There is a need for responsible leaders – those who are willing to think critically and ask difficult questions.
Green jobs now make up a third of postings in the UK, according to LinkedIn. Among the fastest-growing include sustainability analysts. The need for white-collar workers to help manage and finance green transitions is also increasing (Financial Times January 2024).
Forward-thinking business leaders are needed to adapt and shape regulatory initiatives, transform supply chains, and work with innovators who understand how climate change is going to drastically alter business practice.
At Bayes Business School, we believe an important part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) involves developing good character. More than just allowing individuals to be good, we foster a shared ethos through changing the way that organisations, industries and broader governance structures work.
At the heart of this work lies ETHOS, The Centre For Responsible Enterprise, which focuses its efforts in guiding exploration around three key pillars: responsibility, sustainability and governance. ETHOS seeks to address pressing issues through world-class research, teaching and engagement across all provision at Bayes. Hosting numerous collaborative events with worldwide experts, ETHOS looks to champion change in the corporate sector.
In celebration of its tenth anniversary in May 2024, ETHOS held a day-long symposium themed around "Where next for responsible enterprise? Centring equity, equality and plurality." The event focused on CSR, sustainable business practices and debate on planetary justice.
Dr Lauren McCarthy, Senior Lecturer in CSR and Director of ETHOS, explained how the centre wanted to celebrate, “not just by looking back but by looking forward. We’ve always been a home for critical thinking about responsible organisations, and the day was testament to that- with keynotes touching on feminist, postcolonial and radical ways of thinking about how we do business better."
“We also heard from scholars from across the world on tough, but crucial topics: such as digital ethics on social media, climate justice, and the challenges of making change within businesses. It is my hope that ETHOS will continue to be a home, and community, for world-leading research in these areas over the next 10 years and beyond.”
MSc Sustainable Management and Finance
In September 2024, Bayes will be launching a new course MSc Sustainable Management and Finance. Dr Itzia Castello-Molina, Reader in Sustainability and Digital Economy at Bayes and course leader for the new master’s course, says climate change is the major issue that society and business is facing, and it’s not just the environmental issues at play.
“Climate change has wide ranging impacts on our wellbeing, but also poverty, and democracy. We need to think about all the different consequences and impacts of climate change and other social and environmental issues as well as how we, as a society, are going to deal with it and adapt to these challenges. No single actor can tackle these alone: business, society and governments must come together to address them. ESG and sustainable management considers how corporations, governments and the civil society can approach these challenges.”
She says that there is a need for responsible leaders – those who are willing to think critically and ask difficult questions. The MSc Sustainable Management and Finance offers a critical and holistic view of ESG management, developing managerial, ethical, legal, accounting and investment skills. Students will be equipped with the tools and techniques for effective financial valuation and risk management, ready to take ethical and financially sound managerial decisions, and knowing how to communicate effectively with stakeholders.
ESG management is constantly evolving, so we’re bringing together some of the leading academics, thought-leaders and industry experts to discuss the key issues with students.
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