Uniting for the Planet’s Future
Business Schools for Climate Leadership is a unique partnership between eight of Europe’s leading business schools to help present and future leaders combat the climate crisis facing the planet.
The schools, which came together to launch their alliance at COP26 in Glasgow last year, are Cambridge Judge Business School, HEC Paris, IE Business School, IESE Business School, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), INSEAD, London Business School, and Saïd Business School (University of Oxford).
BS4CL TOOLKIT
Business Schools for Climate Leadership has put together this digital toolkit to help business leaders pose key questions and assess their readiness to act effectively to tackle this planetary emergency.
BS4CL Middle East launched in Dubai, on December 5, 2023
The initiative was officially launched on December 5th, 2023, during COP 28 by eight leading PRME Middle East Business Schools. The expansion of the Business Schools for Climate Leadership (BS4CL) into the Middle East follows its success in Europe and Africa. It aims to adapt strategies to the region’s specific environmental and socio-economic challenges such as extreme temperatures, water scarcity, agricultural risks and economic dependence on fossil fuels.
A key outcome of this collaboration is the adaptation of the International Carbon Literacy Program to the Middle Eastern context, focusing on carbon impact and mitigation strategies. The initiative aims to create a synergistic environment involving both academia and businesses, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing climate issues. It has received support from European and African BS4CL representatives and various organizations, including PRME, AACSB, MEBAS that are invited to join this transformative journey and contribute to a sustainable future.
Business Schools for Climate Leadership Middle East was represented by:
UAE- University of Dubai - President Dr Eesa Bastaki
UAE- Canadian University of Dubai- Dean Dima Jamali
UAE- Zayed University – Dean Paul Hopkinson
UAE- Hult International Business School- Dean Namrata Kamath
LEBANON- American University of Beirut - Dean Yusuf Sidani
KUWAIT- American University of Kuwait – Asst.Dean Shihanah AlMutairi & Vice Chair PRME Middle East
QATAR- Qatar University- Dean Rana Sobh
OMAN - Sultan Qaboos University - Dr. Sharif As-Saber
Supporters are :
UK- University of Oxford Prof Mette Morsing, Professor, Director Oxford Smith School,
USA- PRME at the UNGC Mr John Goodwin- Senior Advisor to, CEO of Lego Foundation
UAE - Turkish Business Council Mr Kanat Kutluk – President
MEA- AACSB Mr Ihsan Zakri, Regional Head
UAE - Sim Institute Dr Tim Rogmans - Managing Director
as a reminder .... BS4CL Africa was launched in Cairo, on November 2022 !
Six leading African business schools are recognizing the critical role that higher education can play in addressing climate change and its associated challenges, and launching a new initiative with the African Chapter of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) in response. Business Schools for Climate Leadership Africa (BS4CL Africa) brings together schools of business in building a collaborative framework for climate action to transform business education curricula that matches the needs and adapts to the realities of the African continent. The initiative will also invite contributions from the private sector and civil society, and will mirror the ambitions of the UN Climate Conference (COP27) taking place in parallel in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
BS4CL Africa now hopes to influence business in Africa with its growing momentum in collaboration with The AUC School of Business, PRME Chapter Africa, and the BS4CL European initiative.
“We are excited for the momentum of BS4CL Africa and envision that the Deans Roundtable will be a continued collaboration for impact, one which closely aligns with the ambitions of PRME,” said Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim, Chair of PRME Chapter Africa.
BS4CL Africa exemplifies how African businesses are already taking responsibility for their impact on the planet, and considering the planet’s impact on their businesses.
BS4CL Founding Team member Peter Tufano shared his support of the Africa-centered edition of BS4CL, “I am thrilled to represent BS4CL at the launch of BS4CL Africa aligning with the opening of COP27. Business schools and business have much to contribute to battling climate change and its impacts, and BS4CL Africa will bring an authentic and important African perspective to this global and local issue.”
BS4CL Africa participating schools are the School of Business at the American University in Cairo, Egypt; ESCA Ecole de Management in Morocco; Gordon Institute of Business Science in South Africa; Lagos Business School in Nigeria; School of Tourism and Hospitality at Strathmore University in Kenya; Stellenbosch Business School in South Africa. Also supportive of the initiative: the Association of African Business Schools (AABS); the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) at UN Global Compact and PRME Chapter Africa.
