​Sustainability is defined as finding ways to meet the needs of humans in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs, while preserving and without irreversibly damaging the planet and its natural systems.
 
The division will expose students to the variety of connections between society and the environment, lay the foundations for understanding local and global environmental processes, and impart knowledge about public policy tools and the means available to environmental policy makers to intervene in markets at the global, and local levels.​