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ESMT Institute for Sustainable Transformation

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Joanna Radeke

Executive Director of the ESMT Institute for Sustainable Transformation

Established by ESMT Berlin, the ESMT Institute for Sustainable Transformation specializes in developing and communicating innovative sustainability solutions, supporting companies in their transformation. It creates and shares knowledge to transform organizations, industries, and value chains towards sustainability.

Founded in February 2024, the ESMT Institute for Sustainable Transformation aims to enhance ESMT’s established sustainability initiatives in research, teaching, and outreach. The institute aims to amplify its impact, promoting responsible leadership practices that benefit individuals, businesses, and society. The ESMT Institute for Sustainable Transformation is the successor of the venture FUTURE Institute for Sustainable Transformation, operated in collaboration with partners Werte Stiftung/Futury between November 2021 and December 2023.

 

Knowledge Creation


The institute addresses real-world environmental, social, and governance (ESG) challenges through rigorous academic research. Led by ESMT President Jörg Rocholl, the Deutsche Bank professor in sustainable finance, and ESMT Dean of Faculty and Research Per Olsson, the DHL Group professor in sustainable accounting. Other key contributors include Tamer Boyaci, Professor and Michael Diekmann Chair in Management Science, Rajshri Jayaraman, Associate Professor of Economics, and Catalina Stefanescu-Cuntze, Professor of Management Science and Faculty Lead of the Master in Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Program. Research focuses on sustainable transformation, development, finance, accounting, operations, and analytics.


The institute also initiates collaborations with global universities and businesses for action-oriented and research-based sustainability projects, particularly with natural scientists to address biodiversity loss.

 

Education and Awareness Raising


The institute offers customized and open executive education programs and employee upskilling on sustainability. Our clients include international companies. We provide various educational formats to upskill everyone in the company on sustainability, e.g., via the Sustainability Starter Kit. We also offer executive education on our campus in Berlin and programs at company sites. The inaugural open enrollment program "Leading Sustainable Business Transformation" for executives and professionals from diverse roles, empowering them to lead sustainable transformations within their areas of responsibilities, is scheduled for November 2024.


The institute also supports ESMT’s commitment to integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles into its curriculum. This includes support for social impact projects and the VALI Sustainability Bootcamp.
 

The Institute drives awareness of biodiversity loss and provides thought leadership on sustainability through its Sustainable Business Roundtable network. Established in 2011, the Roundtable includes international organizations such as Accenture, ams Osram, Bain & Company, BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, DHL Group, E.ON, Evonik, GFK, H&M, ING, McDonald’s, Merck, Mitsui, P&G, pwc, Quadriga Capital, Schwarz Group, Siemens, Tech Mahindra, Telekom, UniCredit, and Volkswagen.

 

Sustainable Transformation of ESMT


The institute supports ESMT’s sustainable transformation by aiding in the implementation of the school’s sustainability strategy, reporting, and projects. ESMT is committed to becoming carbon neutral in its scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2030, a goal actively supported by the Institute for Sustainable Transformation. The installation of a photovoltaic system on the school’s roof, set to cover 25% of electricity needs, highlights ESMT's dedication to environmental sustainability. Beginning in 2024, ESMT will exclusively purchase green electricity for its remaining needs.


The institute also supports students, faculty, and staff to act as sustainability ambassadors within the ESMT Net Impact chapter and is an active participant in the Sustainability Taskforce.

 

 

In the news

"Ein Ökosystem für mehr Nachhaltigkeit"

August 1, 2023 | Venture Capital Magazin
Futury supports established companies in their sustainable transformations through the Future Institute for Sustainable Transformation, based at ESMT Berlin, which facilitates the development and spreading of innovative sustainability solutions.

"How business school research can serve the world today"

May 10, 2023 | Forbes
Business schools worldwide, including ESMT Berlin, are embedding sustainability into their programs, research, and campus life to meet the demands of prospective students. Industry-leading insights research into sustainability can greatly impact global climate efforts.

"Outfittery-Gründerin Anna Alex setzt auf nächsten Nachhaltigkeitstrend"

May 9, 2023 | Handelsblatt
Tobias Raffel, director of the Future Institute at ESMT Berlin, says that out of the 500 largest companies worldwide, only 5% have set biodiversity targets, while 83% of them have climate change related targets.