Thank you for visiting! This site was created as part of the capstone course for the Sustainability Certificate I completed as a senior at Duke. It is primarily academic in nature and was intended to showcase the connections between my experiences both in and out of the classroom and how they enhanced my understanding of sustainability broadly, and corporate social responsibility specifically. This site is no longer being updated as of May 2020. For the most up-to-date information about my sustainability work, please see my LinkedIn page.
Sustainability (n) — The possibility that humans and other life will flourish on the earth forever.
See also: Regeneration, Reciprocity, Respect, Resilience
From Sustainability by Design (2009) by John R. Ehrenfeld
The Certificate in Sustainability Engagement at Duke is designed to help students engage with the environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability. Students choose a thematic emphasis and complete four courses (the gateway, capstone, and two electives) as well as two experiences (150 hours and 300 hours). This e-portfolio is designed to guide you through my journey as I delved into my thematic emphasis: Corporate Social Responsibility.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Broadly speaking, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a business model that prioritizes and promotes initiatives and business practices that benefit society overall, including considerations of environmental impact and sustainability.
Social responsibility in the final analysis implies a public posture toward society’s economic and human resources and a willingness to see that those resources are used for broad social ends and not simply for the narrowly circumscribed interests of private persons and firms.
William C. Frederick (1960)
When a business takes action to address its environmental impact, this in turn affects human health, environmental justice, and the lives of its employees, customers, and the people who live in the surrounding community. The relationship between corporations and the public also goes both ways: many companies are beginning to embed sustainability into their operations in order to address social and environmental concerns as well as build a good public reputation; meanwhile, many socially-aware consumers choosing to shop and support companies that demonstrate a commitment to solving global social and environmental issues.
It is frequently pointed out in activist circles that 70% of global emissions come from just a few large companies. As important as individual actions are in fighting climate change, it is perhaps even more crucial to consider the environmental impacts of corporations, as it is possible to have an enormous impact through focused efforts in the private sector. For this reason, corporate sustainability will play an increasingly important role in addressing sustainability issues in the coming years.
To me, the essence of corporate sustainability is for companies to wield their influence and buying power to minimize resource use in their own operations and throughout their value chains, to promote environmental stewardship among all of their stakeholders, and to support climate-friendly policies at every level. The goal is for companies to be able to contribute to a future where they and the rest of the world can continue to thrive in perpetuity.
Current Sustainability Program Manager, Duke MEM ’19
For a discussion of the distinctions between CSR and corporate sustainability, see Section 1 of my capstone project.
Courses
Sustainability in Theory & Practice
The gateway course for the certificate, this course focuses on theories of sustainability, including the “Triple Bottom Line” of People, Planet, and Profit. Learn more.
Business Ethics
My first elective covered the philosophical and ethical debates about CSR, including different models for how to prioritize and interpret the social responsibilities of businesses. Learn more.
Evaluation of Public Expenditures
My second elective covered the different financial, economic, distributive, and risk-based models for evaluating public sector projects. Learn more.
Building a Sustainable Tomorrow
The capstone course for the certificate focused on synthesizing what we had learned throughout our courses and experiences into a major capstone project. Learn more.
Experiences
Undergraduate Environmental Union
- 150+ hours
- 3 team members
- 14+ student organizations
- 10+ university offices
- 3 major events
- 35+ meetings
- 300+ students
Rachel Carson Council Stanback Internship
- 300+ hours
- 3 employees
- 3 workshops
- 4 principles of environmentalism
- 40+ internal recommendations
- 250+ photographs
- 4 community meetings
Margaret Overton Sustainability Certificate Portfolio 