The Environmental Finance & Risk Management program seeks to meet our most pressing environmental challenges by applying advanced financial modeling and data analytics to the variety of environmental data that policymakers rely on for environmental resilience and adaptation strategies. It is based on the rationale that spending money is required for large-scale human-driven environmental change (e.g. land development, resource extraction and harvesting, manufacturing, distribution, disposal, cleanup, restoration). Human actions as financial transactions are essential, since "conservation without finance is just conversation." Integrating finance and natural systems can be achieved by linking financial theory and innovations to environmental sciences.
This program will support emerging research involving risk management, resilience, sustainability and coupled systems. It will also emphasize environment-linked finance's relevance to a growing number of exciting commercial and policy applications. Our approach advances a holistic viewpoint that identifies key interrelationships between finance and the human dimensions of environmental change.
The program will offer new classes and concentrations for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as a graduate certificate. It's research and academic offerings are complemented by significant outreach to local, state, and federal governments in the hopes of providing support to policymakers and opportunities for students to have a positive impact on our environment.