Free Downloadable Guide:
Meeting the Sustainability Challenge

Sit down with the dean of just about any business school today and one topic is sure to come up: sustainability. One school after another is making sustainability a priority. Schools are launching concentrations, new courses, and new degrees in the field. And for good reason: climate change is one of the most urgent societal challenges the world faces.

In every challenge, there is opportunity. Reducing energy, water, and waste has become a pressing matter for business. Companies are investing in renewable energy, green buildings, circular economy practices, and sustainable supply chains. Green jobs that directly focus on environmental sustainability are exploding.

Well before this challenge dominated headlines, one university took the lead. Back in 1996, more than a quarter of a century ago, when few saw sustainability as the immense challenge it has become, the University of Michigan created a joint venture between the Ross School of Business and what is now known as the School for Environment and Sustainability. With extraordinary prescience, Frederick Erb and his wife, Barbara, would fund this venture. The $20 million this couple has given to the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise makes the center the largest known commitment to a university for interdisciplinary teaching and research in global sustainability.

In this report, sponsored by the Ross School of Business, we celebrate the foresight and the accomplishments of the institute while acknowledging this massive opportunity and challenge facing our world. We hope our words inspire you to become a part of the solution.