Posts

Is There a Social Innovation LL.M?

While in social innovation exploration mode, last month I reported back from an interesting conference on sustainable enterprise, in which we learned a few key buzzwords in the field.  One was the “Green MBA“—with special focus on triple bottom line accounting.

Which makes me wonder, is there a parallel “social innovation” LL.M course of study?
An LL.M is a postgraduate law degree (a Masters in Law) that is typically a one-year, full-time program. It is often pursued to specialize in an area of law. For example there are LL.M programs in taxation, environmental law, international law, and intellectual property.
With legislative innovations such as the benefit corporation and B corporation gaining traction, it seems that it would be useful and helpful to have attorneys who specialize in this emerging field.  Four pioneering states have already passed benefit corporation legislation. In California, the benefit corporation bill (AB 361) passed a vote in the state assembly 58 to 17, and New York’s benefit corporation legislation (A4692-A/Silver) is heading to the governor’s desk…With the connection between social innovation and law becoming a little more foreseeable than Mrs. Helen Palsgraf and harm caused by an ill-fated newspaper-wrapped package, it is food for thought to consider what tools and methods law students and attorneys have to study this subject further.

It would be great to hear feedback on any programs you know of, you can also find Innov8Social on Facebook and connect on this topic there.

 

/0 Comments/by

5 Buzzwords to Know in Social Enterprise

When delving into any field there is often special field-specific terminology that helps define and explain core concepts and ideas. Sustainable enterprise is no different. While attending the Sustainable Enterprise Conference I came across a few industry-specific buzzwords related to social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, and social innovation that were mentioned throughout the day. Here’s a rundown:

1. Triple Bottom Line

The “bottom line” for a company generally refers to profits. Triple bottom line results encompass people, planet, and profits (it is also called TBL or 3BL). It is the key performance indicator (KPI) for assessing a company’s success in the social enterprise context. The term, in fact, has been adopted by the United Nations as well as other organized bodies focused on sustainability. It calls for companies and organizations to focus on various affected stakeholders (social, environmental, financial) rather than solely the shareholders. Learn more about the Triple Bottom Line on Wikipedia, including supporting arguments and criticisms of the term.


2. Greenwashing

Greenwashing refers to the misleading or deceptive advertising or spin on products and services that make them appear to be environmentally-responsible when they may not be, or more environmentally-friendly than they actually are. Though there do not seem to be universal guidelines to determine the true “green” factor for a business, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has identified voluntary guidelines for environmental marketing claims. Greenpeace also outlines criteria for spotting “greenwash”.

 

3. Carbon Off-Setting

Carbon offsets refer to investments/donations to environmental projects and initiatives for the purpose of offsetting unavoidable carbon emissions. Products or services that label themselves as “carbon neutral” often take a two-step approach: 1) reduce their own carbon emissions (reducing waste, recycling, reusing, conserving); and 2) offset unavoidable emissions by funding initiatives that reduce greenhouse gases. The CORE Initiative website offers insight on identifying the “most influential” carbon offset programs.

 

4. AB 361

AB 361 is the title of the legislation being proposed in California to create an official “benefit corporation” corporate structure. The proposed benefit corporation would be a voluntary structure that would enable CA corporations to pursue triple bottom line goals. AB 361 was introduced by CA Assemblymember Jared Huffman.

 

5. Green MBA

Green MBA refers to graduate business management programs that examine in-depth the triple bottom line reporting and the complex interconnectivities between issues of business, environment, sustainability, management, conservation, and social justice. Two premier schools offering Green MBA’s represented at the Sustainable Enterprise Conference were Presidio Graduate School and Dominican University of California.

Read More:

/2 Comments/by