Considering a sustainable scheduling problem for the single machine system in which the machine can switch between the processes of two jobs, a mathematical programming model is formulated with the goal to minimize carbon emissions. In the model, the job plan and the machine's switch plan are made simultaneously. Using the dynamic programming algorithm to analyze the model, we propose an optimality conditions of the stage decision and design an exact algorithm. Two simulation examples and an industrial case are given to illustrate that the sustainable scheduling method can significantly reduce the carbon emission in the process of production.