Sustainability management Contact: prof. dr. Sandra Rousseau (CEDON)

Societal challenges The world population is expected to grow from the 7.5 billion currently (5 billion in 1987) to 10 billion by 2050 Rising population and increasing standards of living are expected to raise substantially the demand for food, housing, energy, land and waste disposal Increasing population combined with urbanization will put great pressure on cities Increased human emissions of greenhouse gases has caused global warming and climate change which can lead to a planetary catastrophe A switch from non-renewable fossil fuels to renewable energy sources will be needed FEB - CEDON

Sustainability as a business challenge McKinsey (2011) Sustainability has long been on the agenda at many companies, but for decades their environmental, social, and governance activities have been disconnected from core strategy. Most still take a fragmented, reactive approach - launching ad hoc initiatives to enhance their “green” credentials, to comply with regulations, or to deal with emergencies - rather than treating sustainability as an issue with a direct impact on business results. How can one firm make a difference? Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses FEB - CEDON

Sustainability as a business opportunity Business leaders realize that the pursuit of sustainability can have some of the following benefits for their firms: Build corporate reputation New growth opportunities Cost reduction Employee engagement Resonance with specific segment of consumers Access to specific pools of capital 97% of industry CEOs said that sustainability is critical for the future success of their business (The UN Global Compact – Accenture Strategy CEO Study 2016) FEB - CEDON

"We have to bring this world back to sanity and put the greater good ahead of self-interest.“ - Paul Polman, Unilever "I'm here to build something for the long-term. Anything else is a distraction." - Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook "The blind pursuit of profit at all costs is untenable. It is essential that we make money the right way. After all, if communities suffer as a result of a company’s actions, those returns are not sustainable." - Indra K. Nooyi, Pepsico "I think if the people who work for a business are proud of the business they work for, they'll work that much harder, and therefore, I think turning your business into a real force for good is good business sense as well." - Richard Branson, Virgin FEB - CEDON

Track Sustainability management Vision: The sustainability management track aims to build an understanding of sustainability in a cross-organizational context. In doing so, the track will raise awareness of sustainability issues in various functional management domains while at the same time putting them in the societal context within which a business operates. Using business and policy oriented case studies and building upon economic fundamentals, the track aims to approach sustainability from an integrated perspective. FEB - CEDON

Track Sustainability management Three mandatory courses Sustainable management Sustainable economics Sustainable development Interesting electives Sustainable finance Policy evaluation Economics of the public sector FEB - CEDON

Sustainable management Some key questions: What business opportunities are created by a transition towards a circular economy? How can an organization create value by implementing a well-designed sustainability strategy? How can businesses thrive when facing wicked problems such as climate change or poverty? FEB - CEDON

Sustainable management Wicked problems (such as climate change, poverty, child labour) ask for a systemic change of our economic system. Organisations cannot do this in isolation, but need to involve other actors. This asks for a different approach: instead of isolated competition the emphasis is on collaboration. Main topics are: Wicked problems Assessment: Understanding where we are now and finding out what is happening around us Alternative Economic Models Formulation: Deciding where you want to go totransition management Organisational change towards sustainability Implementation: Put your plan in place and make it happen Marketing, HRM, Strategy, Finance… Monitoring & evaluation: Keep it going We will make use of active learning approaches such as simulation games, case studies and real-world learning opportunities. FEB - CEDON

Sustainable economics Some key questions What can we expect from the following international climate top? How can we move to a sustainable energy system? What is the value of a forest? Is a green tax shift welfare improving? FEB - CEDON

Sustainable economics The course aims to build an in-depth understanding of how economic models and concepts can be used to predict and, if desirable, influence consumer and producer behaviour related to environmental impact and energy use. This course provides the students with a problem-solving framework for the analysis and remediation of externality problems such as pollution, energy and material use. Within a micro- economic framework the role of consumers, producers and government is investigated. Developing effective and efficient environmental and energy policies Evaluating existing environmental policies and policy proposals Energy production based on fossil fuels and renewables Energy consumption and energy efficiency The different concepts and models are illustrated for wicked problems such as climate change, local pollution, material and resource scarcity, and biodiversity loss. FEB - CEDON

Sustainable development Some key questions: What is the impact of pollution havens on the global distribution of welfare? Is international trade still welfare maximizing if all external costs are internalized? Should we export our used electronic devices and cars to developing countries? FEB - CEDON

Sustainable development The course aims to build an in-depth understanding of the analytical tools, theories and practical pathways needed to actively engage in the debate on the economics of human development in an international context. The course starts with an extensive discussion on the economics of human development. Topics such as inequality and equity, the economics of wellbeing, sustainable economic growth and human development policy analysis will be discussed in a national and international context FEB - CEDON

Career opportunities The track Sustainability management will provide you with the skills needed to become a sustainability change maker in trade organizations, industries, foundations, NGOs and government bodies. Career outlook: Sustainability Officer Sustainability Manager Staff member of CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Corporate Sustainability Consultant Entrepreneur: set up your own sustainable business … FEB - CEDON

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