Aiming for Zero

Montgomery County, Maryland declared a climate emergency in 2017 and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2027 and 100% by 2035. The county says its climate goals are among the most ambitious in the nation.

Smith Business Consulting (SBC), the newest initiative from the business school’s Office of Experiential Learning, is collaborating with Montgomery County to work toward zero emissions.

SBC is a faculty-coached program in which senior undergraduate students, MBA and other master’s students learn by doing as they provide pro-bono consulting services.

During the spring semester, five graduate students gathered metrics they found key to reaching the county’s sustainability targets. Among them: further reducing vehicle emissions, building energy use and tree coverage.

“Tackling the grand challenges of our time by partnering to advance the public good through reimagining learning, covers three of Smith’s four strategic pillars,” says OEL Executive Director Nima Farshchi. “This collaboration with Montgomery County didn’t just benefit the students who were involved—the community stands to gain from it too.”

This consulting project is in lockstep with Social Impact at Smith, an initiative from Dean Prabhudev Konana. It’s aimed at giving the next generation of business leaders the tools to positively impact society and the planet.