Talented MBAs are poised to play a crucial role in China’s transition to a sustainable economy as it continues to grow.
Countries all over the world are working to prevent global warming from reaching disastrous and irreversible levels, guided by the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.
To meet these objectives, China must transition to a low-carbon economy because it has the second-largest economy in the world and is one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
It is therefore imperative that business leaders who are driven to have an impact step up and take charge of China’s sustainable transition at this point.
To find out how business schools are preparing future business leaders to lead the green movement, we caught up with students from an MBA program in China.
Bringing MBA Students Together to Learn About Social Impact
Collaboration is needed to fight climate change on both a global and personal level.
Recognizing this, the MBA Social Impact and Responsibility Club at CEIBS, a business school in Shanghai, China, organized the second annual Social Impact Week to unite the student body and spread awareness of how they could make a difference.
Vice President of the MBA club, Angelina Ye. She wanted to use her experience from working in impact investment for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization to encourage sustainability among students and prepare MBAs for impactful careers.
“I think that something significant our event brought was to encourage people to focus more on the daily operation of sustainability,” she says.
Students gathered for a second-hand bazaar at the start of the week to exchange items and give what they no longer needed to other students.
The Green Campus Quiz was another engaging opportunity for students to learn more about CEIBS’s energy-saving strategies and to raise awareness of their own responsible use of the campus’s various facilities.
“By bringing people together, we hoped to start the event. Around half the student body were involved as well as CEIBS Global EMBA alumni and students at other business schools,” says Angelina.
Learning from Industry Professionals During An MBA in China
It is not always simple for businesses to transition in a sustainable way. Future business leaders can learn so much from those who are navigating this process right now.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments and green technologies were two areas on which Angelina concentrated in her position at the UN. She worked with developing countries to identify where sustainable technologies could provide essential resources.
A project to develop water recycling technology was one of these initiatives, and it was done in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
“I wanted to help introduce the focus on ESG and green technology to the student body at CEIBS and encourage that perspective in different roles and industries,” she says.
Professionals from a variety of industries were invited to the ESG Forum as part of the CEIBS Social Impact Week to learn about ESG practices and provide insight into the variety of career options available to graduates.
The Big Four accounting firms KPMG and PwC spoke to MBA students about how they are collaborating with clients to achieve ESG compliance and grow as an organization.
One of the attendees who spoke about the significance of green financing was Mastercard. Other businesses included L’Oréal and Alibaba, a Chinese multinational technology company.
“It was great to hear that multinational companies are evolving from using ESG as a marketing term to make themselves look good to really embedding the methodology into their process and product design,” says Angelina.
Students visited a startup hub in Shanghai in addition to hearing from and meeting with prominent business figures.
“The space is one which inspires startup entrepreneurs to create ventures that make an impact and focus on the public discourse,” says Angelina.
“I think its hugely important for MBA students to have this focus and knowledge of sustainability because they are the leaders of tomorrow and will have influence whether they work in multinational companies or startups,” she adds.
How MBAs Can Drive Sustainable Transition in China
With the aim of reaching peak carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060, China is currently working toward a dual carbon goal.
As part of this initiative, China also unveiled its first ESG disclosure requirement for corporations in June 2022.
“Companies in China are currently catching up with the pace of sustainable transition around the world,” says Angelina.
A key component of this, in Angelina’s opinion, is having MBA graduates who are motivated by social impact and knowledgeable about how businesses can effect change.
“MBAs will help to shape the management style in the future from a responsible perspective,” she says.
Angelina’s career is flourishing and has even landed her a spot on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, but she isn’t quite done yet.
Angelina hopes to use her prior experience and the broader perspective she gained on business leadership during the CEIBS MBA to continue having a positive impact.
“I want to make an impact in connecting China more with the global perspective on ESG and sustainability and bridge corporations among different countries to work towards this focus,” she says.
In order to continue the Social Impact and Responsibility Club’s legacy and encourage upcoming MBA graduates from China, Angelina also has plans to connect with the incoming MBA class at CEIBS.
Reference: www.businessbecause.com
