Course Credits
Course Instructors:
Nuri Zafer Yenal: Course Instructor
Aslı Gürler Kandemir: Course TA
zafer.yenal@sabanciuniv.edu
asligurler@sabanciuniv.edu
Website by:
Syeda Manaal Amir (Spring 2025 Course Student)
manaal.amir@sabanciuniv.edu
Connect on LinkedIn
MGMT301 Spring 2024-25
MGMT301 Spring 2024-25
About MGMT301
MGMT 301 – Introduction to Sustainability is an interdisciplinary course that explores the complex and urgent challenges of sustainability in today’s world. Designed for undergraduate students from diverse academic backgrounds, the course invites participants to think critically about the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability, and how they intersect with everyday choices, business practices, and public policies. At Sabancı University, it is the only required course within the university’s Sustainability Minor Program, serving as a gateway for students who wish to deepen their engagement with sustainability-related issues across disciplines.
From climate change and biodiversity loss to social inequality and responsible consumption, the course examines pressing global issues while encouraging students to develop their own perspectives and ethical positions. Through interactive lectures, real-life case studies, reflection-based assignments, and experiential learning components, students are not only exposed to theoretical frameworks but also empowered to become agents of change in their personal and professional lives.
Taught by Professor Zafer Yenal, a scholar with a long-standing interest in food systems, sustainability, political economy and historical sociology, the course emphasizes dialogue, curiosity, and imagination. Ultimately, it invites students to cultivate a sociological imagination—one that allows them to connect personal experiences with broader structural forces and to envision more just and sustainable futures.
Click this link to learn more about the minor in sustainability program: https://sbs.sabanciuniv.edu/tr/diploma-programlari/lisans
Students' Perspective
In this course, guided by Prof. Nuri Zafer Yenal and our TA, Aslı Gürler Kandemir, we explored sustainability from a broad perspective, covering not just environmental issues, but also the economic and social dimensions. We examined how topics like inequality, poverty, and consumption are deeply tied to sustainability.
Each week, we tackled big ideas like the climate crisis, the Anthropocene, circular economy, green transitions, green financing, and degrowth. Concepts such as carbon markets, ESG, and environmental justice became part of our regular discussions.
What made the course especially engaging was how we connected theory to real-life examples, looking at industries like fast fashion, plastics, mining, and electric vehicles to explore the trade-offs of becoming more sustainable.
Most importantly, we learned that sustainability is also a political issue, shaping, and shaped by, policies, markets, and everyday choices.
This website aims to capture our learning journey and share it with future students. We hope it serves both as a reflection of our experience and as a source of inspiration for those interested in this meaningful topic.
Week 1: The Birth of an Idea-Sustainability
Key Themes
- History of Sustainability
- Major Perspectives
- Contemporary Debates
Readings
- Caradonna, Sustainability: A History (Introduction)
- Robson, "Pessimism Is a Barrier to Progress" (Big Think)
- Malik, "Why Climate Tribalism Only Helps the Deniers" (The Guardian)
Week 2: Foundational Concepts-The Anthropocene and Beyond
Key Themes
- The Anthropocene as a proposed geological epoch.
- The Great Acceleration: Human impact since the mid-20th century.
- What are the major sociological drivers of this period?
Readings
- Steffen et al. (2015): "The Great Acceleration & the Anthropocene" (The Anthropocene Review).
- Haraway (2015): "Anthropocene, Capitalocene, Plantationocene, Chthulucene" (Environmental Humanities).
- Natural History Museum (NHM): What is the Anthropocene?
Week 3: Globalization, Regularity modes and Social Sustainability
Key Themes
- Understanding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their significance
- Exploring the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) framework
- Discussing challenges in measuring sustainability
Readings
- The Sustainable Development Goals Report Overview 2016 (United Nations)
- The Triple Bottom Line: What Is It and How Does It Work? (Timothy F. Slaper and Tanya Hall, 2011)
Week 4: Environmental Injustice: History, Structure and Actors
Key Themes
- Environmental Injustice: Unequal exposure to climate hazards and pollution.
- Historical Context: How did power relations in the past and global climate agreements in the present shape environmental inequality?
- Power and Actors: The role of nations, corporations, and civil society in climate politics.
- Carbon Inequality: Disparities in emissions between and within countries.
- Climate Justice Solutions: Policies to ensure fair and inclusive environmental action.
Readings
- Ciplet, Roberts & Khan (2015): Trading a Livable World – The politics of climate change and environmental inequality.
- Chancel (2022): Global Carbon Inequality Over 1990–2019 – The role of wealth and emissions in climate injustice.
Week 5: The environmental cost of Commodity Chains and Consumer Responsibility
Key Themes
- Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion
- Overproduction & Overconsumption
- Supply Chain in Garment Manufacturing
- Circular Economy in Fashion
- Consumer Behavior & Responsibility
Readings
- Ferraro & de Tejada Cuenca (2024), 'Can the Fashion Industry Be More Sustainable?'
- Niinimäki et al. (2020), 'The Environmental Price of Fast Fashion'
Week 6: Circular Economy, Food and Plastics
Key Themes
- Explore the principles of the circular economy (recycling, zero-waste, etc.)
- Its application to address critical environmental issues, including food security and plastics.
Readings
- McMichael P. 2009. "The World Food Crisis in Historical Perspective." Monthly Review: 61(3):32-47
Week 8&9: Mitigation, Carbon Markets, and Energy Transitions
Key Themes
- Explore key climate mitigation strategies
- Understand carbon markets and payments for ecosystem services (PES)
- Examine energy transitions and decarbonization pathways
- Discuss degrowth as an alternative to traditional economic models
- Rethinking Materials for Sustainability
Readings
- Benjamin K. Sovacool, et al. 2021. "Dispossessed by decarbonisation: Reducing vulnerability, injustice, and inequality in the lived experience of low-carbon pathways,"
- George Monbiot. 2021. "'Green growth' doesn't exist – less of everything is the only way to avert catastrophe."
- Zink, T., & Geyer, R. 2016. There Is No Such Thing as a Green Product. Stanford Social Innovation Review.
Week 10: Exploring ESG Investing and Green Finance
Key Themes
- Uncover the world of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) investing
- Explore the intersection of green finance, impact investment, distributive politics
- Explore the rise, criticisms, and future directions of ESG, including the politics, risks, and promises of sustainable investment strategies.
Readings
- Harriet Agnew, et al. 2022. "How ESG investing came to a reckoning," Financial Times, June 6.
- Cam Simpson, et al. 2021. "The ESG Mirage," Bloomberg.
- UN Environment Programme, Leading the Way to a Sustainable Future Priorities for a Global Responsible Banking Sector.
- Alice Ross, Can sustainable investing survive Trump 2.0?. 2025. Financial Times, Jan.17.
Week 12: Environmentalism in the era of Authoritarianism and Populism
Key Themes
- Explore the intersections between rising authoritarianism, populism, and environmental governance.
- Discuss the challenges and opportunities of environmental activism
Readings
- James McCarthy. 2019. "Authoritarianism, Populism, and the Environment: Comparative Experiences, Insights, and Perspectives," Annals of the American Association of Geographers, 109:2, 301-313
- Lisa Friedman, 2024. "Trump's Return Hangs Over U.N. Climate Negotiations," New York Times, November 11.
- Miriam Meissner (2019) "Against Accumulation: Lifestyle Minimalism, Degrowth, and the Post-Ecological Condition" Journal of Cultural Economy.
Speaker 1: Melda Çele
About the Session
Melda Çele is Executive Director of the UN Global Compact Network Türkiye and
Deputy
In our session she explained how the Compact's multi-stakeholder partnerships can
translate corporate pledges into real-world progress on the SDGs, directly echoing
our coursework on ESG metrics and green transitions
Speaker 2: Pelin Yazıcı Karaçal
About the Session
Pelin Yazıcı Karaçal serves as Sustainability Manager at Sabancı University, where
she coordinates campus-wide climate and circular-economy initiatives
She walked us through the University's zero-waste roadmap, turning our class
theories on responsible consumption into a living campus laboratory we can all
observe.
Speaker 3: Levent Kömür
About the Session
Levent Kömür serves as the General Manager of Uludağ İçecek overseeing
operations that combine agriculture, production, and distribution across Turkey.
In our session, he emphasized how politics shape sustainability, from excise
taxes and regulatory frameworks, tying directly into our lessons on the political forces
driving climate policy and corporate responsibility.
Speaker 4: Derya Özet Yalgı
About the Session
Derya Özet Yalgı is Sustainability Director at Sabancı Holding and brings over a
decade of experience crafting corporate sustainability strategies in Turkey
Her talk unpacked how conglomerates set science-based targets and align
subsidiaries around carbon-neutral goals, reinforcing our lessons on the politics of
sustainability.
Speaker 5: Derya Sargın Malkoç
About the Session
Derya Sargın Malkoç is Sustainability Manager at İş Bankası, leading the bank's
climate-risk and green-finance agenda.
She connected banking to sustainability by showing how green loans and ESG
screening can steer capital toward the circular economy cases we studied in class.
Speaker 6: Asma Nairi
About the Session
Asma Nairi is the MENA Regional Manager for the International Detention Coalition
and a Tunisian lawyer-researcher specializing in human rights
She illuminated the social-justice side of sustainability, explaining how humane
migration policies intersect with environmental displacement, linking directly to our
module on environmental justice and inequality.
Assignment 1: Reflection on Sustainability in Everyday Life
Description
As one of our first assignments, we took on the challenge of reflecting on sustainability in a part of everyday life that matters to us, whether it was food, music, fashion, travel, or something else personal. It was a great starting point that opened the door to many different perspectives and showed just how wide-reaching sustainability really is.
We formed groups and each chose a field we relate to, then explored the sustainability challenges and opportunities within it. From the carbon footprint of concerts to waste in the fashion industry or the environmental impact of fast food, everyone brought a unique lens. We also proposed solutions and created personal action plans, thinking critically about how we could each make a difference in our chosen area.
This assignment helped us bridge the gap between academic discussions and real-life choices, making sustainability feel more personal and more urgent.
Assignment 2: Case Study on Consumer Responsibility – Measuring One's Individual Waste
Description
After Week 5, where we explored consumer responsibility and the hidden environmental costs behind the things we use, we took a closer look at ourselves. For one week, we each tracked our own waste and consumption habits, from food waste and plastic use to how much electricity or water we used daily.
This self-assessment project became a way for us to turn theory into practice. We kept detailed logs, analyzed our habits, and reflected on what they revealed. Some of us were surprised by how much single-use plastic we relied on, while others noticed patterns in food waste or energy overuse that we hadn't thought much about before.
In the end, we proposed realistic steps for change in our personal routines. Whether it was reducing unnecessary packaging, unplugging devices, or meal-planning to cut down food waste, the project helped us connect our lifestyle choices with broader sustainability challenges.
It was a powerful reminder that individual actions matter, and that even small changes, when made mindfully, are part of the solution.
Assignment 3: Project-Based Learning-Sustainability Audits
Description
One of our most hands-on experiences in the course was conducting sustainability audits of our university campus. We assessed real-life practices around waste management, energy use, water conservation, and more, using the knowledge we'd built in class to evaluate how sustainable our own learning environment really is.
Students chose specific areas to focus on, such as energy efficiency in buildings, the effectiveness of recycling systems, or water-saving opportunities around campus. What made this project especially meaningful was how some groups went beyond observation, speaking directly with university staff, conducting surveys with students, and even reviewing policy documents to understand what's working and what needs improvement.
The final outcome wasn't just a list of findings, we also presented actionable recommendations for how the university could do better. From adding clearer recycling signage to suggesting motion-sensor lights or collecting rainwater for irrigation, our ideas were rooted in real data and inspired by the course's emphasis on applied learning.
This project helped us realize that sustainability isn't just a global issue, it starts right where we are. It empowered us to be both critical thinkers and changemakers in our own community.
Assignment 4: Debates on Controversial Topics in Sustainability
Description
Last but not least, we wrapped up the semester with a series of lively debates, and it was such a powerful and engaging way to end the course. For this final assignment, we were divided into teams, each representing different perspectives on some of the most controversial and complex issues in sustainability.
The topics ranged from degrowth vs. green growth, to whether ESG investing truly promotes sustainability or is just greenwashing. We debated the promise and pitfalls of electric vehicles, questioned who should bear the responsibility for climate change, and discussed how to balance economic growth with social and environmental justice. Some of us took on the roles of policymakers from developed nations, while others argued from the standpoint of the Global South, bringing issues of equity and historical responsibility to the forefront.
These debates pushed us to research deeply, think critically, and understand opposing viewpoints. More than just arguing for a side, we learned how nuanced sustainability can be, and how essential dialogue and disagreement are for progress.
This final project brought together everything we had explored throughout the semester. It helped us reflect on the real-world tensions between politics, economics, and justice, while sharpening our communication skills. It was the perfect way to end the course on a high note, leaving us inspired, informed, and ready to take these conversations beyond the classroom.
How to Use This Website
This guide will help you navigate and make the most of the course website. Follow these simple steps to access all available resources.
Navigation Guide
Switching Between Sections
Use the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between different sections of the course:
- About MGMT301 - Course overview and objectives
- Learning Experience - Student perspectives
- Syllabus - Weekly breakdown of topics
- Guest Speakers - Information about special guest speaker sessions
- Assignments - Details about Experiential and Interactive Learning Assignments
- User Guide - These instructions
Viewing Content Details
Most sections feature expandable content areas:
- Click on any week in the Syllabus to see topics and readings
- Click on speaker names to view session details
- Click on assignments for elaboration
Click again to collapse the details when you're finished.
Mobile-Friendly Design
The website adapts to different screen sizes:
- On smaller screens, tabs stack vertically
- Content reflows for easy reading on phones and tablets
- All interactive elements remain fully functional
Tips for Success
Stay Organized
Bookmark this page for easy access throughout the semester.
Set Reminders
Note important assignment deadlines in your personal calendar.
Need Help?
For course related queries, use the contacts option on the top right of the page to reach the course professor and TA. If you encounter any technical issues with the website, please contact "manaal.amir@sabanciuniv.edu"