The changing role of sustainability in business and the implications for higher education

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The changing role of sustainability in business
and the implications for higher education
Ir. H(arrie). W.M. van Bommel Senior
Lecturer/Researcher Sustainable Business
Saxion Universities of Applied Sciences Deventer,
the Netherlands SPACE Conference Tallinn 23th
of April 2009
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What is Sustainable Development about ?

• and what is the
• role of business
• and higher
• education?

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCEPT
1987 World Commission on Environment and
Development (Commission Brundtland) 1992
World Summit on Environment and Development
(The Earth Summit Rio) 2002 World Summit
on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg)
United Nations Division for Sustainable
Development
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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• A development that meets the needs of the
  present without compromising the ability of
  future generations to meet their own needs
• (Commission Brundtland, 1987)

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Triple P ?
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PEOPLE-aspects

• Child Labour
• Forced Labour
• Overtime
• Human Rights
• Equal Rights/
• Discrimination
• Occupational Health and Safety

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Planet aspects

• Climate change
• Sustainable Energy
• Waste management
• Air Pollution
• Toxic chemicals
• Water Pollution
• Loss of Biodiversity

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Prosperity Aspects

• Fair Trade
• Minimum Wage
• Economic Development
• Community Development
• Employment
• Poverty Reduction

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• Sustainable Development
• balance between
• People, Planet and Prosperity
• above the (triple P) bottom line

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The Triple Bottom Line !!!
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Corporate Social Responsibility

• definition of CSR as a concept
• whereby companies integrate social and
• environmental concerns in their business
• operations and in their interaction with
• their stakeholders on a voluntary basis.

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Who is responsible ?

• Consumer Producer
• Government

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(No Transcript)
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What is the role of the EU ?

• Integrated
• Product Policy
• Sustainable
• Production and
• Consumption

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The European Union about CSR

• COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
• Brussels, 22.3.2006
• COM(2006) 136 final
• COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN
• PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC
  AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE
• IMPLEMENTING THE PARTNERSHIP FOR GROWTH AND JOBS
• MAKING EUROPE A POLE OF EXCELLENCE
• ON CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

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European Initiatives on CSR

• CSR Europe
• http//www.csreurope.org/data/files/csr_europe__wo
  rking_with_you_20092010.pdf
• European Academy of Business in Society
  http//www.eabis.org/

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Development towards a Green Economy ?

• Ban Ki-Moon at the World Economic
• Forum in Davos-Zwitserland
• 29th of January 2009
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?v94dAXB_NuvE

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• United Nations Global Compact
• more than 5000 companies now join
• http//www.unglobalcompact.org/docs/news_events/8.
  1/GC_brochure_FINAL.pdf

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Sustainability andHigher Education ?
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European Copernicus Network

• http//www.unece.org/env/esd/information/COPERNICU
  S20Guidelines.pdf

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EABIS Curriculum development project

• http//www.eabis.org/education/curriculum-developm
  ent.html

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UNESCO International Association of
Universities (IAU)

• Global Higher Education and Sustainability
  Partnership (GHESP)
• http//www.unesco.org/iau/sd/sd_ghesp.html

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Global Compact since 2007

• 178 business schools participate
• www.unprme.org

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Global Forum for Responsible Management Education

• New York, United Nations, 5 December 2008
• Ban Ki-Moon
• as teachers you can ensure that tomorrows
  leaders understand that the long-term growth of a
  business is tied to its environmental and social
  impact

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Outcome Statement of the Global Forum

• Curriculum development and adaptation in the
  spirit of
• corporate social responsibility call for a more
  holistic
• approach to theory and practice.
• We will undertake efforts to open business
  schools
• to greater collaboration with society, thus
  broadening
• the understanding of social and environmental
• challenges and their relevance to business

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Call for Action

• sign on to the Principles for Responsible
  Management Education
• and
• start including values of corporate social
  responsibility in the curricula at your business
  school

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QUESTIONS ?
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Contact Information

• ir. H(arrie) W.M. van Bommel
• Saxion Universities of Applied Sciences
• Deventer, the Netherlands
• email h.w.m.vanbommel_at_saxion.n
• website www.saxion.edu