Sustainability is perhaps the greatest challenge that we and our grandchildren’s generations will face. Yet governments and businesses are pulling back from their sustainability commitments even as the challenges become more evident with catastrophic climatic events, climate-induced conflict and migration, increasing inequality, biodiversity loss, and emerging issues associated with new technologies. This will not be a course to “teach” sustainability, though it will describe the key issues and concepts. Rather, we will combine our collective experience and knowledge to explore the role of sustainability in a “just” society. As government has retrenched on sustainability, what should be the role of business? Does business have the long-term need to address sustainability as well as the resources and talent to do so? If so, what is the role of markets, of individual firms and their shareholders, of stakeholders and of public and private institutions? What alternatives exist? What are the challenges and the opportunities?
Note: This course will not meet on Tuesday, November 11 and will resume the following the Tuesday.