Professor
Lyuba Zarsky concluded early that the best game in life is changing the world. In the 1970s, she co-founded the University Without Walls in Berkeley, whose motto was “the world is our classroom.” She was a leading member of the Berkeley Recycling Collective, one of the city’s first social enterprises, and the media director for the Abalone Alliance, a California citizens group opposed to nuclear power. She also collaborated with indigenous groups in the US and Asia-Pacific to protect human rights and sustainable livelihoods, work that propelled a move to the East Coast to pursue academic training in political economy and development economics.
Zarsky’s overarching passion is promoting justice and sustainability in business and the economy. In the 1990s, she designed and directed a national sustainable development program for the government of Australia; and co-founded and co-directed the Nautilus Institute, an NGO “think and do” tank on global security and sustainability. She initiated a project on corporate social responsibility and accountability; was a member of the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee of the Office of the US Trade Representative; and co-authored Enclave Economy: Foreign Investment and Sustainable Development in Mexico’s Silicon Valley (MIT Press, 2007). At the Institute, she coordinates the Business, Development and Sustainability track in the International Environmental Policy program.
ENPG 8538 Upcoming
Climate FinanceCourse Description
Trillions of dollars are needed to spur the global decarbonization transition and to help the world's vulnerable communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. Where will the money come from? How can it be mobilized and allocated with accountability?
This course explores the promise and the challenge of emerging public and private sources of climate finance.
Part I explores the history and political economy of global public finance, including the new Loss and Damage Fund, in UN climate negotiations, especially in the lead-up to COP 29 in Baku in November.
Part II examines climate finance in the private sector, including the role of banks and equity investors as they respond to--and resist--regulatory, shareholder, and public demands to phase out fossil fuels and reduce both their internal and external climate risks.
Part III examines innovative ways to structure public-private partnerships to mobilize climate finance for both mitigation and adaptation.
Terms Taught
IEPG 8507
Governing the Global CommonsCourse Description
‘Commons governance’ has emerged as a new paradigm in both functional and legal approaches to international environmental cooperation. Traditionally, nation-states have been considered the sole actors in governing trans-boundary resources such as the atmosphere, water and the ocean. In contrast, the commons approach highlights the role of collaborative governance by all users of a depletable resource in designing, implementing and enforcing sustainability rules and norms. While nation-states remain key players, a commons approach is poly-centric (international, regional, national, sub-national) and multi-actor (government, business, civil society).
This course provides a foundation in the theory and practice of global commons governance. Part One introduces the conceptual framework and empirical findings of Elinor Ostrom’s work on the design of effective institutions for common pool resources. Working in teams of two, students will produce a case study which deploys the Ostrom framework to evaluate the effectiveness of a current agreement governing a transboundary commons of their choice.
Part II focuses on the structure and dynamics of the governance of the global atmospheric commons. It first examines the norms, principles and key agreements in international environmental law. It then explores the evolution of global climate collaboration from the Montreal Protocol to the UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement. Students will produce 1) a graphic presentation evaluating the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of two nation-state signatories to the Paris Agreement; 2) a case study examining the way a key non-state actor—business/industry, cities/states/provinces, civil society—is implementing the Paris Agreement.
Terms Taught
IEPG 8593
EcoRestoration in ColombiaCourse Description
This course Exploring Sustainable Agriculture Transitions in Rural Colombia will consist of an 8-day visit to the town of Libano, Colombia, over spring break March 16-24, 2024 with an additional travel day on each end of the trip.
The creation of a sustainable global food system is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. High-input, animal-based, industrial agricultural practices drive land concentration, deplete soils, and generate deforestation, including the loss of soil and forest carbon -In total, the agri-food system accounts for 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Promising innovations are emerging, especially around the principles and practices of regenerative agriculture, in both developing and developed countries. The overarching aim of regenerative agriculture is to create farming and grazing systems that are in harmony with nature while generating sustainable livelihoods for farmers. It is a whole-of-ecosystem approach, with soil health at the center. Healthy soils have a high level of biodiversity and capacity to store both water and carbon.
This “exposure tour” in Colombia will provide students an opportunity to explore how an agricultural community in a developing country is grappling with the challenges and opportunities to transition to regenerative agriculture in the context of global and local supply chains, as well as a country engaged in post-conflict reconciliation.
Terms Taught
IEPG 8611
Sustainable Coastal ManagementCourse Description
Coasts are vital ecological, economic and social systems. Nearly forty percent of the world’s population lives within 100 km of a coast. In California, the coastal and ocean economy exceeds $40 billion/year. But population and urban growth, and economic and industrial development have taken a heavy ecological toll on coasts. In many places, coastal systems are highly degraded. Public beaches are crowded, inaccessible or even closed due to poor water quality. Fisheries are in decline and plastic pollution is overwhelming the marine environment. Climate change, including sea level rise, ocean acidification and rising temperatures fundamentally threatens both coastal communities and ecology.
This course provides an interdisciplinary foundation in the resource management challenges and governance frameworks for sustainable coastal management, including consideration of the political, legal, social, economic and natural science dimensions of the coast. The course begins with a focus on the past fifty years of modern coastal management in California, including an examination of public access, habitat protection, growth management and protection of the nearshore environment. Often described as an international leader in coastal management, California presents an opportunity to explore the successes and on-going efforts to find the right balance between human development and the protection of natural systems, as well as the challenges of effective, transparent intergovernmental governance in a highly political setting.
The second third of the course focuses on climate change, vulnerability and coastal resilience. Students will learn about sea level rise science and methods for analyzing the vulnerability of coastal resources. Specific attention will be focused on the process of adaptation planning and the variety of strategies, such as managed retreat, being pursued to adapt to projected sea level rise. This focus presents an opportunity to explore in even greater detail the difficulties of simultaneously protecting natural shorelines, maintaining vibrant human-built environments, and assuring environmental justice along the coast.
Finally, the course considers the global and international context of coastal management as seen through international governance institutions and different country systems of coastal management. This includes an examination of “integrated coastal zone management,” coastal resilience challenges outside of the U.S.
The course will include online class sessions, readings and other media presentations and targeted field assessments in the Monterey area as feasible. Students will be expected to actively participate in research, writing and discussion, and prepare and give a final class presentation.
Terms Taught
IEPG 8628
Sustainability Mgmt & StrategyCourse Description
This course provides a foundation in the core concepts and strategic management tools in the dynamic field of global corporate sustainability management. The central aim is to prepare students to design, lead, communicate and collaborate on sustainability innovations that 1) reduce environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk, especially climate risk, and 2) seize opportunities which generate value to both firm and society. The course aims to provide the groundwork for a professional career in sustainability management in multiple contexts (e.g. corporation, university, NGO, etc). Open to all MIIS students, the course is required for students in the Sustainability Management specialization in the IEP Program.
The course covers nine key topics:
• Global sustainability challenges
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Embedded sustainability as global business strategy
• Stakeholder engagement
• ESG Risk
• Sustainability reporting
• Climate risk assessment and reporting
• Sustainable supply chain management
• Business engagement with public policy.
Terms Taught
IPMG 8698
Directed StudyCourse Description
Student must obtain a faculty advisor, complete a Directed Study proposal form, obtain signatures, and submit to the Associate Dean of Academic Operations for approval.
Terms Taught
MIIS 8517
Governing the Global CommonsCourse Description
Governing the Global Commons
‘Commons governance’ has emerged as a new paradigm in both functional and legal approaches to international environmental cooperation. Traditionally, nation-states have been considered the sole actors in governing trans-boundary resources such as the atmosphere, water and the ocean. In contrast, the commons approach highlights the role of collaborative governance by all users of a depletable resource in designing, implementing and enforcing sustainability rules and norms. While nation-states remain key players, a commons approach is poly-centric (international, regional, national, sub-national) and multi-actor (government, business, civil society).
This course provides a foundation in the theory and practice of global commons governance. Part One introduces the conceptual framework and empirical findings of Elinor Ostrom’s work on the design of effective institutions for common pool resources. Working in teams of two, students will produce a case study which deploys the Ostrom framework to evaluate the effectiveness of a current agreement governing a transboundary commons of their choice.
Part II focuses on the structure and dynamics of the governance of the global atmospheric commons. It first examines the norms, principles and key agreements in international environmental law. It then explores the evolution of global climate collaboration from the Montreal Protocol to the UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement. Students will produce 1) a graphic presentation evaluating the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of two nation-state signatories to the Paris Agreement; 2) a case study examining the way a key non-state actor—business/industry, cities/states/provinces, civil society—is implementing the Paris Agreement. The dates of this course are JANUARY 25 through MAY 14. . Registering for this course signals your interest in taking the course.
Terms Taught
Zarsky’s teaching and research interests focus on the question: how can business practice and economic policy promote sustainable economic development? Her primary lens is sustainability investment, including norms, tools and policies from the local to global level. A key research focus is the global mining industry, which generates local economic benefits but creates long term risks of water pollution.
Zarsky also teaches on adaptation to sea level rise in coastal cities, including new funding models for climate resilience, environmental entrepreneurship, and the governance of the global commons.
Professor Zarsky has been teaching at the Institute since 2007.
| by Sierra Abukins
Transforming conflict is at the heart of a seven-year Middlebury initiative that is funding dozens of graduate fellows each year to apply their learning in research and community projects. The first annual event showcased projects and sparked conversation.
| by Sierra Abukins
The 20-month online degree prepares students to design and lead sustainability and climate initiatives for governments, nonprofits, and businesses.
| by Sierra Abukins
In a small town in the mountains of Colombia students explored sustainable coffee-growing practices, biodiversity, and rural revitalization.
