Business and Climate Change

1 Credit · Level: Undergraduate

Our changing climate impacts all industries, both goods-producing sectors such as energy, construction and manufacturing, and service-providing sectors such as transportation, health care, and financial services. Businesses across the spectrum are realizing this and increasingly identifying climate change as a cross-cutting, strategic issue throughout their value chains. Furthermore, financial markets as well as private investors are increasingly aware that some companies will not be sufficiently resilient to overcome the challenges, while others will race ahead with business models and solutions that beat the competition. The universality of climate change impacts means that students who understand the basics and best practices of how businesses measure, manage, reduce, and disclose climate change-related activities will be better equipped for success in whatever career they choose. Students taking this one-credit course will have a clearer sense of whether a business is effectively managing its exposure to climate change-related risks, as well as taking full advantage of opportunities arising from the transition to a low-carbon economy. They will also be in a better position to apply this knowledge in support of company strategy as they progress in their careers.