About the Institute

Definition of Terms Global relating to the whole world considering all parts of a situation or subject Sustainable causing little or no damage to the natural environment able to continue over a long period of time Enterprise an organization or a difficult and important plan eagerness to do something new and clever

Created in 1996 through the generosity of Frederick A. Erb (BBA ’47) and his wife, Barbara, the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise is a 50-50 partnership between the School of Natural Resources and Environment and the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.

The Institute fosters professional education, public outreach and scientific scholarship supportive of the transition to sustainability – that is, meeting the fundamental needs of a growing human population in an equitable manner within the means of nature.

The Work of the Institute

• Focuses on advancing understanding of the complex dynamics of coupled human and natural systems in relation to economic activity;
• Promotes an interdisciplinary approach integrating the natural, social and engineering sciences;
• Links knowledge generation with social action by connecting scholars with practitioners in the search for creative strategies and approaches to transformation; and
• Relies on a strong collaborative network, both internally and externally, to accomplish its objectives.