BUS 553 - Introduction to Sustainable Business, 3 credit hours

Students will gain an understanding of how business professionals use sustainability principles as drivers for innovation and how to incorporate this strategic thinking into their own career paths. Students will learn how business decisions benefit from taking into account impacts of social and ecological capital. Topics will include the “Triple Bottom Line” approach as a catalyst for organizational innovation and corporate performance, and corporate motivations for engagement in sustainability. Case studies will focus on successful corporate sustainability initiatives across a wide array of industries and business contexts as well as enduring challenges faced by businesses that aim toward sustainability. Representatives of local businesses using triple bottom line strategies will present their “cases” in class. Other topics to be addressed will include integration of sustainability into corporate vision, mission, and culture; metrics of sustainability, including greenhouse gas and carbon inventories; stakeholder engagement and management; the challenge of sustainable products and services; and corporate sustainability reporting.