Key Concepts

We prepare our students to speak the language of sustainability so they can hit the ground running upon graduation.

Defining Sustainability

When we talk about sustainable business, what exactly do we mean? The increasing application and implied meaning of words like sustainability can be confusing. Here are the defintions that we use:

Sustainability

“An inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods and a better world for all generations.”
-Assoc. for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

Sustainable Business

“Businesses that have committed themselves to the triple bottom line of People, Planet, and Profit.” A sustainable economy is a prosperous and resilient one.
-American Sustainable Business Council

Sustainable

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
-UN World Commission on Environment and Development

Social innovation

“A methodology to create social value and potentially economic value at the systems-change level, which addresses the root cause of a problem that includes new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that address social needs of all kinds.”
-Ashoka U

B Corporation

“B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials.” – B Lab

Benefit Corporation

“A benefit corporation is a legal tool to create a solid foundation for long term mission alignment and value creation. It protects company missions through capital raises and leadership changes. Benefit corporation structure creates more flexibility when evaluating potential sale and liquidity options. It prepares businesses to lead a mission-driven life post-IPO (initial public offering).” – B Lab

The Language of Sustainability

Key concepts in sustainability are integrated across our undergraduate and graduate business curriculum from sustainable supply chain management to understanding green consumer behavior.

Sustainability courses

27 percent

of Poole College faculty have integrated sustainability related concepts and content into their courses.

BSC Experts

Key Organizations

B Lab: B Lab is the nonprofit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): According to the United Nations, the SDGS are “a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved over the next 15 years.”

The Sustainability Consortium (TSC): TSC is a global non-profit organization working to transform the consumer goods industry by partnering with leading companies to define, develop, and deliver more sustainable products.

Sustainable Accounting Standards Board (SASB): SASB is an independent, private-sector standards setting organization based in San Francisco, California dedicated to enhancing the efficiency of the capital markets by fostering high-quality disclosure of material sustainability information that meets investor needs.

B Academics: The Global B Corp Academic Community (B Academics) is a network of educators and researchers from around the world who are committed to accelerating the sustainable business movement by studying the global movement of B Corporation certification and benefit corporations. B Academics work with each other, the global B Lab network, and the B Corp community to share best practices and identify opportunities for collaboration with regard to research, teaching, and experiential learning.