Sustainability
In 2021, BI decided to commit the school to the UN sustainability goals for 2030 by supporting the 1.5-degree target. We were also recognised by the UN for our sustainability reporting.
BI works in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, but particularly related to three goals: No. 4 – Good Education, No. 5 – Gender Equality and No. 13 – Stop Climate Changes.
BI is a participant in the UN network's Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Since 2016. We also aim to comply with the six principles for responsible leadership education. With over 800 educational institutions as members, PRME is currently considered the world's leading network for dialogue, collaboration and development of responsible leadership education programmes.
Every two years, PRME members prepare a report for their school that outlines the school's sustainability work with regard to research, teaching and own operations. Bi's most recent report (Sustainability and Responsible Management Report 2020) was published in December 2020. In June 2021, the report was recognised by the UN through their Excellence in Reporting award.
Sustainability in research and teaching
One of our most important areas of commitment for 2025 is our work to integrate sustainability in all BI's courses and programmes, in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME).
BI will also contribute with relevant research-based knowledge that increases society's understanding of the important role of organisations, businesses and the economy in creating the sustainable solutions of the future.
Commitment to UN Climate Goals
In 2021, BI committed to reaching the United Nations goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. We want to take an active role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Based on a projection analysis of what it will take to succeed in this, we discovered that BI needs to cut 50 percent of school emissions by 2030. This will cause major changes in our activities and habits.
Here are some of the most important changes we will make:
- We are reducing business travel by 28 percent in our 2022 budget, compared to 2019
- Starting in 2022, all events to take place on BI campuses will be certified as 'green conferences'
- Reduce the use of plastics and disposables, with the goal of 65% material recycling by the end of 2022.
- We will increase the service life of our buildings and furniture and reuse materials that can be reused
- Employees are encouraged to use public transport, bicycles or other climate-neutral vehicles when coming or going to work
- We will increase our own consumption of renewable energy
Environmental and climate work at BI in 2021
BI is Eco-Lighthouse Certified. We prepare annual climate accounts that map the emissions from our campuses. Our work on sustainability within our organisation was strongly influenced by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, with extensive use of home offices, digital meetings and teaching, partially closed campuses and almost no travel activities.
- BI's four largest sources of emissions come from energy, food/beverages, commuting and travel (82.5% in 2020).
- We are proud of the long-term work we are doing on environmental measures at BI, which really are producing results. We have achieved a reduction in CO2 emissions since 2017 with as much as 69.5%.
Green reorganisation
In 2021, BI decided to strengthen our initiatives in environmental work and long-term strategic development of our campuses by dividing the Facility Department into two units: Sustainable Campus Facilities and Real Estate. The goal is to increase interdisciplinary cooperation on reducing the greenhouse gas emissions for each entity, and increase competence across the whole organisation.
BISO Impact
In 2019, the BISO Impact unit was created by eco-conscious students who wanted to help other student groups work more ethically and responsibly. As of 2020, BISO Impact was given the opportunity to certify BISO conferences as green conferences through the Eco-Lighthouse Certification Scheme. In 2021, BISO co-hosted Inspire to Impact 2021, a major sustainability conference for students and businesses with guests from Equinor, Storebrand, Atea, DNV and Aker Biomarine.
- For more information about BI's sustainability work, see BI's website here.