Develop the Sustainability Mindset

Day 1

• Topics:
  • Introduction
  • What is Sustainability?
  • Climate change
• Assignment for the next class: Watch “The Story of Stuff” and “The Big Picture by Robert Reich”

Day 2

• Topics:
  • Global diversity
  • Neo-liberal economics
  • Social Inequality

Day 3

• Topics:
  • Regenerative Capitalism
  • Tony Seba Prediction
  • Solar Energy
  • Electric Vehicles
• Assignment for the next class: Watch “Winning the Story Wars – Communicating Sustainability”

 

Day 4

• Topics:
  • Circular Economy
  • Re-introducing Carbon in the Economy
  • Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan

Day 5

• Topics:
  • Business case for Sustainability
  • The Integrated Bottom Line
  • Sustainability: how to improve productivity
• Assignment for next class: Write a one-page essay about “What is your definition of Sustainability?”

 

 

Day 6

• Topics:
  • The Sustainability Journey
  • Willard’s Sustainability Stages
  • Google Energy Efficiency

Day 7

• Topics:
  • Guest speaker Hunter Lovins – Natural Capitalism
• Assignment for next class: Write a one-page essay about What is natural capitalism? Speaker summary

Day 8

• Topics:
  • Sustainability Operating System (SOS)
  • Managing Change
  • The Wheel of Change (Bob Doppelt)
• Team Assignment for next class: Write a one-page essay setting forth the business case for a shift in the way that a company does things; Pick a sustainability practice and argue why a company ought to implement it using a business case framework

 

Day 9

• Topics:
  • Frameworks of Sustainability
  • Ecological Economics
  • Natural Step
  • Team Presentations

Day 10

• Topics:
  • Frameworks of Sustainability (cont.)
  • Holistic Management
  • Biomimicry
  • Team Presentations (cont.)

 

Day 11

• Topics:
  • System Thinking
  • What is a system
  • System Thinking characteristics
  • System Intervention Points
• Assignment for next class: Watch “Eric Berlow’s Ted Talk”

Day 12

• Topics:
  • Helix System
  • Sustainability into DNA of a Corporation
  • 5 Stages Sustainability Journey applied to Companies

Day 13

• Topics:
  • Leadership styles applied to Sustainability
  • Wellbeing
  • Gross National Happiness

Day 14

• Topics:
  • Scenario Planning
  • Black Swans and Uncertainty
  • What are Scenarios?
  • Focal Issue, Key Factors, Environment Forces, Critical Uncertainties
  • Construct Matrix, Storyboarding, Implications, Early Indicators
  • Storyboarding
• Team Assignment for next class: Write a four-pages essay about the chosen scenario (e.g. New York City – Economy – Climate) and present it to the class

Day 15

• Topics:
  • Final Team presentations
  • Class discussion
  • Debrief