Erb Thought Leadership Strategy

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

A big, bold mission deserves an audacious strategy! In 2015, Erb launched its Strategic Plan 2015- 20, with our sights raised high: To cultivate bold business leaders who adeptly transform companies, industries, and entire economies for systemic sustainability.

Research, Education and Engagement The Erb Institute conducts both scholarly and applied research. Our scholarly work pushes the envelope on sustainability science, while our applied research drives impact here and now through practical toolboxes, case studies, and management approaches. To deepen our impact on both fronts, we work across four priority research areas: CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION: We examine the role of the consumer in advancing sustainability, particularly in the realm of purchasing decisions, and how these may be better informed in the interest of greater social and environmental good.

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CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: Today’s companies are complex, global systems of owned operations, contracted supply chains, and often many tiers of subcontracted suppliers. We aim to understand how corporate culture, investment and decision-making G IN strategies, radical transparency, and the everN R present risks of corruption affect performance.

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Conscious Consumption

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: Erb Institute researchers are looking closely at the role the private sector can play in turning the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—which include social, environmental, and economic progress—into reality.

GLOBAL CHANGE: Erb Institute researchers are studying the role that businesses may play in reducing the risks society faces from global environmental change. Here, our focus is intentionally DRIVES IM broad, and includes issues such as energy and climate PA change, water security, land use and ecosystem CT services, among others.

Human Development

Business Solutions

RESEARCH & EDUCATION

BUSINESS ENGAGEMENT

Change Agents

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Corporate Governance

Global Change

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Erb partner, Kellogg Company at the Ross Positive Business Conference, (Paloma Lopez center)

B US I NE SS ENGAGEMENT

Erb Faculty Director, Joe Arvai presenting at the TEDx conference

We insert Erb students into the global dialogue on business sustainability in real time. We bring business leaders to campus to share their ideas and experiences, and we send our students out into the companies, nonprofits, and government agencies that are leading the charge on sustainability.

In addition to our co-curricular opportunities—like Erb Seminar, student competitions, and Cool Projects—the Institute also engages with companies across a number of platforms throughout the year. For example:

BIG Student Club, Agribusiness Project - Peru

CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS

Erb convenes small invitation-only events, large public conferences, and student-facing workshops that address the “Erb business sustainability cycle”—from stakeholder engagement and strategy, to materiality, metrics, and reporting.

ROSS BUSINESS IMPACT GROUP (BIG)

Sponsored by the Erb Institute, BIG is the Ross student club focused on social and environmental impact through startup and early-stage social enterprises. In 2016, Ross and Erb students worked with an agribusiness startup in Peru’s high Amazon to provide field insights, business plans, and stakeholder engagements.

DOW SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWS PROGRAM

This University of Michigan partnership with Dow Chemical supports graduate students who are committed to finding interdisciplinary sustainability solutions on local to global scales. This tight network of fellows across campus brings together diverse interests related to climate change, energy, water, health, consumption, transportation, built environment, and public policy, among others.

For more information please contact Terry Nelidov, Managing Director at tnelidov@umich.edu Contact us: (+1.734) 647.9799 erbinstitute@umich.edu

Connect with us: erb.umich.edu