Network for Business Sustainability (NBS)

Are you interested in the intersection of business and biodiversity? If so, this short course is for you. The #Biodiversity Respectful Leadership Summer School educates leaders on how businesses can integrate biodiversity into their #sustainability strategies and be a part of the solution. The course is a series of 6 webinars which help business practitioners understand biodiversity-related risks and opportunities. It's hosted in collaboration between ABIS - The Academy of Business in Society and Turun yliopisto - University of Turku in Finland. The webinars will run from August 27th until September 12th, every Tuesday and Thursday for 1.5 hours at 16.00 CEST. They will be webcasted from Finland to a global audience. Attend 5 sessions, and earn a certification from University of Turku and ABIS. Sign up now to become a front runner in biodiversity-respectful business! https://lnkd.in/eWs_bgi6 #biodiversityinbusiness #sustainabilityeducation #nature #businesseducation Karolina Sobczak

As professors at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Katrin Heucher and Bjoern Mitzinneck see students’ excitement about sustainability — but also their hesitation about what they can actually achieve. "Students want careers where they can positively impact social and environmental issues, but they are not sure how to set about it. They may struggle to see how conceptual tools and frameworks will be relevant to practice or what careers as sustainability professionals look like." Students are often encouraged to “change companies from the inside,” but ideas of “change” and “agency” within companies can be complicated. Despite ambitious purpose commitments, companies struggle to move the needle on grand challenges like inequality or climate change. "In such a context, students can doubt their ability to realize personal sustainability aspirations and feel intimidated by the prospect." Heucher and Mitzinneck wanted to help their master’s students become “change agents” able to work within organizations to have a positive impact on sustainability transitions and broad societal concerns. "In our careers, we have been inspired by the many changes that insiders can make, from developing green products that conserve resources and reduce waste to making extractive industries more responsive to human rights issues through on-the-ground action." To support master’s students in shifting the scales toward positive impacts, Heucher and Mitzinneck piloted the Sustainability Summit Lab at FEB. This is an integrative teaching approach that provides an encouraging and safe learning environment for aspiring sustainability changemakers to hone essential skills. Read more about their approach and the lessons learned in an article Heucher and Mitzinneck wrote for the Network for Business Sustainability (NBS): https://lnkd.in/eBap3Uig

Calling all business educators interested in teaching #sustainability: On August 22, from 11AM-12PM (ET), join a webinar on "Theory To Practice: Teaching Sustainability With Case-Based Learning." Expert panelists will explore how case-based #learning can inspire and engage students in sustainable business practices. This webinar is part of the Sustainability Case Writing Awards, hosted by Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) and Ivey Publishing. The session will explore: * Case-based learning dynamics and key elements of effective cases * Strategies for #impact and student engagement * Case writing advice which can help you prepare your submission for the sustainability case writing awards.   Here's who you'll hear from: * Moderator: Tima Bansal – Professor, General Management, Sustainability & Strategy, Ivey Business School at Western University * Aurora Díaz Soloaga – Senior Lecturer, Almaty Management University (AlmaU); Co-Vice Chair, Teaching and i5 pedagogy for PRME Chapter Eurasia * Robert D. Klassen – Professor, Operations Management and Sustainability, Ivey Business School * Subhasis Ray – Professor of Marketing, XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur Learn more and sign up: https://lnkd.in/gt7Zb5Dq #sustainabilityeducation #sustainablebusiness

What do you think about when you hear “modern slavery?” Most people have encountered the term – but many don’t realize just how widespread this issue is. 49.6 million people lived under modern slavery in 2021, according to the Global Slavery Index – and that number was trending upward since 2016. So, what is modern slavery? As researcher Snejina Michailova puts it, it is “exploitation at its worst.” In contrast to “historical slavery,” legal ownership does not need to be present for modern slavery to exist. But modern slavery is still a serious violation of human rights. It can include working under inhumane conditions, not being allowed to leave employment relationships, being exposed to violence at work, or working for very poor wages, among other things. Is modern slavery on the radar for your company’s supply chain? If you don’t think this issue is relevant in your country or industry, you might want to think again. Here’s what you might not know about modern slavery: * No country or economy is immune. It is happening every day in “developed” economies in areas such as Europe and North America.  * It can exist in any industry. Most people associate modern slavery with “production” industries, such as mining and agriculture, but it exists in industries such as high fashion, jewelry, and food service, too. * It goes beyond physical entrapment. Exploitation arrangements can be sophisticated, making them harder to spot. For example, victims can be indebted to a recruitment agent and have to work for free to pay this off. Learn more about this important issue, and how your company can address it, in this article: https://lnkd.in/gKcvG4Q4 #modernslavery #supplychain #sustainability #sustainablebusiness #sustainablesupplychain #socialsustainability

Are you working on climate action in/around the UK? If so, you won't want to miss the 5th annual Net Zero Festival, hosted by BusinessGreen. This two-day, free event brings together business leaders, clean tech providers, sustainable investors, green campaigners, and environmental policymakers to jointly explore how to turbocharge the net zero transition. The event features keynotes, presentations, panel discussions, and workshops across four stages: "Inspiration, Action, Engage, and Showcase." Speakers hail from a range of industries -- from film & TV, to infrastructure, sports, and academia. Some speakers include: Dylan Tanner, Executive Director of InfluenceMap Clover Hogan, Founder of Force of Nature, Emily Shuckburgh, Director of Cambridge Zero. Join these impactful leaders for meaningful conversation and connections on October 22-23, 2024 at the Business Design Centre in London, UK. Registration to the event is free via the website: https://incm.pub/3S2QNI1 #NetZeroFestival #climateaction #climateevents

Can you imagine your company in a world beyond profit and economic growth? It can be hard to do. These goals have driven our economic systems for centuries. They've shaped our definitions of success. But the endless pursuit of profit and growth is increasingly unsustainable. It’s pushing the planet past environmental boundaries and toward inequality and social unrest. And, it isn’t making humans happier. Once people’s basic needs are met, additional wealth has little effect. Advocates for “degrowth” and “post-growth” see an alternative world. They imagine an economy that’s much smaller than our current one, focused on healthy social connections and environmental sustainability. In this article, researcher Charles Duprez explores what it means for companies to execute on these ideas. The article discusses: - How degrowth changes the economy - Why companies might shift from today’s growth model - How companies operate in a degrowth or post-growth world - Whether today’s companies can make that shift. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gn4aE9Nk #degrowth #postgrowth #climateaction #futuresociety #planetaryboundaries

Are you interested in writing a sustainability-focused case study for education? Enter in the upcoming Sustainability Case Writing Awards for a chance to: - Help develop innovative and impactful learning materials; - Foster transformative change in classrooms globally; - Equip future leaders with the knowledge and skills to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)... ...And potentially win one of three cash awards to recognize your contribution. Learn more about the eligibility criteria and timelines for this opportunity in the link below. #sustainabilityeducation #businesseducation #sustainablebusiness #SDGs #sustainability Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Ivey Publishing

There’s a good chance your board has a ‘purpose gap.’   Companies exist to perform a purpose in society When a company does their purpose well, they also make money.   But too often, companies are managed as if the primary goal is money.   That’s a problem.   If your company claims to be purpose driven, but the board is only accountable for profit, the company will likely prioritize profit over impact.   Coro Strandberg, Founding Chair of the Canadian Purpose Economy Project, say that’s a risk:   "Boards that fail to oversee their company’s purpose put their companies at risk of inauthentic purpose or “purpose washing;” and worse, fail to realize the commercial and social impact of their purpose."   The solution? Purpose governance. That’s when your board has clear mechanisms in place to ensure they oversee, and are accountable for the company’s performance on purpose. Strandberg and other partners have been developing educational materials for boards and executives on purpose governance. Here are two that can help you and your board get started:    1: A "playbook" offers a set of guidelines that directors, boards and governance professionals can use to equip their boards for effective purpose governance. https://lnkd.in/gvp8XyDM   2: A recent webinar explored the following themes, and its recording is available: -         Link between purpose and strategy -         Board oversight of purpose  -         Role of purpose in board education and recruitment  -         Best practices in purpose governance – and more  https://lnkd.in/gjXYVHEH #purpose #purposefulbusiness #corporatepurpose #governance #sustainablebusiness

Jury Gualandris, Director of the Network for Business Sustainability (NBS) tackled a challenge many avoid: engaging directly with climate change skeptics and denialists. His journey brings light to the obstacles and potential in direct engagement to address polarized issues like climate change. More on this experience: https://lnkd.in/gaAymrGi

Recordings and materials are now available from the June 17th session on Navigating the Ecosystem of Support for Teaching Sustainability. During this session, we explored the range of resources available for educators integrating sustainability in business schools. We heard from leaders at: - GRONEN - Open Climate Curriculum at Tamer Institute for Social Enterprise and Climate Change at Columbia University - ClimateCAP, - Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)'s i5, - WWF Switzerland and University of St.Gallen 's Sustainability in Academia, - NBS (us!). Together we learned who's doing what in the ecosystem, and considered possibilities to collaborate more in the future. We heard from global educators to understand how to best support this group going forward. Find session recordings, slides, and summary materials here: https://lnkd.in/gryvw_6x Katie Kross Clémentine Robert Mara Moos Bruce Usher Lauren Westley Jury Gualandris Abby Litchfield Javier Delgado-Ceballos Meredith Storey Samantha Thompson #ResponsibleManagementEducation #RMEWeek2024 #sustainabilityeducation #sustainabilityteaching #bschool