Yale at GreenBiz 2025: Navigating the Future of Corporate Sustainability

by Josh Hernandez and Karly Beaumont 

In early February, seven students from the Yale School of the Environment (YSE) and School of Management (SOM) descended on the desert of Phoenix for GreenBiz 25. Over 3,000 sustainability professionals, corporate leaders, and innovators converged for two and a half days of discussion on the evolving role of business in tackling climate change. The conference offered a dynamic mix of panels, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to equip attendees with the latest insights and strategies for accelerating corporate sustainability efforts.  

Yale students made the most of their time at GreenBiz ‘25. Lucia Castellares (YSE ‘25) represented YSE as a GreenBiz Emerging Leader, an honor that emphasizes the importance of diverse voices in shaping the future of sustainability. Current Yale students strengthened connections with alumni during the YSE & SOM breakfast gathering, which provided a meaningful space to discuss career trajectories, industry trends, and shared experiences. 

There was consensus among GreenBiz attendees that:

• Regulatory headwinds would add a layer of complexity to corporate sustainability efforts.
• Compounded with the already challenging tasks of decarbonization, circularity, and adaptation, it would be fair to grow despondent over the road ahead. Yet listening to the outcomes of amazing projects and tools, along with the leadership of many speakers, sparked a further drive to demonstrate the business value of sustainability.
• The conference reaffirmed that while the road ahead is challenging, the collective effort of dedicated professionals, organizations, and changemakers will be what ultimately moves the needle toward a more just and sustainable future.
• The conference reinforced the crucial role of optimism and collective action in driving meaningful change.