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NYU Stern School of Business

About the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business


The NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business envisions a better world through better business.

Businesses operate in a constantly changing ecosystem that features fewer resources, a warmer climate, increased social inequity, as well as more engaged stakeholders and increased transparency. Business leaders must understand how these shifts impact their business and find innovative solutions to societal challenges while maintaining financial performance.

The NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business (CSB) was founded on the principle that sustainable business is good business, and is proving the value of sustainability for business management and performance at a time when people and the planet need it most. At CSB, we aim to help future and current business leaders embrace proactive and innovative mainstreaming of sustainability, resulting in competitive advantage and resiliency for their companies as well as a positive impact for society.

Practice Forum ROSI Materials

Preparing Future and Current Business Leaders

Through activities in education, research, and engagement, CSB prepares individuals and organizations with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to embed social and environmental sustainability into core business strategy.
Read Our mission and Strategy
CSB Team Stock Photo

Bringing Sustainability Perspectives to Stern Since 2016

CSB was founded in 2016 by Tensie Whelan, former President of the Rainforest Alliance. Today, the CSB team is comprised of a small yet driven group with diverse backgrounds in corporate strategy, research, education, and engagement.
Meet our team
CSB Advisory Body Main Photo

Guided By Proven Leaders in Sustainable Business

CSB is guided by three advisory groups whose members have deep and relevant experience in environmental and social sustainability strategies, across private, public, non-profit, and academic fields.
Meet Our Advisors

CSB in the News

Center for Sustainable Business
MIT Sloan Management Review

MIT Sloan Management Review: The B2B Opportunity in Corporate Sustainability

As consumer demand for sustainable products grows and regulatory pressure increases, B2B suppliers have an opportunity to grow market share by helping their customers meet sustainability goals.


Center for Sustainable Business
Financial Times

Financial Times: Finance masters shift from idealism to pragmatism on under fire ESG

In Financial Times' Special Report on Business Education, CSB's Founding Director Tensie Whelan is quoted discussing students' continued interest in sustainability education taught with a practical approach and tied to business performance.

 


Center for Sustainable Business
Journal of Marketing logo

Journal of Marketing: Sustainable Product Profit Potential and Availability

CSB's Senior Research Scholar Randi Kronthal-Sacco, along with Bryan Bollinger and Levin Zhu, published an article in the highly esteemed Journal of Marketing. 


Tensie Whelan Headshot

Founding Director Tensie Whelan

Tensie Whelan (NYU '80) is Founding Director of the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business, where she brings 25 years of experience working on local, national and international environmental and sustainability issues to engage businesses in proactive and innovative mainstreaming of sustainability.