| Title | Ms |
| Surname | Tare |
| First Name | Meghna |
| Organisation | University of Texas at Arlington – Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact |
| Role | Founder & Executive Director |
| Introduction | I am the Executive Director for the Institute for Sustainability and Global Impact at the University of Texas at Arlington where I work collaboratively with faculty, staff, the student body and community members to address opportunities to promote sustainability in several areas including greening facility operations, offering programs like bike sharing and car sharing, promoting innovative research, supporting and encouraging student initiatives, implementing an interdisciplinary and sustainability-focused curriculum. I recommend policies and strategies to advance the university’s commitment to being leader in campus sustainability.
I also collaborate with businesses, government agencies, and non-profits in North Texas on various projects including establishing a North Texas Regional Center of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development. I also serve and represent UT Arlington on several Advisory Boards, including the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences, Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and Women Economic Forum. |
| Why am I an OPEN Fellow? | I have been trained by education in Environmental Science and Policy (MS) and Sustainable Business Management (MBA). Being an OPEN fellow is exciting because I see the potential in providing guidance for companies on how they can align their strategies as well as measure and manage their contribution to the realization of the SDGs, as part of their social innovation and CSR strategy. Governments worldwide have already adopted the SDGs through their policy adoption and implementation of various programs. Now it is time for business to take action.
Education has a decisive impact on changes in the way that societies are coping with national, regional, and global challenges and opportunities brought by sustainable development. There is a need for higher education institutions (HEIs) to integrate the principles and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning, to facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship. Institution of Higher Education act as catalysts for sustainability efforts in the cities and region in which they are located, and are unique in that they have an opportunity to influence students, faculty, and staff within but also the community around them. We tap into the “moral imperative,” based on the concept of systems thinking that everything is part of the puzzle, and aim to enhance quality of life by developing more sustainable communities that focus on the natural, built, economic, cultural and social environments. I hope that I can contribute to OPEN by integrating SDGs into business through education, collaboration and sharing of ideas. |
| Areas of expertise | SDGs / sustainable development, Social sustainability issues, Environmental sustainability issues, Economic sustainability issues, Corporate sustainability, Strategy, Innovation, Resource management, Responsible leadership, Governance & Ethics, Organisational behaviour, Change management, Business models, Systems thinking, Science, Operations management, Marketing, Strategic communications, International relations, Foresight |
| My expertise in more detail | My niche is Relation building and collaboration on projects and ideas, and successfully implementing them. I am a big idea person with the ability to apply systems thinking approach to any problem. I have developed expertise in, teaching ( MS program in Sustainability at UTA), strategy, knowledge and implementation of SDGs at a regional level, implementing sustainability policies, Sustainability/GRI reporting, consulting, hosting and collaborating on conferences and symposiums, social media marketing and outreach.
I am an excellent speaker and present at various conferences and summits including a Ted Talk at UT Arlington. My educational background (MBA in Sustainable Management) also gives me a good understanding of Sustainable Business Management. I have experience in applying and integrating SDGs in the local government sustainability programs, and how businesses and corporations can use SDGs for community engagement and CSR efforts. |
| Credentials | http://www.meghnatare.com/ and www.linkedin.com/in/meghnatare |
| Products/Services offered | Developing training/curriculum, hosting conferences and symposium, research and collaboration, branding and marketing, connecting with faculty from the UT system institutions, consulting. |