizes process and learning through doing and reflecting on experience over abstract theory.

There is no one “right” formula for leading sustainable change in organizations. Students will be introduced to a wide variety of mental models, organizational structures, and frameworks from which to draw from.

Critical to the success of the students in the course is students’ willingness to listen deeply, iterate on their work, and commitment to providing value to an organization.

In order to make meaningful change, one must be bold, persistent, visionary, and also humble, willing to be flexible, make mistakes, and be patient.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the successful completion of this course, students are able to develop a comprehensive proposal using the change model of their choice for leading an organizational change initiative.

Students will be equipped to:

• Engage key stakeholders around a shared sense of purpose, foster group intelligence, and gain agreement around specific, clear, and measurable outcomes

• Design an effective change management process

• Gather qualitative and quantitative data to inform the change process

• Present their findings and recommendations to stakeholders.

Students will be equipped with the below competencies:

• Strategic Thinking

• Project Management

• Active Listening/Coach Approach

• Communication and Transparency

• Stakeholder Engagement

• Problem-Solving and Decision-Making

• Inspiring Others (Influence)

• Cultural Intelligence/Fluency

• Crisis Management

• Awareness of Change Fatigue (EQ)  

This course helps students analyze and develop strategies for any size or structure of organization,  including both overall corporate strategy and sustainability strategy. The course introduces a variety of frameworks for analyzing, developing and implementing effective strategies.  Sustainability strategy in particular arises from challenges that are material to the core business vision. Core readings and frameworks will be illustrated by a variety of case studies to demonstrate how such theories are applied in different industries, markets and organizations.

The key learning objectives for this course are:

• Strategic Analysis: Learn how to apply strategy frameworks to assess strategic positioning of a company or organization including concepts of industry analysis and competitive advantage.
  
• Strategy Development: Learn key elements of formulating a compelling and effective strategy, including what makes a set of choices a “strategy”.
• Strategy Implementation: Learn key success criteria for successful implementation of a strategy as well as concept of balanced scorecard to monitor long term performance.
  
• Materiality and Sustainability Strategy: Apply the concepts of materiality as the foundation for sustainability strategy and integrate the strategy frameworks towards development of a sustainability strategy
  

This course focuses on people management, the impact of organizational dynamics, and the role of human capital management (HCM) in an organization’s journey to becoming more just and equitable. The course consists of 5 modules: organizational dynamics, HCM effectiveness; diversity, equity and belonging; HCM role in promoting social and environmental justice, and the future of the workforce.

After completing the course, students will be better able to:

• Integrate environmental and social justice into people management systems
• Understand best practices for human capital management and people leadership
• Manage effectively across a diverse set of goals

“Sustaining Mission” aims to help you integrate everything you’ve learned in the Bard MBA Program and solidify your ability to do good while doing well. How can you successfully manage an enterprise (private, public, coop, or nonprofit) and positively affect the world? What are the right choices to make when you set up a business? How can you resist ethical short-cuts and short-term thinking as you operate the business? How can your business career positively impact your community and the world?

The course will highlight ten strategies for helping you sustain your mission, hopefully for the duration of your lifetime. Specifically:

1. Political Economy
2. Governance
3. Ethical Reasoning
4. Ownership
5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
6. Scale
7. Environment
8. Workers
9. Localization
10. Measurement

This course supports students in a mentored, two semester independent masters project. Students may initiate or drive a start-up business; pursue an intraprenuerial change project; develop a business model; complete a practicum in an area of interest; begin a book; or write an academic thesis or a major piece of business journalism. All projects include a portfolio of deliverables that are negotiated with the advisor, and conclude with an oral defense. After completing the course, students will have achieved mastery in a chosen subfield of sustainable business.

The looming perils of climate change. Once-in-a-lifetime policy shifts. Intrinsic & extrinsic systemic inequalities. A rapidly growing global population. These are causing many to consider the limitations of the current take-make-waste extractive economy. They are examining whether and how a swift transition to a regenerative and equitable economy is a potential antidote.

Concurrently the private sector is undergoing a rapid transformation of their own. Multinationals that hold much of the world’s power (literally and figuratively) are removing diversity, equity & inclusion initiatives from their strategy. They are reversing course on sustainability and climate commitments. They are consolidating power with limited checks and balances. This is with the support of rising authoritarian regimes.

The private sector’s ability to successfully enable a just and regenerative transition is contingent upon:

1. Rethinking the idea of how value is created and distributed, fostering a systems-approach mindset that enables the navigation of diverse stakeholders, geographies, and sectors, and identifying areas to seize competitive advantage.

2. Leveraging its firm grip on governments around the world to subsidize and incentivize a net positive transition.

By applying a systems-thinking lens. Leveraging business model transformation frameworks. Understanding the incentives for the current extractive system. Exploring best practices. Learning from leading circular economy and climate practitioners. Students will be able to design and articulate an improved business case for circular economy initiatives. They will effectively understand the internal and external barriers to circular value creation.

By the end of the semester. Students will be able to identify industry-specific emerging global trends in regenerative circular economy. Identify opportunities and risks in the enabling environment. Develop strategic and equitable cross-sector circular economy interventions.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Guided by Schneider Electric’s Sustainability & Circular Economy Leader job description:

• Recognize how the linear circular economy fits into the current corporate sustainability ecosystem and the pivotal roles that the public and social sector play in enabling a company’s circular transformation.

• Dig deep into how companies employ linear circular economy interventions from an industry perspective and utilize linear circular economy as a competitive differentiator.
  
  
• Gain knowledge & vocabulary required to understand, assess, and differentiate between greenwashing activities, linear and regenerative circular value creation, and hyperbolic and authentic decarbonization.
  
  
• Explore & contrast value creation and value-propositions in linear vs. regenerative economy, net-zero and net positive business models, and identify the key changes that are needed to support the transition from linear to regenerative economies.
  
  
• Capture key insights from leading circular economy, climate, & policy practitioners in the public, private, and social sectors on the barriers and opportunities to scale an equitable regenerative circular economy transition.
  
  
• Understand & contrast the economic and social inequities built in the current linear economic framework and the opportunity for structurally excluded communities to take ownership of an equitable circular transition
  
  
• Explore & design net positive transitions, such as circular cities and a just renewable green energy transition at scale, that can potentially ignite systems change at scale

This course explores the complexities of global supply chains with a keen focus on sustainability. It examines the drivers behind their impacts and emphasizes transparency, equity, decarbonization, and regenerative models. Students will gain practical insights and tools to apply sustainable supply chain concepts and best practices, addressing critical issues such as climate change, biodiversity preservation, human rights, modern slavery, and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI).

Upon completing this course, students will:

• Appreciate the pivotal role of supply chains in shaping an organization’s social and environmental footprint, and leverage strategies to enhance positive outcomes.
  
  
• Understand global supply chain trends, regulatory requirements, international frameworks, and best practices essential for developing sustainable supply chain strategies.
  
  
• Master strategies, tools, and leading practices to enhance supply chain visibility, engage stakeholders across the global supply chain, and drive meaningful social and environmental impacts.

This advanced course integrates traditional financial modeling techniques with sustainability considerations, preparing students for the evolving landscape of finance in a world increasingly focused on environmental and social impacts.

Students will develop robust financial models that incorporate sustainability factors and metrics, climate risks, and impact measurements for both public and private market investments.

The course covers advanced Excel functions, industry-standard practices, and innovative financing structures, while also emphasizing company valuation techniques that integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria.

Students will be equipped to evaluate and structure sustainable investments across various asset classes.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. 1. Build robust financial models integrating sustainability factors and metrics for both public and private market investments.
      
      
   2. Perform in-depth financial statement analysis with a focus on interpreting and utilizing sustainability metrics in financial decision-making.
      
      
   3. Apply various valuation techniques, including Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) analysis, adapted for sustainability considerations in public and private markets.
      
      
   4. Evaluate and structure impact investments in public and private markets, incorporating both financial returns and measurable
      social/environmental outcomes.
      
      
   5. Conduct scenario and sensitivity analyses that account for different climate risk scenarios and sustainability outcomes across public and private investments.
      
      
   6. Assess and quantify sustainability risks and opportunities in due diligence processes for public and private market investments.
      
      
   7. Develop techniques to review, audit, and troubleshoot complex financial models that incorporate sustainability factors.
      
      
   8. Create clear, concise, and visually appealing outputs from financial models to effectively communicate complex financial and sustainability concepts to decision-makers.
      
      
   9. Apply modeling skills to real-world case studies and business scenarios in sustainable finance, adapting general principles to specific industries or sectors.
      
      
   10. Master advanced Excel skills specifically useful for financial modeling and data analysis.

The field of sustainable finance has evolved to include Sustainable and Responsible Investing; shareholder activism; environmental, social and governance risk evaluation; green capital budgeting decisions; “patient capital” impact investing; and recently, evidence-based practice that finance for impact done right can in fact generate market returns. Investor due diligence around ESG metrics is now so routine that some estimates put total capital under some form of impact management as high as one-third of all investments.  In this course, students master the fundamentals of impact investing in public amarkets, focusing on defining and evaluating impact, and insuring financial return.

After completing this course, student will be better able to:

• Apply finance theory fundamentals to an impact investment strategy
• Assemble and defend an impact public portfolio
• Understand how to build a private impact portfolio
• Assess green capital budgeting proposals
• Raise capital for an impact portfolio

• • Impact Lab: Private and Alternative Capital Markets: 

  This course explores sustainable investing in private markets, balancing financial returns with environmental and social impacts. The course consists of five modules: introduction to sustainable investing, venture capital & impact investing, private equity, impact measurement & evaluation, and market trends and innovations. Students will engage with current market trends, industry-leading practices, and investor decision-making processes, enhancing their ability to develop market-based solutions for better impact performance and financial returns.

  
  

  After completing the course, students will be better able to:

  • Analyze sustainable investment strategies across various asset classes.
  • Utilize different investment instruments and understand their benefits and challenges.
  • Propose innovative solutions to improve sustainable investment practices.
  • Perform due diligence and evaluate investment opportunities with a focus on sustainability and impact.
  • Present comprehensive analyses and finance structures to fund sustainability initiatives.

In this class, students travel to Oaxaca, Mexico for a ten-day immersion in policy formation and sustainable business opportunities in a developing country context.  Hos do sustainabile business and community strategies emerge from the ground up? Students explore mission-based business strategies and policy constraints in food, energy, water and other sectors, for both export-oriented and locally-focused companies. Students work through a series of readings and discussions in advance, and complete a project on their return. Lab fee of $1200 includes lodging, meals, ground transportation, and $400 towards airfare.

After completing this course, student will be better able to:

• Appreciate the complexity of operating a business in a different cultural setting
• Understand the social and economic challenges and opportunities of globalization
• Discuss how inidigenous governance and land management practices have evolved to form the basis for modern enterprises and communities. 
• Assess how gender dynamics impact business models in a different culture
• Discuss how business adapts to a developing country policy regime
• Develop a business model tailored to bottom-of-the-pyramid and local markets

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of essential aspects of nonprofit management with an emphasis on sustainability. Students will delve into governance, fundraising, financial management, and strategic planning tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by nonprofit entities committed to sustainability. The course covers introductory topics in nonprofit management, emphasizing effective board governance, innovative fundraising strategies aligned with sustainable practices, responsible financial stewardship to ensure transparency and long-term viability, and strategic planning methodologies that integrate sustainability goals.

After completing the course, students will be better able to:

• Gain a deep understanding of governance structures and best practices essential for ensuring effective oversight and sustainability in nonprofit organizations.
• Develop and implement innovative fundraising strategies that support nonprofit missions while promoting environmental and social sustainability.
• Master financial management techniques that emphasize transparency, accountability, and long-term sustainability within nonprofit financial practices.
• Create and execute strategic plans that integrate sustainability principles, ensuring alignment with organizational missions and measurable impact.
• Identify and address unique challenges faced by nonprofit organizations in achieving operational efficiency and maximizing sustainable impact.

This is a variable credit course (1-3) consisting of three modules over the course of the spring semester. Recent modules have included: 

• Sustainable Business and Public Policy (1 Credit)
• Emerging ESG Regulation (1 Credit)
• Life Cycle Analysis (1 Credit)
  

Public Policy Pragmatics offers a comprehensive understanding of public policy through a business lens,  integrating sustainability considerations. The course delves into foundational questions, examining the intersection of public policy with business interests. Drawing insights from Benjamin Waterhouse’s 'Lobbying America' and Jane Mayer’s 'Dark Money', it critically analyzes historical and contemporary policy landscapes, including the implications of initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act. Students will develop skills to apply theoretical frameworks in proposing effective policy strategies within organizational contexts, fostering sustainability and resilience.

Upon completion of the course, students will:

• Navigate diverse regulatory environments with a sustainability lens.
• Strategize to align business objectives with evolving policy frameworks promoting sustainability.
• Address challenges and seize opportunities arising from shifts in public policy.
• Employ critical thinking to evaluate how policy decisions impact business sustainability and foster growth.
• Effectively communicate with stakeholders about the business implications of policy changes, advocating for sustainable practices.

This course explores the evolving landscape of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) reporting, focusing on both voluntary and mandatory disclosures. The course consists of 5 modules: introduction to ESG reporting, IFRS S1 and S2 standards, US SEC climate rules, European regulations, and practical applications in business contexts. Students will gain insights into regulatory frameworks and develop skills to implement effective ESG reporting within their organizations.

After completing the course, students will be better able to:

• Navigate and understand ESG reporting regimes to ensure compliance and transparency.
• Create frameworks to align and incentivize internal stakeholders for accurate ESG reporting.
• Manage risks associated with ESG reporting to ensure data integrity and transparency.
• Identify and pursue revenue opportunities linked to ESG disclosures to enhance business value.
• Implement best practices to produce high-quality ESG reports that meet regulatory and stakeholder expectations.

This course introduces life cycle analysis (LCA), a methodology to quantify the sustainability of products and processes. The course consists of 5 modules: introduction to LCA, life cycle inventory (LCI) and databases, impact assessment, footprint calculation lab, and interpretation & advanced topics. Students will learn to define LCA goals, scope, and system boundaries, and to access and critically evaluate LCA data sources and results.

After completing the course, students will be better able to:

• Apply life cycle thinking to product and process decisions to enhance sustainability.
• Understand and communicate LCA terminology and results to stakeholders.
• Define goals, scope, and system boundaries for LCAs to ensure accurate assessments.
• Create system diagrams that effectively evaluate environmental impacts across the lifecycle.
• Access and assess various LCA data sources and inventories to gather necessary information.
• Review and interpret LCA results critically to make informed decisions.

In this tutorial class, students work in a small group with an instructor on topics of thier choice. Students learn data analytics tools to support thier  anaysis of sustainable business challenges.