Sustainability
BI wants to contribute to a more sustainable development and responsible business operations in society and business both in Norway and abroad. Through our own strategy we are committed to emphasizing this social responsibility at three levels: In research, teaching and our own operations.
In 2019, all BI programmes were updated with specific learning outcomes related to social responsibility and sustainability. Our faculty have an obligation to acquaint themselves with the way the sustainability targets will affect theoretical models and research, and make sure that this knowledge is imparted to the students.
BI shall act in accordance with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals. We have chosen to focus on the following three goals in particular: No. 4. Good education, no. 5. Gender equality and no. 13. End climate change.
Through participation in the UN network Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), we also act in accordance with the UN’s six principles for responsible management education. With more than 800 educational institutions as members, PRME is considered the world’s leading network for dialogue, interaction and responsible management education. Every second year, all the members are obliged to prepare a detailed report on the school’s work related to sustainability.
In 2020, BI submitted its latest PRME report to the UN. The report focused on BI’s comprehensive work to map out and measure its own work on sustainability in the past year, as well as a concretization of future objectives. Among other things, the Sustainability and Responsible Management Report 2020 ncluded the following highlights:
A survey of research on sustainability
In 2019 BI for the first time made a survey of the way our research is relevant for reaching the UN’s sustainability development goals (SDGs). The work has continued in 2020 and will be carried out on an annual basis. The 2019 report showed that 30 per cent of BI’s faculty have published research related to sustainability matters. 20 per cent of scientific publications from BI may be related to the efforts to reach one or more the SDGs. The following were the three most common SDGs: No. 3 – God health and quality of life, no. 16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions and no. 17 – Cooperation to reach the goals.
A survey of green conferences
In 2020 BI carried out a comprehensive survey of our conferences for the period 2019-2020 in order to identify to what extent our events are in accordance with our strategic focus areas: international, digital and sustainability. In 2019 the survey showed that BI organized 30 green conferences and 26 events with sustainability on the agenda. The preliminary figures for 2020 showed a positive development for both areas. Several events, however, had to be cancelled because of Covid-19.
A survey of presence in the media during the pandemic
Over time, BI’s researchers have built up a solid national and partly international presence in the media. In 2020 BI wanted to make a survey of the extent to which this presence was linked to the media coverage of Covid-19. The survey, which was conducted during the period 1 February 16 April, showed that BI was mentioned 468 times, as compared to other schools such as NHH (338) and Kristiania University College (91).
Greener campuses and responsible operations
BI has a clear objective to reduce its environmental footprint in accordance with the UN sustainable development goals. Regular reporting on the climate is one of several measures implemented by BI to reach the ambitious objectives of the school. In 2020, BI’s climate report for 2019 showed that we have succeeded in reducing the school’s emissions by 21.6% during the period 2017-2019. In 2019, our carbon footprint amounted to a total of 5,988 tons of CO2 emissions as compared to 6,312 tons in the previous year.
Introduction of a sustainability app for employees
In order to better acquaint the employees with the school’s work on sustainability and strategic goals, a training app for employees was introduced in 2020. The app gave access to interviews with internal and external interested parties, including the student organization BISO. The app was not much used. BI, however, is planning new and improved initiatives to strengthen the involvement of employees in these matters.
BISO Impact
BI’s students show great interest in environmental matters. In 2019, the students established BISO Impact, which will ensure that the work of all the units of the student organization is ethically sound. In 2020 BISO Impact was the co-organizer of the conferences Go Explorer Day and Inspire to Impact, which both focused on sustainability and green business. In 2020, BISO Impact were given the opportunity to have BISO conferences certified as green conferences through the Eco-Lighthouse certification arrangement.
Further information on BI’s sustainability work is available at BI’s webpages here or see the school’s own Sustainability@BI-strategy.