Peter Golding, left, and Collin Janich at the launch of the Climate Legacy Commitment on March 11. The Cambridge Judge MBA students have launched an initiative to get MBAs at the top global B-schools to commit to climate action. Courtesy photos
The climate is in crisis. Those in graduate business education must do their part.
That’s the message from two Cambridge Judge Business School MBA candidates who have launched a “call to action” to make sustainability a key element of their leadership — and they are asking colleagues and counterparts at 15 of the world’s top B-schools to join them.
The Climate Legacy Commitment launched by Peter Golding and Collin Janich this month serves as a pledge by MBA students past, present, and future to “transform global business practices by integrating sustainability into the heart of their leadership.” By taking the pledge, MBAs invest nothing financially but commit to working toward creating sustainable change across various industries, from consumer goods and retail to finance, tech, and consulting. Those who pledge become part of a community of like-minded peers, mentors, and industry leaders committed to addressing the climate crisis, many of whom will meet in a summit in August.
Julian Metherell, partner of MW&L Capital Partners, speaks March 11 at the Cambridge launch of the Climate Legacy Commitment
ALMOST HALF OF CAMBRIDGE MBAS HAVE PLEDGED
Golding and Janich launched the Climate Legacy Commitment at an event at Cambridge on March 11. Among those in attendance were Gillian Tett, provost of King’s College and former chair of the editorial board for The Financial Times, who keynoted the event along with Marc Kahn, chief strategy and sustainability officer at Investec, an international specialist bank and asset manager. Gishan Dissanaike, interim dean of Cambridge Judge, delivered remarks alongside Julian Metherell, chair of the school’s Advisory Board.
In the initial rollout of the Commitment, Golding and Janich invited 12,000 MBAs from 15 leading schools to participate, including those at the M7 business schools in the United States and eight European programs that make up the BS4CL: HEC Paris, IE Business School, IESE Business School, IMD, INSEAD, London Business School, Oxford Saïd Business School, and Cambridge Judge. The pledge already has signatories from Oxford Saïd and LBS — and more than 45% of their Cambridge MBA cohort has already signed.
This is only the beginning, they say. “This initiative is more than a pledge,” Janich says. “It is a call to action for future business leaders to engage in transformative learning, develop collaborative networks, and drive innovative climate solutions.”
Gillian Tett, provost of King’s College and former chair of the editorial board for The Financial Times, speaks at the Cambridge launch of the Climate Legacy Commitment
THEIR SEVEN TRUTHS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
Behind the commitment are what Golding and Janich call seven important overarching truths regarding climate change: that is poses an existential threat; that there is an unequal burden on communities across the globe; that it is necessary to have science as a guide; that it is necessary to have clean energy systems; that the challenges associated with climate change are interconnected; that a business-as-usual approach will not work; and that the fight against climate change is a race against time.
To reverse the climate crisis, they commit to use innovative leadership strategies; protect vulnerable communities; collaborate with networks; continuously learn; stay transparent and accountable; and work toward building a legacy that won’t compromise the planet.
Those who have signed the commitment will “gain exclusive access to an evolving network of corporate leaders, mentors, and peers across sectors critical to achieving a net-zero future, including mobility, consumer goods & retail, energy, finance, technology, consulting, manufacturing, healthcare, and entertainment,” Golding and Janich say in a news release. Signatories also will be invited to attend the inaugural Climate Legacy Commitment summit, the MBA COP, in August. The event will feature industry-leading guest speakers, sector-specific breakout sessions, and other networking opportunities.
Learn more about the Climate Legacy Commitment and MBA COP here.
THE PLEDGE
We Commit
INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP
As future stewards of global organizations and industries, we commit to championing sustainable initiatives, practices, and solutions, leveraging our influence to transition our businesses, communities, and networks towards a net-zero future.
PROTECTING THE VULNERABLE
We pledge to prioritize climate-vulnerable communities in our decision-making, ensuring our initiatives foster a just and equitable world.
COLLABORATIVE ACTION
Recognizing that the challenge is vast and multifaceted, we pledge to foster collaboration across sectors, breaking silos, and using our networks to co-create solutions that span industries and borders.
CONTINUOUS LEARNING
The terrain of climate science and solutions is ever evolving. We dedicate ourselves to continuous learning, ensuring that our strategies are informed, adaptive, and relevant.
TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
We vow to operate with transparency, measuring our impact, sharing our progress, and holding ourselves accountable to the goals we set, the promises we make, and the legacy we aim to leave.
LEGACY
Above all, our commitment is to the future —where businesses flourish without compromising the planet. We pledge to work towards building a sustainable economy and a brighter future for generations to come.
DON’T MISS HOW BERKELEY HAAS IS LEADING IN THE BATTLE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE (AGAIN) and MBA EDUCATORS HAVE A HUGE NEW TOOL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
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