Shaping the Future: U-M’s First Vice Provost for Climate Action
This month, Shalanda Baker began her role as the University of Michigan’s inaugural Vice Provost for Sustainability and Climate Action. In this role, she will lead U-M’s interdisciplinary efforts on sustainability, focusing on integrating environmental topics into academic curricula, fostering critical research, and advancing the university’s sustainability goals. Previously, Baker served as the Director of the Office of Energy Justice and Equity at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she focused on advancing energy justice initiatives. With a background in law, energy policy, and environmental equity, she is also known for her academic work and advocacy for integrating justice into energy policy. SBN Detroit spoke with Baker to learn more about her vision, goals, challenges, and the collaborative approach she plans to bring to this new role. Q: As the first person to hold this new position, how do you envision setting the foundation? A: I’m spending a lot of time getting to know the university and the professors engaged in sustainability. I have two direct-report units, the Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum and the Graham Sustainability Institute. My initial focus is on understanding how all of the sustainability pieces across our large, decentralized campus fit together. Moving quickly is essential if we’re going to make an impact on climate, but building trust and relationships will be key to accelerating future efforts. I’m focusing on three main areas: Curriculum – I’m thinking about ways to ensure every student has a foundational understanding of climate and sustainability and how climate connects to their field. This could involve creating specific requirements or expanding existing ones. Research and Innovation – I’m interested in how we can further support our existing institutes and centers that are advancing work in climate and sustainability, particularly in removing any barriers they face. Community and Impact – Michigan is in a unique position to lead on sustainability, and I want to consider how we can best advance community impact in our state. Q: Given your diverse background in policy and energy justice, how does your experience shape your approach to this new role? A: I guess I am a bit of a unicorn—having experience as a law professor, a public policy professor, and an entrepreneur. I’ve created organizations that bring community voices into complex policy discussions, which will be invaluable here. My experience in the Biden administration, working with the Department of Energy, involved coordinating scientists and engineers to advance energy justice. At U-M, I’ll be taking a similar interdisciplinary approach, working across departments and disciplines to move us all in the same direction. I know it’s a challenging role, but it builds on everything I’ve done before. Q: U-M has various departments and initiatives focused on sustainability. How will you work with these different entities to create a unified approach across campus? A: The university is known for its decentralized structure, and I appreciate the “letting a million flowers bloom” approach to innovation. I don’t want to stifle that creativity, but I do believe a central set of priorities can support and amplify the work that’s happening while offering a clear vision. I’ll be establishing an internal executive council to advise on our academic approach and to serve as a sounding board to validate and advance our goals. Another focus will be removing bureaucratic barriers that can slow down progress. Finally, I’ll be focusing on creating a clear framework that all our work can fit within. For example, I’m very excited about big, unifying concepts like “Just Transition,” which would frame our sustainability work within a commitment to equity and justice. Q: What specific goals or benchmarks are you looking to achieve in the first year or two? A: President Ono’s Vision 2034 provides an ambitious roadmap, with sustainability and climate action as key pillars. I’m excited to develop concrete metrics within that framework in partnership with our advisory council. One of my immediate goals is to position Michigan as a hub for climate action by convening conversations around the significant investment dollars flowing into the state and country. I’d also love to establish a Michigan Climate Week, hosting interdisciplinary events that bring together scholars, policymakers, and community leaders. Additionally, I’m exploring opportunities to convene global thinkers at U-M, much like the Institute for Social Research, but focused on climate solutions. Q: How will partnerships play a role in sustainability efforts under your leadership? A: Partnerships are essential. I’m meeting with other university leaders in similar roles, and I’ve spoken at places like the University of Texas and Arizona State to learn how they approach sustainability. No university can tackle this alone, and we’ll benefit from building on each other’s work. We also need strong partnerships with state government and local leaders; these relationships will be crucial to achieving our goals. Q: To that end, U-M is part of the University Research Corridor with WSU and Michigan State. What does your future work look like here, and how do you think U-M’s efforts impact this larger initiative? A: I’m excited to engage deeply with the University Research Corridor (URC). President Ono is committed to ensuring U-M is an active collaborator. Climate and sustainability are areas where we can work together effectively, especially with the influx of investment dollars Michigan is seeing for climate-related projects. The URC offers a platform for a coordinated approach, allowing us to make a more substantial impact across the state and lead in this area. Q: How will the university’s Innovation District in Detroit factor into U-M’s sustainability and climate action goals? Could this space serve as a model for sustainable urban development? A: The Innovation District in Detroit is a promising opportunity, though it’s still in the early stages. Detroit is undergoing incredible changes, and with my background in energy justice, I’m very interested in how this district can address both environmental and socioeconomic challenges. This area could become a prime example of how clean energy initiatives can drive economic and social transformation in cities that have historically faced challenges.
Green Goals in Higher Education
In May, Edna Lorenz, PE, CEM, LEED AP, took on the role of Director of the Office of Campus Sustainability at Wayne State University. Previously, she served as the Energy Director at Corewell Health (formerly Beaumont Health), where she led a comprehensive energy and carbon reduction program across 22 hospitals. Before Corewell Health, Lorenz was a senior associate at Environmental Systems Design (now Stantec) in Chicago, managing LEED certification projects, energy audits, and renewable energy analysis. Here, she discusses the role, priorities, and future of sustainability at the university with SBN Detroit. Q: What led you to your current position? A: I am a mechanical engineer by training, having graduated from the University of Michigan. My first job out of college was with an engineering firm where I focused on energy and sustainability consulting for commercial buildings, with a specialization in the LEED green building rating system. In 2016, I took a position as Energy Director for the Beaumont Health System, now Corewell Health. While at Corewell, I found it very rewarding working on the operational side of the built environment, specifically optimizing building performance to reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint of the hospital system’s 22 campuses. However, I wanted to get back to my green roots. I transitioned to higher education and began my role at Wayne State in May. It’s been fulfilling to work with a larger community, both on campus and within Detroit, who are deeply committed to sustainability. The students in particular are enthusiastic and have high expectations, which is very energizing. Q: What are your top priorities in this new role? A: My primary focus is to operationalize sustainability across the campus. We have a strategic framework, and I want to ensure our approach is practical and achievable for those executing the work. Initially, we are benchmarking current processes to identify what is working well, what isn’t, and where gaps exist. I am also collaborating with the academic side to integrate sustainability into all aspects of university life. Energy reduction is a top priority, and we have a strategic goal to reduce carbon emissions from building operations by at least 50% by 2030. Currently, we’re evaluating our buildings to find opportunities for both operational optimization as well as infrastructure improvement. Additionally, we are enhancing our waste management program by benchmarking current practices and identifying areas for improvement. We’re also focused on landscape and hardscape management to improve stormwater management and increase site permeability. We’re adding more trees and removing or replacing concrete with permeable pavers to achieve this and to enhance the campus’s appeal as a park-like community resource. Q: What strategies is the university implementing to reduce its carbon footprint? A: One great example is our student-run compost program. Our ‘Compost Warriors’ collect pre-consumer food waste — food scraps from food prep on campus — and transport it to the Georgia Street Collective, where it’s processed into nutrient-rich compost. Our grounds crew then uses it to fertilize the landscaping on campus. It’s a closed-loop process that reduces our carbon footprint while supporting a local organization. However, much of our scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions come from energy consumed by our buildings on campus. An example of how we are trying to reduce these emissions includes the installation and enhancement of automated controls for our buildings’ HVAC and electrical systems. By having the most up-to-date automation we can optimize how our buildings operate, from adjusting temperature controls based on outside conditions to turning off equipment when it is not needed. Q: What about recycling on campus? A: We are still working on benchmarking this area and have found it challenging to obtain accurate data due to the size of campus operations. Therefore, one of our first initiatives is to enlist students to help map waste stations around campus so we can chart the flow of waste leaving campus. We are also assessing the different types of waste streams, from hazardous waste from labs to construction waste from building renovations and used sports gear from the athletic department. Our aim is to identify all waste streams and find ways to divert as much as possible from landfills. Finally, we’re also looking at expanding the compost program at the Towers Café, a residential dining hall, with a pilot program this fall to divert post-consumer food waste as well as educate students on reducing overconsumption. Q: How are you addressing stormwater runoff management? A: Stormwater management is a significant issue in Midtown, where urban flooding has occurred. It’s a priority for us and our neighbors to explore ways to reduce runoff and prevent future flooding events. One of our major initiatives is to reduce hardscape and install more bioswales on campus as well as plant more trees and native vegetation. This will help reduce runoff and absorb more water onsite. A couple of examples of the progress we have made include installing permeable pavers on Anthony Wayne Drive in front of the residence hall as well as annual tree planting volunteer events with the Green Warrior student organization and our grounds crew. Q: What are the sustainable practices unique to the urban built environment? A: Being in an urban environment has its advantages. We have access to public transportation, and students and faculty can easily walk or bike to local amenities, which reduces fossil fuel emissions and the immense energy and materials needed to build private vehicles. However, challenges like air quality and urban heat islands also exist, but our campus has over 2,000 trees to help combat these issues, and we’ve been recognized as a Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation, which we are very proud of. Our goal is to serve as a model for urban sustainability for other organizations and institutions of higher education. Q: How are students, faculty, and staff involved in sustainability efforts at Wayne State? A: Students are heavily involved. In addition to the Green Warriors and compost program, we work with our academic partners to identify
Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation: Tackling Michigan’s Water Challenges
The Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation (MCFI) was created through a partnership between the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University to address diverse freshwater challenges in Southeast Michigan and across the state. Recent initiatives include developing nature-based solutions, promoting regional water planning, and improving stormwater infrastructure in Southeast Michigan, aiming to position the state as a leader in freshwater innovation and economic growth. SBND spoke with Curt Wolf, managing director at the University of Michigan Urban Collaboratory and managing director of MCFI about its projects, challenges, and vision. Q: What inspired the creation of the Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation, and how did it come about? A: The Michigan Center for Freshwater Innovation was conceived through a collaborative effort led by the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University. This initiative aims to tackle Michigan’s freshwater challenges, which vary widely across the state—from excessive water and flooding in some areas to contamination threats and inadequate supplies in others. The MCFI was established to address these complex and diverse issues through a coordinated approach involving multiple stakeholders, including water utilities, community groups, NGOs, practitioners, and state agencies. It is also a way for these institutions to work together to give something back to the great State of Michigan. Q: Is this collaborative approach among institutions unique? A: It is somewhat unique. While there have been various attempts to address water issues in Michigan, the MCFI represents a significant step forward by bringing together an inclusive group of leading academic institutions and regional water stakeholders who can collectively implement real change and bring new and innovative solutions forward. The MCFI’s focus is the entire state of Michigan which has very rural areas but also a number of large cities. The three universities complement each other well as a team. UM is an internationally recognized research institution with often a global focus, MSU is a land grant university with incredible reach throughout the state through its extension network. Wayne State has more of an urban focus with important community ties. All three universities have amazing water research capabilities. The MCFI is much greater than just an academic collaboration, however. Creating an open table where all stakeholders have a voice is critical to solving the types of water problems we’re facing as a region. Q: What are some current projects the MCFI is working on? A: The MCFI is actively involved in several projects. One major focus is climate adaptation and regional resiliency, particularly addressing the impacts of catastrophic flooding, such as the 2021 events that affected thousands of homes in SE Michigan. The center is working on near-term solutions and leveraging regional cooperation to look at how we might enhance infrastructure, think outside the box, and address water stressors. One such project, funded by the Erb Family Foundation, is a groundbreaking project that aims to revolutionize stormwater management in Southeast Michigan. The team will identify barriers to regional stormwater cooperation and develop innovative solutions to better manage the impacts of extreme rain events and climate variability. By focusing on the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) wastewater service area in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties, the project seeks to optimize existing water infrastructure assets through regional coordination. This approach could potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investment and operational costs while improving flood control and water quality in major watersheds. The project involves extensive collaboration with local authorities, community engagement, and the exploration of successful regional stormwater cooperation models from other areas. The findings could pave the way for more efficient and cost-effective stormwater management strategies, benefiting both the environment and residents of SE Michigan. Another project, funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), seeks to integrate large-scale Nature-Based (green) Solutions (NBS) with existing infrastructure (gray) to mitigate flooding and enhance ecological resilience. This project will develop a comprehensive strategy for the adaption of NBS on a regional scale leveraging land assets for water storage, restoring habitats, and promoting climate justice. By engaging local stakeholders and employing advanced modeling techniques, the project aims to develop a scalable and transferable framework for sustainable stormwater management. This effort is expected to improve community resilience, protect critical infrastructure, and provide significant benefits to fish and wildlife habitats, while also fostering socio-economic growth through enhanced property values and reduced flood insurance costs. Additionally, MCFI completed a project for the State of Michigan providing recommendations for promoting regional planning of water infrastructure throughout the state. The study, commissioned by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), identified opportunities for shared services, incentives for cooperation, and barriers that prevent public water supplies from serving areas outside their current boundaries. The research team conducted interviews, roundtable discussions, and technical analyses to gather insights from water system managers, local officials, and other stakeholders across the state. Findings and recommendations provided informed EGLE’s efforts to ensure equitable water infrastructure investments that provide high-quality drinking water at the lowest cost, in line with Governor Whitmer’s 2021 executive directive on safe drinking water. Q: What are the main water stressors facing the region? A: The region faces multiple water stressors, including aging infrastructure, climate change impacts, legacy industrial contamination, emerging contaminants (PFAS, microplastics, etc.), and regional growth impacts. Climate change is impacting Michigan in different ways than other parts of the country such as the Southwest. We are experiencing increased precipitation with more intense and sometimes highly localized storms. We have more water to manage than ever before. The region’s water systems, some of which are nearly 150 years old, were developed incrementally over time, adding to the complexity of addressing modern challenges. At the same time, there are portions of the state where groundwater resources are stressed, particularly in central areas of the state. Michiganders sometimes feel that we have unlimited water sources and that isn’t always the case. Q: What are the barriers to improving water management, and how can they be overcome? A: There are a
Tony Reames Returns to U-M to Lead SEAS Detroit Sustainability Clinic
For two-plus years, Dr. Tony G. Reames was a Biden-Harris Administration presidential appointee, working in energy justice. Most recently he served as the Principal Deputy Director for the Office of State and Community Energy Programs at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Now, he returns to the University of Michigan – where had worked as a research fellow – becoming the Tishman Professor of Environmental Justice and serving as the new Director of the School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Detroit Sustainability Clinic. Through support from the Kresge Foundation, the clinic was founded in 2021 to build long-term capacity and partnership in Detroit, and to connect residents, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and city government to its resources. Reames sat down with SBN Detroit to discuss this new role, the work of the clinic, and how it involves and impacts businesses in Southeast Michigan. Q: What is the impetus behind the clinic? A: The Detroit Sustainability Clinic came into existence based on the recognition that the several faculty in the School for Environment and Sustainability had projects with community-based organizations, government, and business partners in the city that we were approaching in silos. Operating together as a clinic allows us to more cohesively engage with community partners and approach these projects in a more efficient and effective way. Our mission is to be a hub for advancing sustainability and climate action in an equitable and just way. We want to foster long-term relationships with community-based organizations, local governments, and businesses in Detroit to support their sustainability and climate efforts from ideation to implementation. Q: What differentiates the work the clinic does from that of other national or local initiatives in the space? A: We want to be both additive and complementary. Also, what is unique about what we provide is that we can bring the full resources of the university to support sustainability and climate action in communities, centered on equity and justice. We have the opportunity to not only use our research and data but to also boost capacity for community-driven efforts through our students and faculty. Q: How does sustainability feature in the work the clinic does? A: Sustainability for me is recognizing the social, environmental, and economic impacts of the current climate crisis and how we use the research, teaching, and other resources of the University in deep collaboration with our community partners to support a community’s long-term existence. It’s the triple bottom line. We bring these aspects together to help communities with solutions-driven planning and implementation Q: Given the focus on Detroit communities, how does the Detroit Sustainability Action Agenda feature in the work the clinic is doing? A: I participated in planning efforts to develop the city’s Sustainability Action Agenda and Climate Strategy and the Detroit Climate Action Plan. These plans are the foundation for the areas of focus for the clinic. The Detroit Office of Sustainability is a clinic partner, and we have funding to work with the city to implement its climate strategy and Blight to Beauty Initiative. Supporting local sustainability and climate action is the core of what we do. As the clinic expands, I look forward to working with other local governments in Southeast Michigan to create and implement their sustainability and climate action plans. Q: How do you plan to involve and work with businesses in Detroit? A: I’ve been working with folks in Detroit for about ten years and the ingenuity in this city stands out. I’ve spent a good amount of time with entrepreneurs and start-ups that are working on new technology and other ways to help households operate more sustainably. I see the clinic acting as a conduit between businesses that have these technical solutions and communities that need these solutions. As a university, we also have this amazing opportunity to develop the next generation of the sustainability and climate workforce. Q: How do you think that impacts businesses in Southeast Michigan? A: I believe that exposing students to real-world challenges makes them better employees for the business and organizations they’ll go to work for. And I think that students who get involved with businesses and projects in Detroit are more likely to remain in Detroit and continue working here post-graduation. I’ve seen it happen. Once a student is exposed to the issues and opportunities here and has made a professional connection, they are more likely to join the workforce locally versus moving out of state. Q: What is the role of businesses in the community work you do? A: Both residents and businesses make up a community so it’s all interconnected. Businesses support residential neighborhoods and vice-versa, so our approach is place-based, taking into account how the community operates and interacts as a whole. Also, when we think about the growth in different sectors in Southeast Michigan such as landscape architects focused on natural solutions to flooding, engineers working on the next iteration of mobility that eliminates pollution, or those developing a future where all housing is affordable and net zero energy, there is an ecosystem that must connect our greatest challenges to resources and solutions. And that is happening here. Businesses that can tap into this ecosystem and be a part of it will be the most successful businesses going forward. Q: How do you think you can help develop and support this ecosystem in your new role? A: I recently spent 2.5 years at the U.S. Department of Energy focused on designing federal programs with equity and justice at the core, and that’s one of the reasons I’m excited to move forward in this role. We have an unprecedented opportunity to move the needle on this. Businesses now have to focus on equity in order to access much of the current federal and state funding, and they have to meaningfully engage with the community as well. This is an exciting time! We are all starting to speak the same language. I’m optimistic, because I believe the way businesses, communities, and government are now addressing sustainability and
Working to Sequester Carbon Within Urban Wood
According to Tiffany Giacobazzi, Ann Arbor urban forestry & natural resources planning coordinator the Ann Arbor Forestry Department, the city of Ann Arbor loses about 600 trees per year. This reduces its carbon storage capacity dramatically. Much of the loss sits within furniture-grade urban lumber, meaning the trees can be repurposed for furniture or other long-lived urban wood goods that aid in sequestering carbon, versus being used for mulch or firewood or being diverted to landfills. Ann Arbor has partnered with Urban Ashes to implement its Circular UrbanWood Triconomy™ (CUT Model™). This model is meant to ensure that logs are put to their highest and best use to sequester as much carbon as possible. SBN Detroit spoke with Paul Hickman, Urban Ashes founder, CEO, and principal designer, and Tiffany Giacobazzi, Ann Arbor urban forestry & natural resources planning coordinator, to find out more. Q: What is Urban Ashes, and how did this program with Ann Arbor come to be? Hickman: I will provide a little background here for context because Urban Ashes has gone through a bit of an evolution. Initially, it started with a major career change for me by taking a job in California with one of the first sustainable lumber companies in the world. I eventually moved back to Michigan and started the original Urban Wood Project with three others in the early 2000s in response to the infestation of the emerald ash borer to help utilize trees beyond mulch, which was the most common response for the disposal of ash trees then and now. That was the impetus, but it immediately expanded to include all fallen urban trees and into Urban Ashes. Urban Ashes grew to sell to over 250 retail partners across 43 states over ten years, repurposing hundreds of tons of lumber into picture frames, furniture, and other items. From the beginning, our focus was also to work with formerly incarcerated individuals as a labor force, and that remains a strong component of the Urban Ashes business model today. Over time, the lack of wraparound (support) services (for workers) took a heavy toll, and eventually, we shifted entirely, shut down our manufacturing, and decided we needed to focus on building the infrastructure to develop the supply chain more thoroughly and consistently and grow the markets for utilization as well as develop the critically needed wraparound services needed for our target labor pool. So, we partnered with NextCycle Michigan and went through their FLOWS track which led to an EGLE grant. Then came the vision for the Circular UrbanWood Triconomy™. We were fortunate enough to work with the University of Michigan graduate students for 18 months to validate the viability of the model, and beginning in 2021, we have piloted it with the city of Ann Arbor. Q: How and why did the city of Ann Arbor come to change the way it processes trees and work with Urban Ashes? Giacobazzi: As the city has shifted with its sustainability goals and A2Zero plan, we started to look at how we could divert more out of the waste stream. We wanted to achieve the highest best use for materials that come out of the urban forest. So, we connected with Urban Ashes and partnered on this project. I have support all up and down the line from city administration which is really important. We are fundamentally changing the way we are dealing with urban wood and our urban forest so we must all be in support of this new process. Q: What does this program involve? Hickman: For years, all fallen urban trees in Ann Arbor (as is the case with most cities) were used for mulch or firewood. Accordingly, Ann Arbor loses approximately 1,111 metric tons of carbon every year and we were able to show them that by implementing the CUT Model™, we can capture upwards of 700 metric tons of that 1,111 and keep it in use and sequestered. The process involves cutting the trees down in a way that holds the most carbon and is best suited for the mills. The process also involves setting up the mills, facilities, contracts, and tracking methods, and then implementing everything. So, that is the work that Urban Ashes has been doing. Q: What do you, as the Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Planner, hope to achieve through Circular UrbanWood Triconomy™? Giacobazzi: I want to make sure the trees and lumber that have to come out in Ann Arbor go to the best use possible. I want it diverted from the waste stream and we are looking to lock up the carbon for as long as possible. We put such time and effort and thought into the development, care, and maintenance of our urban forest, it seems that the next natural best step is to complete the lifecycle of these trees and extend the usefulness of the trees once they die or have to come out. Q: In what ways has the lumber from Ann Arbor been repurposed? Hickman: Typically, the lumber goes to mills to be cut into slabs or dimensional lumber, kiln-dried, and processed, and then is sold as raw lumber to manufacturing or local woodworkers. The wood is then used for items such as furniture, frames, ceiling/wall cladding, flooring, household trim packages, decorative pieces, and more. Q: What other cities are you working with? Hickman: We are farthest along with Ann Arbor. But we are also working with Grand Rapids and are in talks with Detroit, Lansing, Traverse City, and several others outside of Michigan. In terms of businesses, we are working with a startup through Centrepolis called Lily Pad Labs out of Holland, Mich., to provide urban black locust for decking and tables for their autonomous electric boats. We are also working in conjunction with Centrepolis to help bring Daika Wood’s game-changing urban wood waste processes and products to Michigan. These are a few of the things we have happening at the moment. Q; In what ways do you think Urban
Sustainability Business Network Detroit, One Year In
Sustainable Business Network Detroit was formed a year ago out of a study conducted by Erb Family Foundation and is helmed by Terry Barclay, chair, SBN Detroit, and CEO Inforum; Neil Hawkins, president of Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation; and Cindy Goodaker, VP, signature programs and communications, Inforum, along with a distinguished list of organizing members steeped in the sustainability community of Southeast Michigan. The group’s goal is to create a sustainable business ecosystem by convening a network serving as a hub for idea-sharing, programming, content, mentoring, and more – to accelerate the systemic adoption of sustainable business practices in Southeast Michigan. The primary belief is that business is a positive force for change and can and should be used as a force for good. For the past twelve months, the network has worked toward three core pillars; advancing and amplifying sustainable business practices in a centralized hub; creating urgency to activate; and articulating a sustainable way forward for the region. Here, Neil Hawkins shares his viewpoint and insights on the progress the network has made this year and the vision for the future. What is the impetus behind SBN Detroit? How did the idea arise and how was it developed? I’ve been involved with sustainability as it relates to businesses for some time and worked for Dow as their chief sustainability officer. Subsequently, Fred and Barbara Erb established the Erb Institute for Sustainable Global Enterprise more than 25 years ago at the University of Michigan. No program like this had existed in the world up until then, and it was very forward-thinking and visionary – the idea that business had a positive role to play in environmental sustainability. I came to the Erb Family Foundation as the president four years ago and at that time, we commissioned a study done by Sarah McCall – now working as SBN Detroit administrator – of what needed to be done to accelerate progress in sustainability within the region. That research was the impetus behind starting a network that would accelerate sustainability through business collaboration and progress – SBN Detroit. How do SBN Detroit’s three pillars work together to achieve its mission of mobilizing businesses and organizations to make Southeast Michigan a global leader in sustainability? Fundamentally the pillars are in place to help break down the barriers – silos. There are too many silos that exist in the region, and they prevent progress. These are silos between companies and across different-sized companies, and between companies and non-profits etc. All of those together are a barrier to making faster progress. These three areas of focus – urgency, centralization, and looking forward – are helping to tear down these silos and promote collaboration. The second statement was a fragment as written. I think it’s supposed to say: These three areas of focus – urgency, centralization, and looking forward – are helping to tear down these silos and promote collaboration. (I’m not sure my edits made that clear) A year in, what impact do you think SBN Detroit has made and is making? What is its greatest success so far? I think SBN Detroit has helped to completely change the level of dialogue within the region about sustainable business practices. I see it as a ‘before SBN Detroit and after SBN Detroit.’ We are seeing new collaboration and a lot more discussion about how we can work together to move forward, and we are seeing it on a completely different level. What specifically do you attribute this to? I think our biggest success in the last twelve months is the March 2022 event we had featuring Dr. Katharine Hayhoe on improving the dialogue about climate change. It was a remarkable event, and the timing was such that it was many people’s first foray into a public space since COVID had begun. The narrative of the event coupled with the interaction among people with like minds and like interests sparked renewed energy toward our collective goals. I also attribute our success to our steering team. I thank them for laying out a strategy and faithfully bringing people together. If the steering team works well together – and it has – we have a good shot at having continued success. What is the importance of collaboration when it comes to sustainability in this region? It is only going to be through collaboration that our region and ecosystem reach their full potential. SBN Detroit is focused on accelerating collaboration by creating opportunities for dialogue and action. We’ve accomplished this, and I see the fruits of it already. Excellent groundwork has been laid. What are your thoughts on SBN Detroit as a network? I think SBN Detroit represents many networks and is not a single network. This is still playing out a bit, and it’s a good thing. As long as we can keep companies and nonprofits and different universities and institutions involved and collaborating and working together that’s a great thing. What do you see as the primary obstacles to network formation, and how can they be overcome? The key obstacle is competition – competition between businesses, between businesses and nonprofits, between nonprofits and universities, between universities and other universities, and so on. The key thing we all have to focus on is that this is not a zero-sum game. By collaborating we make the pie bigger for everyone. There is growth here to be had and a lot of investment to come. We can all share in that growth if we are working together. This will position metro Detroit well. What do you see as the corporate-level impact of SBN Detroit? Having come from corporate, what I see through SBN Detroit is a renewed sense of group action and focus on the region, the Great Lakes, and the planet. Pre-COVID some silos existed, and then you throw in a pandemic that forces people to not even go into their workplace, and it is significantly exacerbated. We have started to create a sense of urgency and
University of Michigan President Santa Ono Expands on Sustainability Agenda at SBND event
University of Michigan President Santa Ono has put sustainability and fighting climate change among his top priorities since he assumed the position in October. In addition to several programs and initiatives that are being expanded or developed, the university is now serving as the lead institution for the University Climate Change Coalition which convenes 23 leading North American universities to work toward climate action on campuses, in communities, and at a global scale. Ono spoke about his sustainability agenda for UofM at an April 5 luncheon attended by more than 250 stakeholders and business and organization leaders. The event was sponsored by the Erb Institute and hosted by the Sustainable Business Network Detroit and Inforum. Tom Lyon, faculty director at the Erb Institute, kicked off the event by saying, “As we build toward expertise on sustainability the challenge is to think globally and act locally together, and the state, the universities, businesses, and all sectors have to be involved.” John M. Erb, Erb Family Foundation chair, echoed that sentiment commenting, “We are all important stakeholders in balancing the needs of the people, planet, and economy and working toward a more sustainable future.” Working together and the need to connect the dots toward saving the planet were primary themes. Each of us is indispensable in responding to and resolving the biggest challenge our society has ever faced and solving this emergency transcends borders, Ono said. We need to come together in the form of a nexus to benefit us and all who follow us on this planet. Ono said the university benefits from strength in numbers with 800+ sustainability faculty members, 100+ student organizations, and 8,000 Planet Blue Ambassadors. He gave a special nod to students, saying, “Their passion has wowed me, and I have found that many times it’s the students who (first) identify and develop solutions.” Some of UofM’s sustainability priorities include moving to 100% renewable purchased power by 2025, building on-campus solar installations with a capacity of 25 megawatts across the Dearborn, Flint, and Ann Arbor campuses – including Michigan Medicine and athletics – and achieving LEED Platinum status for all buildings. Ono talked about the university’s historic ties with the city of Detroit and its responsibility toward it. “The university was established in 1817 at Cadillac Square in Detroit, and Mayor Duggan took me there saying that we have a great responsibility to the city, and he’s right.” On March 6, the university announced new commitments for the $250 million University of Michigan Center for Innovation, previously known as the Detroit Center for Innovation. The project is a collaboration with Stephen Ross, chairman and majority owner of Related Companies, and the Ilitch family. Ono noted that the center will accommodate academic and community programs to include three distinct types of activity—graduate education, talent-based community development, and community engagement—all in the service of economic development and job growth for Detroit. In the spirit of collaboration, Ono also pointed out that there were people attending the event from other Michigan universities and applauded this, saying, “We have our competition on the fields and courts, but getting closer to other Michigan educational institutions is very important to UofM. We need MSU to make advances in agritech, and Wayne State University is a critical component to making advances in the city. We all need to work together and we are starting to do more of that now.” Following his speech, Telva McGruder, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for General Motors Co. and member of the advisory board for the UofM School for Environment and Sustainability, moderated a Q&A. Below are some of the key questions and takeaways. McGruder: What is your top priority as president of the University of Michigan? Ono: Addressing climate change. I’ve been very vocal that this is my number one priority. Michigan has to be a leader here. And that is the wish of the collective voices of the university as well. Students are actually pushing me, and I appreciate that so much. I have told them to hold my feet to the fire. McGruder: Regarding the notion of connecting the dots, how do you as a university leader – and how do leaders in other organizations – bring expertise together for progress? Ono: I think the different pieces of the puzzle that exist illustrate opportunity. One part of the secret sauce at UofM is that each director has the autonomy to dream and be bold. Now, we need to collaborate and form connections around these ideas. The faculty and leadership and students have wowed me with their collaborative spirit. McGruder: How can companies and organizations around the state connect with the efforts of the university? Ono: We are working on making a “front door” more clear. We are going to invest and Identify someone to knit it together and act as the gatekeeper to reduce the barrier to communication inside and outside the university. McGruder: Progress sometimes means people changing ways of doing things and letting go so that we can move forward. What are your thoughts as we move forward toward carbon neutrality on some of the things we have to encourage communities to let go of? Ono: It goes both ways. Trust is a critical point. Leaders have to earn trust. We as a university have to go into communities knowing that we have as much to learn from them as they do from us. We as a university have made mistakes along the way, and so have other institutions and companies. Addressing that truthfully is a prerequisite to going into communities and working together. McGruder: When it comes to funding, how do we help decision-makers and leaders within all sectors understand the need to spend on sustainability efforts? Ono: Addressing the climate crisis is not a bottom-line budget issue it’s a social responsibility. And what is the point of a strong financial standpoint if there’s no planet to exist on? A recording of the complete program can be found here: https://vimeo.com/815068547 Be sure
Helping Detroiters Create New Businesses for a More Equitable World
Jerry Davis, Gilbert & Ruth Whitaker Professor of Management and faculty director of Business+Impact at the Michigan Ross School of Business, believes that with more available government funding than in the past, more entrepreneurs and businesses in Detroit are in a position to build equitable community wealth. Davis, who received his Ph.D. from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and taught at Northwestern and Columbia before moving to the University of Michigan, has published six books and dozens of articles in academic and business publications. His latest book is Taming Corporate Power in the 21st Century (Cambridge University Press, 2022). His focus is reshaping and developing businesses to be drivers of social and environmental change. SBN Detroit spoke to Davis about his perspectives, the new graduate-level class, and what it ultimately means to Detroit businesses. Q: Tell us about your concept of reshaping businesses into drivers of change. A: I think there are two ways we can orient businesses toward a more equitable sustainable future. First, we can take an existing business and reform it from the inside. This is often done by intrapreneurs. Second, we can create new enterprises that are built right from the start. My overall concept is that businesses can address bigger challenges than just shareholder value through reform or fresh starts. There are so many new building blocks available to businesses today that we can leverage to not only make money but also to begin to address the racial wealth gap, generational inequality, and the green energy transition. Q: What do you mean by building blocks? A: Technology has fundamentally changed the building blocks for creating an enterprise in the last fifteen years. There are dozens of new ways to raise capital that didn’t exist ten to fifteen years ago. There are new ways to find distribution channels, new ways to work with suppliers and labor, new legal formats, and the list goes on. Q: How do the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals inform your work? A: Since the inception of the Sustainability Development Goals in 2015, I’ve used them as a GPS of sorts for orienting what businesses can do to contribute to social benefit. I’ve integrated this into my teaching and writing and research. Drilling down …If you had to pick one threat we are facing on a global basis that businesses can work better to address – and that creates business opportunities – it’s the green energy transition. This is the thing in our generation that we need to accomplish starting today. And it’s impossible to address it with government action only. There is a central role for businesses to play in bringing about this transition. And with the Inflation Reduction Act and Justice40 in place, there is no better opportunity to build green enterprises than right now. Q: What are some of the opportunities provided by the Inflation Reduction Act? A: As I said, the need for the green energy transition has never been greater. It is imperative for our species. At the same time, we have the Biden-Harris administration launching the IRA, which creates huge incentives to electrify and transition to green energy. There is an astounding amount of money being allocated to homeowners and renters and drivers to help make this transition. You can simply go online and see the offerings – switching from a gas furnace to a heat pump offers free cash. There are huge tax benefits to electric vehicle owners. And low-income brackets receive even more benefits. I highly recommend the “Rewiring America” website. From a business perspective, this is an opportunity like never before. Businesses that provide services around transitioning to green energy stand to prosper greatly through this funding. These opportunities represent a chance to build generational wealth. Q: Can you explain more about how the act supports generational-wealth building? A: Detroit has been hit hard in several ways … the mortgage crisis, residential flight, municipal bankruptcy, and the list goes on. These have robbed people of opportunities to create prosperity for themselves and their families. So, this funding represents an especially well-placed opportunity for cities like Detroit. According to the White House, the Justice40 initiative means that “40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution.” That includes “climate change, clean energy, and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation and reduction of legacy pollution, and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure.” When you combine the IRA and Justice40, it opens the spigot for cash allocated toward environmental initiatives. So again, the opportunity to start a new business and build community wealth has never been greater than it is right now. This is the impetus behind a new graduate class starting this week called “Impact Studio: Designing the Equitable Enterprise” that I am teaching with my co-instructor Cat Johnson. Q: Tell us more about the class and how you see it impacting both the students and local businesses. A: The class focuses on how to use the new building blocks of business to create enterprises in Detroit that will facilitate the green energy transition. Students will interview dozens of Detroit businesses and members of the community to better understand the needs and pain points around energy. They will then map out the opportunities. For example, let’s say a building contractor is looking to use heat pumps but can’t find someone with the skill to install them, or can’t find a vendor for them. This represents an opportunity. Maybe a college can create training programs for installation. Or find incentives to make heat pumps more widely available. They will then go on to create what I call template business models – plausible, economically sustainable models that are replicable – and a set of how-to guides. The how-to guides will translate into plain English the ways in which entrepreneurs and communities can build on the IRA and the new building blocks of
