The field of industrial ecology is playing an instrumental role in the redesign and realignment of industrial systems and activities to be more ecologically and socially responsible. Critical to the field of industrial ecology is life cycle assessment (LCA), which involves methods, techniques, process and procedures analysis of the full range of environmental impacts, product or service life cycles, and supply chains. Developing countries and emerging economies are also harnessing the potential in LCA for sustainable development. Governments play a very important role with the leverage they have through procurement, regulation, international treaties, tax incentives, public outreach, and other policy tools. Incorporating life cycle assessments into the design and development processes for products and policies is changing the way people live, their mindset and the expectations they have for the future.
- Professor: Tamara Myatt
International
economic development is the biggest challenge that global businesses face
today. Companies are increasingly being held responsible for impacts of their
products, processes and services on society and the environment. These impacts
concern environmental effects and social effects in balance with the economic
aspects of the company. This
responsibility is called Corporate Responsibility or Corporate Citizenship and
can include, but is not limited to, climate change, clean water, child labor, biodiversity,
human rights, occupational health and safety, and poverty. Many
companies are actively integrating sustainability principles into their
business strategies by pursuing goals that go far beyond a concern for
reputation management. Global
corporations are saving energy and developing green products, which can help
companies capture value through growth and return on capital. Increasingly more executives from large
corporations state that sustainability programs make a positive contribution to
their companies’ short- and long-term value.
- Professor: Robert Robertson
Marketing
has a vital role to play in creating a more sustainable society since it is
through the marketing function that most of society’s consumption needs are
identified, anticipated and satisfied. This
course focuses upon sustainability-oriented marketing management decisions at
product, corporate and society (briefly) levels; it will introduce an Integrated
Sustainability Marketing Strategy and both the implementation and conceptual
aspects would be covered.
- Professor: Sara Willox
Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics is a course that will provide the student with a
comprehensive perspective on the value of social initiatives for companies, investors,
employees and customers in a way that is useful, visionary and practical to MBA students.
The main goal of the course is to show that community engagement and the maximization
of profit/ shareholder value are not mutually exclusive, but mutually reinforcing
- Professor: Craig Mayberry