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- Course
In an era of growing environmental and social awareness, supply chains have emerged as a powerful lever for
driving sustainability in operations. Supply chain emissions are, on average, 11.4 times higher than operational
emissions, making them a critical focal point for impactful change in operations. This course explores the
essential role of supply chains in achieving sustainable outcomes and equips students with the tools and insights
needed to transform conventional practices into innovative, responsible, and efficient systems. This course is part of
a broader curriculum aimed at cultivating leaders who can integrate sustainability into the heart of business strategy.
It is designed for students from diverse professional and academic backgrounds, no prior experience in operations or
supply chain management is required to excel in this course.
Through this interdisciplinary journey, students will gain a robust foundation in supply chain management, learning
to integrate sustainability principles across operations. The course balances analytical skills with creative
problem-solving, preparing students to address real-world challenges. Upon completing this course, students will
gain a comprehensive skillset to analyze, design, and implement sustainable operations solutions in their future
careers. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the strategic role of supply chains in modern
economies, including their critical impact in decarbonization efforts. Students will also learn to apply key analytical
tools such as demand forecasting and risk assessment, while mastering strategies for sourcing, supplier management,
and logistics optimization.
- Topics on: Operations
- Course
Cities are the structure that evolved over time to deal with the constant tension between serving the needs of an
ever-growing population and depleting the world’s finite resources. There is an increasing belief that cities hold the
key to achieving sustainability. A great paradox of the transition to a sustainable economy is that it will not be
achieved in rural places in harmony with nature but rather in cities built to exploit nature without destroying it. On
the other hand, cities are also where many of our crisis originate, such as the climate change and the COVID-19
pandemic.
To be sustainable in a brain-based economy, cities need to follow sustainable practices and secure buy-in from the
public, the government, and the private sector. Everyone needs to invest time, energy, and money to create the
sustainable city. The infrastructure to support the generation and transmission of renewable energy; develop mass
and personal transit; and treat and transform water, sewage, and solid waste can be built and even managed by
private contractors. It still requires, however, a public sector that is active, ethical, sophisticated, and able to form
productive public-private partnerships. Environmentally conscious consumers are driving many of these initiatives
by companies and government through their lifestyle changes in consumption and in work. This course will discuss
perspectives and the changes that are needed from all of these stakeholders.
This course focuses on cities because place matters. Economic, technological, and cultural forces are moving people
out of rural areas and into urban areas. The urban migration now under way is a worldwide phenomenon that
reached a critical inflection point in 2007, when for the first time, most of the people on the planet lived in cities.
This course will also discuss sustainable cities from the perspectives of low-income countries where sustainability
awareness is lower than in high-income countries, even though the need for sustainability is arguably greater in the
former. For that reason, this course will include a broader perspective on building sustainable cities, and not just as a
way to live in harmony with nature but also as a sustainable engine for economic and social development.
Urbanization is going to continue, especially in middle- and low-income countries. However, in the past few years,
we have observed alarming trends toward greater urban inequality and increasingly nationalistic politics. We
examine these trends in this course and discuss whether urban sustainability can serve as a new model of inclusive
and environmentally sound growth.
- Topics on: Infrastructure, Resilence
- Course
Today, we operate in a “linear” (take, make, dispose) economy that is defined by a reliance on large quantities of
cheap materials and energy that are typically “finite” in nature. This approach is proving unsustainable and presents
problems that include the degradation of natural systems, economic and structural waste, as well as “supply” risks,
as our planet reaches its physical limits.
Against a backdrop of population growth, these problems are only set to get worse. Yet at the same time, an
unprecedented alignment of technological and societal factors is enabling the transition to a new model possible at
scale.
A circular economy is an alternative economic model, that is restorative by design, and rather than relying on a
constant throughput of newly extracted resources and nonrenewable energy, aims to keep materials, products and
components constantly at their highest utility and value.
This elective course will delve into both the theory and practical applications of a circular economy. Achieving
perfect circularity (which would theoretically be a state of complete systemic regeneration and restoration,
optimized resource utility and zero waste) represents potentially transformative system change and will involve a
fundamental rethink of many of our structures, systems and processes in the economy at large. At the same time, its
value creation potential for businesses, households and the environment alike, is extremely significant. For example,
manufacturers can reclaim substantial value from the products they develop by introducing take-back schemes to
reclaim components and materials for reuse or recycling, as opposed to allowing them to go to waste as would
typically be the case in a linear system.
We will explore the theoretical underpinnings of a circular economy, including systems thinking (taking relevant
learnings from biomimicry and industrial ecology). We will look at circular design principles and explore their use
in different industries. We will pose the question of which stakeholders can help to facilitate this transition to
circularity, and what enablers, in the form of policy and financing, will need to be in place to allow it to progress.
The exploration of new and emerging business models will form a significant part of this class. From sharing models
to “product as a service” models, these new ways of doing business provide inherent opportunities and incentives for
businesses to rethink how they can create value while simultaneously optimizing resource use and remaining at the
competitive edge.
- Topics on: Circular Economy
- Course
This course is designed for those who hold or will hold positions in organizations with responsibilities for
mapping and managing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues for an organization. These
responsibilities can vary and may include setting and tracking against sustainability goals, communicating
progress towards targets, and engaging with stakeholders, including civil society organizations, suppliers,
customers, and investors.
We will explore the interplay between an organization’s ESG/sustainability strategy and its reporting, as well as
the interplay between corporate or organizational strategy and ESG/sustainability strategy. Expectations for how
today’s companies operate are rapidly evolving. It is increasingly recognized that by implementing sustainability
management mechanisms, organizations can better manage physical, regulatory, technological, and reputational
risks, as well as create value through efficiencies and innovation. Embedding sustainability into the organization’s
DNA necessitates organizations expanding their strategic planning processes. But effectively communicating the
connection between an ESG management and reporting strategy, and an organization’s viability, remains a
challenge – one that this course will address directly.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement provide the context and parameters for the
long-term global sustainability agendas designed to streamline progress around common goals. Frameworks and
standards, including the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Sustainability Accounting
Standards Board (SASB), CDP, the Value Reporting Foundation, <IR> Integrated Reporting, World Economic
Forum (WEF) Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics, and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), build upon these
parameters.
Students will gain familiarity with these standards and more in this course, because implementing aligned
sustainability strategies and reporting practices – with the goal of integrating with mainstream financial reports
(Annual/10K) plus recent ESG rules from the SEC – enables organizations to consider ESG opportunities
alongside traditional strategy. Comprehensive ESG communications, though, go beyond sustainability reporting
frameworks. They factor in ESG rankers and raters, as well as corporate and organizational governance strategies
and reporting, including mainstream financial reports, plus materiality assessments. This course will address these
elements.
Effective sustainability communications require thoughtful consideration of these frameworks and standards to
determine which ones, and why, are appropriate for an organization and its stakeholders. We see a trend toward a
convergence of standards while reporting frameworks, standards, and mechanisms continue to proliferate and
evolve. Both voluntary and mandatory reporting requirements are on the rise. Focused, specific, and meaningful
communication is essential, and this class will challenge students to tailor their ESG/sustainability
communications to specific organizations and business structures in innovative ways.
- Topics on: Business, ESG, Management
- Course
Sustainability management matters because we only have one planet and we must learn how to manage our organizations in a way that ensures that our planet is maintained. The course is
designed to introduce you to the field of sustainability management. This is not an academic course that reviews the literature of the field and discusses how scholars think about the
management of organizations that are environmentally sound. It is a practical, professional course organized around the core concepts of management and the core concepts of sustainability. The course will have a specific emphasis on urban sustainability as the planet’s urban population continues to expand.
Each week we will read one or two cases in management and/or sustainability along with some background material designed to help you answer questions posed at the end of each case
exercise. The cases always pose practical issues for decision makers to address—but issues that are best addressed with a firm grounding in the literature of management and sustainability.
The literature and case material we will study this semester are based on lessons learned in government, nonprofits, and the private sector. However, most of my own work focuses on
government and nonprofits, so this course will emphasize management in public and nonprofit organizations and the role of public policy in sustainability. In this course, you will be assigned to one team that will present a briefing in class on an assigned position for a particular case. You will also write three, two-page memos according to a specified format (see “Action Memo Format” document on Courseworks). The syllabus includes a schedule for each assignment. There is also a semester project in which you will write your own case study
on sustainability management. This assignment is due on December 12th. To facilitate class discussion, I will also assign you (in advance of class) discussion quotes and questions from my State of the Planet weekly blog piece which will focus on our weekly topics. These questions are
available on Courseworks.
- Topics on: Business, Management
- Course
Since the first Earth Day in 1970, artists around the globe have increasingly turned their focus to ecological issues,
creating artwork that addresses threats to a sustainable future, including the impacts of loss of biodiversity, rising sea
levels, extreme weather events, plastic pollution, and the fragility of our shared ecosystems, particularly on the most
vulnerable communities. Through public and community-based art and exhibitions in local and international
institutional settings, artists raise awareness of the need to act collectively, creating tangible points of public
engagement. Beyond calling for immediate and sustained action, they point toward paths of resilience and
adaptation, at times offering concrete and immediate solutions. Artists challenge worldviews that have led to the
challenges faced today, and suggest conceptual alternatives to anthropocentric and colonial approaches to nature.
They amplify historical inequities and the urgent need for environmental and social justice for underrepresented
groups through their artwork. Artists inspire and disrupt by cultivating new narratives and giving form to the
invisible, unimagined or ignored, demonstrating how art can help awaken resolve and shape our next steps. They
invite viewer participation and collective action, and in the process, they expand our potential for empathy and
increase agency for all life.
The artists covered in the course are cognizant of the need for systemic social change in order to achieve policy
change. Blurring the boundaries between art and activism, many are working collaboratively across disciplines to
address both the physical and ethical dimensions of sustainability. Through reading a range of texts drawn from the
environmental humanities, this course will examine how contemporary art serves as an important catalyst in
information sharing and changing perceptions, paving the way towards increased participation in developing and
supporting sustainable and equitable global futures. Artists focus on local and global environmental issues, and at
times partner with scientists to offer novel solutions. The course will equip future sustainability managers with a
language for cross disciplinary conversation, and deepen their understanding of different perspectives and concerns,
strengthening their ability to identify and overcome obstacles to progress.
The course is designed for students who are interested in the contribution that art can make in creating fresh
paradigms for promoting sustainability. The course is a full semester, in-person elective offered during the Fall
semester. There are no prerequisites for this course. Students should have an interest in interpreting images and in
considering the relationship between cultural expression and sustainability. Cross-registration is available to students
outside of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management program, space permitting.
- Topics on: Art
- Course
The origin of the American Environmental Justice Movement can be traced back to the emergence of the American
Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and more specifically to the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964. These historical
moments set the stage for a movement that continues to grow with present challenges and widening of economic,
health and environmental disparities between racial groups and socioeconomic groups. The environmental justice
movement builds upon the philosophy and work of environmentalism, which focuses on humanity’s adverse impact
upon the environment, entailing both human and non-human existence. However, environmental justice stresses the
manner in which adversely impacting the environment in turn adversely impacts the population of that environment.
At the heart of the environmental justice movement are the issues of racism and socioeconomic injustice.
This course will examine the intersections of race, equity, and the environment – focusing on history and the
growing role and impact of the environmental justice movement in shaping new sustainability discourses, ethics,
policies, and plans for the twenty-first century. Environmental Justice embeds various disciplines into its analytical
framework ranging from human geography and history to urban studies, economics, sociology, environmental
science, public policy, community organizing, and more. Drawing from these disciplines, as well as from recent
policies, advocacy, and regulations, students will develop a deeper understanding of equity, sustainability, social
impact, and environmental justice in places and spaces across the nation.
Building on the broadness of environmental justice and sustainability, this course will use the geography lens and
frameworks, building on the concept that geography brings together the physical and human dimensions of the
world in the study of people, places, and environments. Geography will set the stage for us to explore a variety of
environmental justice topics and issues in different regions across the nation, from the Black Belt South to the Rust
Belt to Cancer Alley, New Orleans, and Atlanta; then back to New York City and the metropolitan area, introducing
students to initiatives, policies, stakeholders, research, community groups, and advocacy involved in the
development and implementation of environmental laws, policies, practices, equity-based solutions, and sustainable
infrastructure. Throughout the course, we will review the impact and implications of particular policies, as well
assess case studies of particular communities. The course will also invite guest scholars currently working in the
field to share their views and expertise.
- Topics on: Geography, Justice
- Course
Electricity is the lifeblood of human society. Decarbonization of global economies through electrification is seen as the most viable path for reducing GHG emissions and addressing the worst effects of climate change. Though generally accepted as the best path forward, an understanding of the operational
parameters of the electric system is essential to understanding both the benefits and limitations of current and future actions. This includes the highly visible investments in renewable energy generation, less visible but equally important investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure, and the largely
personal, private choices of individual households and businesses.
The Course will be conducted in-person and students will be graded based on a combination of class participation, problem sets, an individual mid-term paper and a group final paper and presentation. There are no cross-registration requirements for this course. Recommended additional materials may be required
when needed and provided by the instructor.
- Topics on: Decarbonization, Energy, Policy
- Course
The World Bank has estimated that the global cost of corruption is at least $2.6 trillion, or 5% of the global gross
domestic product (GDP). Businesses and individuals pay over $1 trillion in bribes annually, which does not account
for billions of dollars of both humanitarian and development aid that pass clandestinely from public to private hands,
billions lost to tax evasion, and billions funneled to and from illegal trafficking. In addition, it does not account for
billions of dollars enmeshed in conflicts of interest, ranging from campaign donations to regulatory loopholes and
“private gain from public office”. All such transactions occur in globally widespread yet deeply cryptic arenas. In
this money-based environment, “what is just” in the distribution of programmatic goods fluctuates continuously,
depending upon whose participation is permissible, assessable, and verifiable in decision processes. Some voices
are loudly heard, others are barely heard, and still others are unheard; and the difference depends significantly upon
the existing distribution of wealth, including the gateway conditions it projects, particularly power and privilege. In
this complex situation variously tainted by and saturated with unethical conduct, the advancement and success of
sustainability, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), require positive applications of ethics in
all reaches of human activity. What are such applications? What ethics and ethical means are necessary and integral
to the advancement and success of sustainability? Many new practical ethics, framed by scholars and practitioners
since the 1960s, are promoted today by individuals and organizations, including businesses of all sizes, national and
international governmental organizations, civil society organizations (CSOs, also called non-profit
non-governmental organizations, or NGOs), loosely structured social movements, and clearly or vaguely defined
neighborhoods. In what forms and at what levels of sustainability management are the new ethics to be articulated,
espoused and activated?
This course seeks to identify, explain and explore sustainability ethics and the ways in which they can be
systematically instituted by sustainability managers in continuous processes of policy, program and project design,
implementation, critique and review. The course material is divided into three main sections: challenges, pathways
and practices. Challenges include particularly the perennial human problem of land- and power-grabbing, which
occurs today on a worldwide scale seething with issues of climate, conflict and corruption—issues that thwart
ecology, society and economy, the three pillars characteristically understood to support sustainability. Pathways, which extend to corporations, partnerships, movements and communities, are directions that can be followed to
alleviate or eliminate those challenges. Practices, which occur in the wide arenas of production, transaction,
distribution and development, are the primary forms of human activity that make sustainability management
sustainable—insofar as they are ethical. Throughout the course, specific ethics and ethical values are introduced: in
the 1st section, earth justice, environmental justice, and sectoral justice are explored; in the 2nd, the standpoints of
corporate social responsibility (CSR), environment, society and governance (ESG), socially responsible investment
(SRI), and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are compared; and in the 3rd, the values of care, transparency,
resilience and wellbeing are examined. Reference is also made to three critical issues of our monetized capitalist
world: commodification, privatization and financialization. These issues are palpable in the ceaseless effort to
finance sustainability, especially the SDGs. While sustainability management requires the understanding and
application of complex science, both natural and social, the efficacy of science in producing human and
environmental goods depends upon ethical evaluations of need, use, and harm, together with ethical conduct at all
levels of management. Knowledge of the ethical expectations of decision processes promotes the possibility of
achieving such goods. Yet today, achieving them for all is critically precarious, largely because a subsistence
lifestyle is no longer an alternative accessible to the human population in general. Ethical issues have become
global, and calls for their resolution are increasingly desperate, rancorous and volatile.
- Topics on: Business, Ethics, Finance
- Course
Sustainable and resilient cities require integrated networks of transportation, water, waste, stormwater, energy,
parks, housing, and communication infrastructure to support low-carbon lifestyles. This course, led by two
experienced practitioners and civic leaders, examines climate solutions at the city level through the lens of capital
programs and policies, including responses to Hurricane-related challenges in New York City. Class modules cover
key topics such as program development, stakeholder engagement, public support, project finance, contracting, and
public-private partnerships, alongside sector-specific challenges, technologies, and initiatives. Grounded in
real-world case studies, the course features guest lectures from city agencies and private-sector experts, as well as a
field trip offering a behind-the-scenes look at an infrastructure facility. Designed for future sustainability leaders,
this course equips students with the knowledge and skills to shape the cities of tomorrow.
Through case studies, field trips, guest lectures, discussions of real-world developments, and readings, students will
develop an understanding of the role of infrastructure and different approaches on catalyzing public and political
support for system-level policies and funding, cost benefit analysis and prioritization for program-level planning and
for alternative delivery and private-public partnerships project-level implementation. Students will apply these
lessons to current infrastructure issues in both team and individual formats that track the professional settings they
will face after graduation and will receive constructive feedback from their peers.
This elective course is approved for the M.S. in Sustainability Management curriculum area
requirements Area 1 (Integrated sustainability management) and Area 4 (public policy and legal). It is a full
semester course that is open to cross-registration from other Columbia University programs, space permitting.
There are no pre-requisites.
- Topics on: Infrastructure, Resilence
- Course
In our current global political economic context, extractive resource consumption 1) drives environmental
degradation and climate change and 2) shapes our livelihoods, well-being, daily comforts, and cultural practices. In
the face of this seeming incompatibility, many call for the need for transformative changes across economies,
institutions, and cultures. This course aims to provide a broad overview of the many ways through which scholars
theorize consumerism and sustainability professionals, companies, and practitioners work toward change on the
ground. Together we will review popular models of consumer behavior, explore the links between individual
behavior and collective action, and examine how professionals across a diverse sample of sectors and industries
integrate sustainability and sustainable consumption into their work.
This course will also encourage students to think critically about consumerism and sustainability in the context of
their own fields and interests. In-class lectures, discussions, and activities will provide a high-level overview of
many complex and challenging issues, and students will individually delve deeper into material that they find
intellectually stimulating. We will unpack challenges along the way in a supportive environment, brainstorming
creative solutions and learning from each other.
- Topics on: Business, Economics
- Course
The class is designed to give students exercises and guided experiences in producing and marketing publishable
opinion essays. That’s the bottom line.
In the last two decades, newspapers, magazines and websites have opened up their pages to reader contributions.
The New York Times, the Washington Post, Scientific American, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg
News and the websites of NBC News and CNN, all have extensive op-ed sections where readers are invited to
become guest columnists.
This development provides an unprecedented opportunity for sustainability and science students and faculty to
connect with the general public about policy issues—and also to their personal passions. Op-eds provide a relatively
new pathway for communication and advocacy.
With students with specific interests in climate change, sustainability, medical practice and public health policies,
this course is meant to facilitate their ability to move their concerns beyond the university and into the public square.
The language of both the business world and the academy is often different from that of the mass media. Even the
basic forms are different. Moreover, in fields like sustainability and climate change, the issues are frequently
difficult to effectively illustrate in a way that the general public can easily connect with. This frank reality limits the
effectiveness of sustainability professionals and scientists to win public support for critical initiatives.
This professor, with a lifetime of experience in the mass media, is convinced that academically trained
professionals’ benefit from learning how to write in a different language from that they are accustomed to.
Journalistic writing is very different from academic writing; it has its own conventions and protocols. This course
aims to teach this specialized language so that our students can gain a larger forum on matters like climate
mitigation, conservation biology, green roofs, urban farming, ecologic waste disposal, environmental justice, and
pandemic prevention.
Currently, there are few comparable courses offered either at Columbia or at any university in New York.
Traditional journalism classes have been mostly pegged to future journalists. We hope to turn non-journalists into
published writers and by focusing on this one journalistic form. By guiding class members through different types
of opinion essays, we’ll give them the means to produce the op-eds that editors seek.
Moreover, we’ll teach the students how to successfully place their essays with editors.
Our target markets are mainstream media, Internet journals and community publications.
This is a workshop for Columbia-based scientists, social scientists, sustainability managers, conservation biologists,
future NGO workers, and medical professionals seeking to produce opinion pieces and personal essays about their
work.
In short, this is a journalism course for non-journalists, with an emphasis on how to do opinion-based features.
The main prerequisite is a willingness to experiment with popular forms and a desire to reach new readers.
- Topics on: Journalism
- Course
In April 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that global efforts are unlikely to
reduce carbon emissions in line with COP21 targets of 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. This finding underscores
the urgency around decarbonizing the economy and sustainably managing natural resources. A so-called “big, hairy,
audacious goal,” it requires that similarly ambitious solutions be implemented across countries and industries.
It is only by measuring resources that stakeholders can manage them and ensure that they are available in sufficient
quantities for future generations. Web tools provide up-to-date analyses of aggregated data; distill complex issues
into accessible visualizations; enable users to drill down to answer questions; offer insights into complicated and
interdependent issues; and display changes in performance over time. For example, Sustainable 1/S&P Global’s
ESG Scores are valuable because they expose patterns in data related to environmental, social and governance risks
and opportunities:
- Topics on: Business, Technology
- Course
Once known as the arsenal of Democracy, the birthplace of the automobile assembly line, and the model city of
America, Detroit is now emblematic of deindustrialization, decay, and insolvency. Following the largest municipal
bankruptcy in US history, Detroit is now being reframed in both local and national media as a comeback city with
opportunity and possibility for all – urban pioneers, global investors, a creative class of new professionals, and
suburbanites seeking a return to urban grit.
Despite these narratives, Detroit remains highly segregated – racially, geographically, economically, and socially.
While downtown is prospering, neighborhoods are still largely blighted and contaminated with legacy uses that
remain unremediated. Over 30,000 houses and other structures have been demolished in the past 8 years, a process
that is under-regulated and contributes to both environmental and infrastructure harm. To the extent new
investments are improving the condition of housing and infrastructure in some strategic areas, those investments are
displacing long term residents who remain at risk of eviction or foreclosure from their homes. Detroit remains one of
the poorest big city in America and the poverty that remains is seemingly intractable. At present, only 36% of
residents earn a living wage.
Detroit’s present condition is rooted in a protracted and uninterrupted history of racist laws, policies, and practices that deny full
citizenship to Black Detroiters, undermine Democracy, and position the city as a poor colony within a thriving metropolis.
Racism has disfigured the social, physical and economic landscape of Detroit to produce profound levels of neglect, abuse, and
exploitation of its residents, resulting in wealth extraction, housing insecurity, healthy food and water scarcity, educational
malpractice, and environmental destruction, all within the framework of wealth attraction, tax incentives, subsidized growth and
capital accumulation in the greater downtown.
Through this course, we will examine the thesis that sustainability and racism cannot co-exist; that sustainability is rooted in
inclusive social wellbeing now and in future generations, whereas racism is rooted in hoarding of power and resources for one
dominant group. This hoarding of resources for a favored population impairs preservation for future generations. Furthermore,
environmental racism disconnects the consequences of environmental destruction from its beneficiaries and therefore interferes
with feedback loops that are needed for course correction.
Detroit serves as an American example of long standing racist public policy, resulting in massive depopulation, blight,
abandonment, and concentration of risks that cannot and will not be fixed through neo-liberal redevelopment strategies that
ignore its racist past and the racist underpinnings of public policy. We will explore grass-roots efforts to address root causes,
community development efforts to build sustainable communities, and alternative approaches to restructuring local economies.
- Topics on: Infrastructure, Resilence
- Course
This course is an introduction to how Global Agriculture and Sustainability issues are at the intersection of natural
resource management and business. The course will devote a significant of time covering the fundamental
principles of agribusiness and how sustainability issues are key factors in business decision making today and in the
future.
The course will consider that agricultural production will need to double over the next three decades in order to meet
growing demand. Demand for increased food, feed, fuel, and fiber is driven by increased population and an increase
in the middle class in emerging economies. Coupled with a shift in dietary preferences from grains and staple
carbohydrates to more protein-based diets including pork and beef (and perhaps fish), and biofuel production, more
grains will be used to feed animals and fuel our automobiles. As an energy intensive sector, agriculture is closely
linked to energy markets, with crop production and demand potentially adversely affected by higher oil prices, while
crop inputs (such as fertilizer) may benefit from lower natural gas prices. These shifting dynamics will affect profit
margins in different segments of the agricultural supply chain. In addition to energy prices, likely constraints to the
productivity growth of agriculture include climate change, water resources, infrastructure, education and training of
producers, and social / governmental policy that distort agricultural markets. New technologies, product platforms
and innovative business models in agriculture technology and food systems will dominate the shift from industrial
agriculture to a more socially just and environmentally sustainable food production and distribution system. The
agricultural technology sector is large, comprising over 8,500 companies generating over $1.3 trillion of revenue per
year, in the US alone. Moreover, the volume of transactions in the agricultural sector is greater than $15 billion per
year with an estimated peak of over $70 billion in 2007.
- Topics on: Food, Technology
- Course
The global sports industry is substantial, encompassing various aspects such as sporting events, merchandise,
broadcasting, and more. In 2022, the industry’s revenue amounted to nearly $487 billion. By 2027, the global sports
market is expected to surpass $623 billion.
1 However, the influence of sports extends far beyond the field. Fans are
both dedicated and passionate supporters who contribute to the industry’s success and have a massive following
across continents. From local matches to international tournaments, fans engage through attendance, viewership,
merchandise purchases, social media interactions, and so much more.
As the market continues to grow, the sports industry has made significant progress toward embracing sustainability
practices. Brands are increasingly transparent about their sustainability efforts, businesses are looking to partner with
sustainability-focused organizations that have reputable certifications and initiatives, real estate developers and
investors are designing environmentally friendly facilities, and athletes and their fan bases are demanding climate
action, just to name a few. Despite some progress, there’s ample room for growth within emerging sustainability
practices in sports. Continued innovation can lead to eco-friendly materials, sustainable event management, ensuring
sustainability across supply chains, and greening stadiums, venues, and event infrastructure, which can further
minimize resource consumption and pollution and contribute to a healthier planet.
This course introduces the concept of sustainability and its relevance to the sports industry. It examines the
environmental, social, and economic impacts of sports activities, events, and organizations and explores the
strategies and practices that can enhance the sustainability performance of the sports sector. The course covers topics
such as the definitions and dimensions of sustainability and how they relate to sports; the drivers and challenges of sustainability in sports (climate change, stakeholder expectations, governance, and innovation); frameworks and
tools for assessing and reporting on sustainability in sports; best practices and case studies of sustainability in sports;
and opportunities and benefits of sustainability in sports (fan engagement, athlete activism, business development,
and social impact).
This course will be structured in the following main sections: Direct Impact & Current Activities, Evaluating
Opportunities for Growth, and Expanding Reach Beyond Sports Venues. The course combines theoretical and
practical learning with lectures, readings, discussions, assignments, site visit(s), and guest speakers. The course also
includes group projects, where students will design and present a sustainability plan for a sports organization of their
choice. The goals of the course are to equip students with the knowledge and skills to analyze and evaluate the
sustainability performance of sports venues, activities, events, and mega sporting events (Olympics, FIFA World
Cup, etc.), and organizations; inspire students to develop and implement sustainability strategies and practices that
can improve the sustainability performance of the sports industry and create positive change in society; and foster
students’ interest in a career as leaders and advocates of sustainability in the sports industry.
This course is an elective and will be open, space permitting, to Sports Management, Sustainability Management,
and Climate School students. The course will be offered in person, and we will meet once a week for one entire
semester. There are no prerequisites to take this course.
- Topics on: Sports
- Course
This is an interdisciplinary workshop for scientists, sustainability professionals, conservation biologists, future NGO
workers, and journalists seeking skills in communicating 21st century global science to the public.
Scientists will be given journalism skills; journalists will learn how to use science as the basis of their storytelling.
Students currently working in the business world or the public sector will, by doing actual journalism, see what the
news looks like from the other side of the desk.
Our standards and methods will, at all times, be those of mainstream journalism. We seek to encourage students to
publish their classwork.
During the Fall 2022 course that Professor Dreifus taught on opinion writing, more than 18 class-produced pieces
were published. Last semester, students published their work in State of the Planet and the Huffington Post. One
student had a Letter to the Editor printed in the Washington Post.
- Topics on: Journalism
- Course
In an era of growing environmental and social awareness, supply chains have emerged as a powerful lever for
driving sustainability in operations. Supply chain emissions are, on average, 11.4 times higher than operational
emissions, making them a critical focal point for impactful change in operations. This course explores the
essential role of supply chains in achieving sustainable outcomes and equips students with the tools and insights
needed to transform conventional practices into innovative, responsible, and efficient systems. This course is part of
a broader curriculum aimed at cultivating leaders who can integrate sustainability into the heart of business strategy.
It is designed for students from diverse professional and academic backgrounds, no prior experience in operations or
supply chain management is required to excel in this course.
Through this interdisciplinary journey, students will gain a robust foundation in supply chain management, learning
to integrate sustainability principles across operations. The course balances analytical skills with creative
problem-solving, preparing students to address real-world challenges. Upon completing this course, students will
gain a comprehensive skill set to analyze, design, and implement sustainable operations solutions in their future
careers. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the strategic role of supply chains in modern
economies, including their critical impact in decarbonization efforts. Students will also learn to apply key analytical
tools such as demand forecasting and risk assessment, while mastering strategies for sourcing, supplier management,
and logistics optimization.
- Topics on: Business, Operations, Supply Chain
- Course
This course addresses the relationship of energy production and use to human development, nature and sustainability. It explores “sustainable development” as both an ideal and practical challenge, a global concern but a specific local consideration in energy production and use.
- Topics on: Business, Energy
- Course
Research is the foundation of knowledge. The Practicum on Practical Applications of Environmental Research is a
broad survey of the applications of academic, public and private research on the practice of sustainability
management, sustainable development, and environmental policy. We’ll explore how research is done in different
settings, and how different practitioners approach environmental research to create real-world impact. The course
will explore the full process of research – from grantmaking and project conceptualization to execution and
implementation in organizational, national and international policy.
The Practicum on Environmental Research is a dynamic forum featuring a series of lectures and discussions by
faculty, scientists, researchers and other sustainability practitioners both within Columbia University and from other
institutions. These lectures emphasize key concepts in earth and environmental sciences and the social sciences
relevant to sustainability practice, including introduction to grant writing, introductions to data sources, analytical
methods, and decision tools. We will also discuss an emerging approach, co-production of knowledge, and
international research cooperation.
Most class sessions will comprise a guest lecture followed by class discussion. Students will be expected
to complete assigned readings and materials in advance and engage in class discussion. This course seeks to give
students hands-on experience on conducting research and designing grant proposals. In their final deliverables,
students will be asked to produce original research in groups, and the best papers will get the opportunity to be published in a Columbia-sponsored academic website. Furthermore, the students will be introduced to grantmaking,
will learn best practices and will be writing a grant proposal.
- Topics on: Policy, Research