About this program

This specialization is for anyone who would like to improve how their company or organization impacts the environment, people and communities. We will introduce you to some of the key concepts and tools of sustainable business, then teach you how to be an effective change agent. By the end of the specialization you will have the skills to create an effective sustainability proposal and know who you have to convince, and what they need to be convinced.

The Classes
Class 1: First Steps in Making the Business Case for Sustainability
Identifying a good first project, writing an effective proposal, financial analysis & sustainable thinking.
Class 2: More on Change and Sustainability
Implementing change, green design, sustainability reporting, examples from practitioners/
Class 3: Sustainable Business: Big Issues, Big Changes
Climate change, carbon footprinting, Context-based sustainability and science-based targets, water and energy, workplace sustainability issues, and supply chain impacts.
Class 4: Comprehensive Case
The capstone class haps you put all the pieces together as you produce a complete proposal for change! This proposal can be based on a case we have written or for your organization, or both.

Applied Learning Project
Class 1: A financial analysis (week 3) and a B-Corp Survey (week 5).
Class 2: Identifying appropriate sustainability metrics and an option (Honors) life-cycle analysis.
Class 3: Setting a Science-Based Sustainability Target.
Class 4: Option 1: Write a proposal for changes at Snowflake Basin Ski Resort, a hypothetical ski area.
Option 2: Write a proposal for a change at your organization
Option 3: Do both 1 and 2.