From Awareness To Action: Climate Change Education & Ambidexterity In Higher Learning

Business schools in recent years have increasingly launched a wide range of programs to raise awareness about climate change and global warming. These initiatives take various forms, including classes on the Anthropocene, courses aiming to provide an understanding of the planet’s limits, and experiential learning activities or business games like the “Fresque du Climat,” which helps students to acquire the necessary competencies to monitor and manage transition mechanisms for a greener planet.

Other initiatives include experiential learning programs and community services (i.e., time dedicated by students and staff to serve their community (SPJIRM in India or Esdes in France), be it through NGOs dedicated to the underprivileged or promoting female entrepreneurship or inequality reduction through grants and talent search programs.

Over the past decade, we have witnessed a significant evolution in terms of awareness, knowledge and proposed solutions to environmental challenges. However, higher education now stands at a crossroad. On one hand, there is an urgent need to share existing knowledge and adapt behaviors to respect planetary limits, promote social inclusion and protect the environment, as highlighted in the 2015 UN resolution “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

On the other hand, the only certainty we have is that continuing current trends is unsustainable. As such, a variety of solutions — technological, political, and lifestyle-based — are being explored and tested.

Exploiting Existing Knowledge for Ecological & Social Transition

To drive the transition towards a sustainable world, several different actions have been undertaken. On the technological front, innovations such as renewable energy sources, the shift from thermal to electric motors and improved thermal insulation of building shave contributed to reducing pollution and fossil fuel consumption.

In Europe, multimodal transportation — including public transport, bicycles, scooters, etc. — is progressively challenging and replacing car use. Similarly, urban densification reduces the demand for daily transportation, and the expansion of teleworking is contributing to this trend.

Companies are also evolving towards greener practices. The development of tools to measure the carbon footprint of products and services, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, raises awareness and allows stakeholders and shareholders to monitor progress towards sustainability.

Climate change and global warming have led to extreme events, triggering major crises like massive floods (e.g., the recent flood in Pakistan, which covered an area the size of Italy), devastating wildfires (in California, Australia, Portugal, etc.) and long-term droughts (in Spain, amongst others). Leading business schools have responded by developing specialised training in crisis management (e.g., London Business School, IE Business School) and in business or societal resilience (e.g., MIT).

Despite these efforts, significant challenges remain. Although 169 countries adopted the 2015 UN resolution, social inclusion remains limited and inequality has increased globally over the past decade. Conflicts over resource use are also under-addressed and poorly informed. These conflicts can involve water usage amongst different users, regions or countries or growing competition for electricity. The exponential demand for data necessitates the construction of massive data centers, each requiring as much electricity as a traditional nuclear power plant (or at least one of its units). As the transition from fossil fuels to electricity continues, managing these conflicts will be crucial at the levels of public authorities, firms and individuals.

Exploring Radically New Solutions

It is impossible to list all the different avenues being explored, but some notable examples stand out. For instance, widespread telecommuting has the potential to reduce travel needs, requiring new forms of socialisation and employee engagement. The COVID-19 experience has provided valuable insights in this regard but also calls for caution.

Another significant possibility is a profound shift in the global mindset, with a commitment to degrowth. Yves-Marie Abraham’s course at HEC Montréal are emblematic of this trend and resonate with both new generations and populations seeking alternative models.

Practical approaches are also emerging in terms of business models. Beyond the negative effects of over-tourism, platforms like Airbnb have enabled the more intensive use of existing tourist infrastructures, thereby limiting the need for new construction. Similar platforms facilitate the temporary exchange of cars, bikes, tools and other items helping to reduce ecological footprints whilst also fostering local connections.

Businesses are not lagging behind. Eco-design models, reuse solutions and approaches aimed at total or partial repairability and reconditioning all point to profound transformations in economic ecosystems and changes in usage patterns.

For each of these explorations, economic and usage models still need to be developed. Likewise, the metrics required to track these changes and measure their performance have yet to be fully established. This presents significant opportunities for researchers and practitioners in management and social sciences.
More than ever, ambidexterity – a key skill for balancing day-to-day developments while preparing for the medium term – is essential. It demands agility and resilience from all higher education institutions to train students and professionals to implement exploration and exploitation.

Esdes Business School in France was ranked 87th in Europe by The Financial Times in 2023.