Stanford Root

Schedule

Stanford Root

Schedule

SUSTAIN 170A

Scaling Sustainability Solutions (SUSTAIN 370A)

UNITS:3
GRADING:Letter (ABCD/NP)
LEVEL:Undergrad
GER:—

SDSS launched a new course in the Fall of 2024: "Scaling Solutions for Sustainability." We are expanding this course in AY 2025-2026. This is not just a theory class; it's a behind-the-scenes look at how big ideas become global realities. This interdisciplinary course examines pathways to scale solutions for sustainability so that they reach planetary scale. Specifically, the course will "look back" at three scale-ups: (1) nuclear fission (2) solar and (3) batteries. In all three examples, you will see how science, technology, commercialization, and government policies came together to deliver the solution to the whole planet. The course also examines one of the most successful environmental interventions in history - the Montreal Protocol - and how global policy eliminated chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) at scale. The course is designed to be an immersive learning experience where students interact with some of the most eminent practitioners in these fields. The teaching team and speaker roster includes experienced scientists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from the field.

Syllabus for selected term:
View Autumn 2026 Syllabus

Sections

1 Term
Lecture 1Open
ID: 24014
0 / 60 enrolled
DAYS:Tuesday, Thursday
TIME:4:30 PM – 5:50 PM
LOCATION:Thornton 110
INSTRUCTOR:
Mukherjee, Pulakesh, Chueh, William, Rogers, Matt
3units

SUSTAIN 170A: Scaling Sustainability Solutions (SUSTAIN 370A)

3 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)

SDSS launched a new course in the Fall of 2024: "Scaling Solutions for Sustainability." We are expanding this course in AY 2025-2026. This is not just a theory class; it's a behind-the-scenes look at how big ideas become global realities. This interdisciplinary course examines pathways to scale solutions for sustainability so that they reach planetary scale. Specifically, the course will "look back" at three scale-ups: (1) nuclear fission (2) solar and (3) batteries. In all three examples, you will see how science, technology, commercialization, and government policies came together to deliver the solution to the whole planet. The course also examines one of the most successful environmental interventions in history - the Montreal Protocol - and how global policy eliminated chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) at scale. The course is designed to be an immersive learning experience where students interact with some of the most eminent practitioners in these fields. The teaching team and speaker roster includes experienced scientists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from the field.

Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.

Autumn 2026 sections

  • Lecture — Tuesday Thursday 4:30 PM – 5:50 PM — Thornton 110 — Mukherjee, Pulakesh, Chueh, William, Rogers, Matt (Undergrad)

More SUSTAIN courses

  • SUSTAIN 101D: Sustainable Innovation for Disaster Resilience
  • SUSTAIN 103: Human and Planetary Health (MED 103, PUBLPOL 183, SOC 103)
  • SUSTAIN 119: Living Laboratory for Sustainability at Stanford (SUSTAIN 219)
  • SUSTAIN 120: Leading Organizational Change for Sustainability
  • SUSTAIN 122: Human and Planetary Health in California: Wildfire, Water, Workers and More
  • SUSTAIN 132: SUSTAINABLE SOCIETIES LAB: MODELS OF ISRAELI-ARAB COOPERATION & PATHWAYS TO PEACE (INTNLREL 132, MED 131, POLISCI 119)
  • SUSTAIN 170B: Scaling Sustainability Solutions: Financing Sustainability Solutions (SUSTAIN 370B)
  • SUSTAIN 170C: Scaling Sustainability Solutions : Invention, Innovation, and the Prototype-to-Plant Journey (SUSTAIN 370C)
  • SUSTAIN 213: Policy Practicum: Assessing Whether Fossil Fuel Companies Have Disseminated Disinformation
  • SUSTAIN 219: Living Laboratory for Sustainability at Stanford (SUSTAIN 119)
  • SUSTAIN 345: Global Leaders and Innovators in Human and Planetary Health: Sustainable Societies Lab (HRP 285, MED 285)
  • SUSTAIN 370A: Scaling Sustainability Solutions (SUSTAIN 170A)

All SUSTAIN courses · All departments