Melbourne Business School Debate

We are delighted to invite you to a debate event hosted by MBS' Sustainable Value Creation Institute.

On behalf of Professor Jenny George, Dean of Melbourne Business School, and Professor Will Harvey, Director of Sustainable Value Creation, we are delighted to invite you to an Oxford Union style debate on Thursday 23rd October. The motion of the debate is:

‘This house believes that businesses can substantially profit from scaling their environmental commitments.’

The debate involves six speakers in total, with a team of three arguing for the motion and a team of three arguing against the motion. Each speaker has no more than three minutes to make their argument to the audience. In the middle of the debate, the audience has an opportunity to ask challenging questions to both teams.

There is an audience vote at the beginning and at the end of the debate. The winning team is the one who has increased the share of the vote. Drinks and food will follow the debate to allow conversations and networking to continue.

The debate will be chaired by Professor Will Harvey and debaters include:

• Professor Manoj Dora, Gourlay Visiting Professor and Chair in Sustainable Production & Consumption, Anglia Ruskin University
• Maja Barnett, Director of Sustainability, Tilt Renewables
• Leslie Martin, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Melbourne
• Kate Dundas, CEO/Executive Director, UN Global Compact Network Australia
• Dr Susanne Etti, Global Environmental Impact Manager, Intrepid Travel
• Dirk Visser, Senior Fellow (Enterprise), Melbourne Business School

Event details:

Date: Thursday 23 October 2025

Location: Hub Café, Melbourne Business School, 200 Leicester St, Carlton

Time:
5:30-6:00pm – Welcome drinks
6:00-7:00pm – Debate
7:00-8:00pm – Networking (drinks and canapés)

Please RSVP by 5pm on Wednesday, 15th October to confirm your attendance. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

This event has been generously supported by the Gourlay Family Trust in collaboration with Trinity College.