Sustainability Management

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.

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.

Throughout history, societies have discovered resources, designed and developed them into textiles,

tools and structures, and bartered and exchanged these goods based on their respective values.

Economies emerged, driven by each society’s needs and limited by the resources and technology

available to them. Over the last two centuries, global development accelerated due in large part to the

overextraction and use of finite resources, whether for energy or materials, and supported by vast

technological advancements. However, this economic model did not account for the long-term impacts of

the disposal or depletion of these finite resources and instead, carried on unreservedly in a “take-make’-

waste” manner, otherwise known as a linear economy. Despite a more profound understanding of our

planet’s available resources, the environmental impact of disposal and depletion, and the technological

advancements of the last several decades, the economic heritage of the last two centuries persists today;

which begs the question: what alternatives are there to a linear economy?

The premise of this course is that through systems-thinking, interdisciplinary solutions for an alternative

economic future are available to us. By looking at resources’ potential, we can shape alternative methods

of procurement, design, application, and create new market demands that aim to keep materials,

products and components in rotation at their highest utility and value. This elective course will delve into

both the theory of a circular economy - which would be a state of complete systemic regeneration and

restoration as well as an optimized use of resources and zero waste - and the practical applications

required in order to achieve this economic model. Achieving perfect circularity represents potentially

transformative systemic change and requires a fundamental re-think of many of our current economic

structures, systems and processes.

This is a full-semester elective course which is designed to create awareness among sustainability

leaders that those structures, systems and processes which exist today are not those which will carry us

(as rapidly as we need) into a more sustaining future. The class will be comprised of a series of lectures,

supported by readings and case-studies on business models, design thinking and material development

and use, that will familiarize students with the concepts and principles that a circular economy presents.

In so doing, we will also explore the challenges that may arise in the adoption of a circular economy in

different geographical, industrial and economic conditions. While the course is based on innovation and

ideation around the potential of this economic future, students will also develop the knowledge to discuss

the merits of a circular economy and its applications with potential employers or begin to develop

ventures of their own. Students will learn to analyze systems, work to design solutions collaboratively,

and receive and provide constructive feedback to and from their peers. This course will benefit anyone

with an interest in a career in sustainability, particularly (but not exclusively) in material science, design,

strategy or entrepreneurship.

TBA