Melbourne Business School to launch new Centre for Sustainability and Business
Australia's best business school has announced a new initiative to improve social and financial outcomes by helping leaders put environmental sustainability at the heart of their organisation.
The new Centre for Sustainability and Business will be led by Professor of Business Strategy and MBS Foundation Chair of Sustainability and Business, Glenn Hoetker.
"Recent developments, from the bushfires to COVID-19, have put sustainability in stark focus," said Professor Hoetker.
"Customers and employees are demanding to know how businesses will respond, and our own students, staff, alumni and the public are demanding the same of MBS.
"This is part of why we created the Centre for Sustainability and Business, which will improve the financial and social performance of organisations through environmentally sustainable strategies and operations."
Professor Hoetker said the Centre's goal was to embed sustainability across research, education and industry partnerships at Melbourne Business School.
"The Centre is built on three interconnected pillars that will inform the way we work with clients, organisations, students and other stakeholders," he said.
"The first pillar is generating and curating ideas from evidence-based research insights from ourselves, the University of Melbourne and industry partners.
"The second is advancing current business practice through the School's network of corporate relationships.
"The third is to develop future leaders by embedding sustainability throughout our curriculum, ensuring that our graduates are sustainability-literate and can understand sustainability as a strategic imperative affecting all business functions."
David Bryant, Group General Manager, People & Culture at St Vincent's Health Australia, has been working with the Centre to understand how St Vincent's sustainability journey can inform and advance other organisations in the healthcare sector.
"I am very excited about the possibilities that the Centre for Sustainability and Business offers. Business today needs an organisation like Melbourne Business School to take a leadership role in building awareness and knowledge on sustainability," he said.
"I particularly love the complete approach MBS is taking, from research, to educating our future leaders and supporting collaboration in this space. It demonstrates to me how seriously MBS is taking sustainability and business."
Caron Beaton-Wells, Deputy Dean of Melbourne Business School, said she looked forward to the Centre making a lasting impact on organisations in Australia and beyond.
"Our purpose at Melbourne Business School is to unleash ideas and leaders for a sustainable future. The new Centre for Sustainability and Business is a key element of delivering on that goal," she said.
"This initiative represents a stake in the ground, reflecting our recognition of the importance of sustainability to business and society as a whole. The School is intent on leading the way in this critical discourse that will shape the future for us all, and the Centre will make a significant contribution to equipping business leaders with sustainability mindsets and tools."
Professor Hoetker said much of the Centre's work would be influenced by close collaboration with industry, government and not-for-profit organisations.
"Our research will be informed by what we learn from working with organisations, so it will be both rigorous and relevant," he said.
"It will also be critical to how we develop future leaders, allowing us to inform our teaching with best practices and current challenges."
For more information or to make contact, visit the Centre for Sustainability and Business page.
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