Bethany Patten

Faculty

Bethany Patten

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About

Centers & Initiatives

Bethany Patten is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Policy and Engagement, Sustainability at the MIT Sloan School of Management. Her interests intersect at the crossroads of corporate and public policy, with a focus on environmental and social issues. She focuses on applying business practice theory to solve real-world challenges.

As an experienced operational leader, Bethany develops relationships with public and private sector organizations, identifying the sustainability-related challenges they face. Through those engagements, she develops learning curriculum for master’s-levels students, and teaches course sessions focused on problem formulation, continuous improvement, and change management for sustainability.

She is responsible for the growth and quality of MIT Sloan’s Sustainability Certificate and other programming for students pursuing careers of environmental and social impact. She leads the Sustainability Initiative’s efforts to accelerate the move toward evidence-based climate policy. Bethany has been an active contributor across MIT, where she serves on the Vice President for Research’s Climate Action Advisory Committee, has directed the MIT Sustainability Summit, and has led several projects on campus aimed at reducing waste.

Outside of MIT, Bethany is board member and treasurer for the Environmental League of Massachusetts, and served as president of Boston’s Bay Village Neighborhood Association. Prior to MIT, Bethany worked for more than a decade in business and financial operations in the book publishing industry.

Publications

"​Is It Easy Being Green?: MIT Sloan Considers the Opportunities and Threats of Sustainable Building."

John D. Sterman, Ankita Kaulberg and Bethany Patten. In Case Study: MIT Sloan School Management Learning Edge, Cambridge, MA: 2020.

Recent Insights

MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative

Hitting home: the mayor who thinks globally and acts locally using En-ROADS

Mayor Miro Weinberger of Burlington, VT is showing how the En-ROADS climate solution simulator—a global model—can be useful to decision-makers at the local level.

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Alumni

Simulations to Predict Climate Change

Created with Climate Interactive, a nonprofit think tank, En-ROADS shows which policies will have the most effective and decisive impact on global warming and the climate crisis.

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Media Highlights

Executive Education

Executive Education Course

Business Sustainability Strategy

For many companies, the topic of sustainability is at the forefront of business agendas. Consumers and stakeholders are demanding greater accountability from organizations, and the regulatory environment is becoming increasingly stringent. However, pursuing the environmental, social, and governance impacts of business is often met with tension. Leaders now need to manage the misconception within business that meeting sustainability goals means compromising profits.

  • Oct 4-Nov 21, 2023
  • Jul 26-Sep 12, 2023
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