Business schools are increasingly looking to establish partnerships with businesses around sustainability. These partnerships take a variety of shapes, from research to student projects, internships to co-lecturing, and the development of new programmes or new events. But one of the main challenges schools mention when it comes to developing business-business school partnerships is how to find the businesses to connect with in the first place. In this two part blog we explore eight opportunities worth exploring.
- Global Compact Local Networks: Similar to the regional PRME Chapters, Global Compact Local Networks bring together businesses in a particular country and organise corporate sustainability activities based on local priorities and needs. These activities range from seminars, reporting trainings, issue-specific workshops, country-based consultations, and policy dialogue to collective action projects, partnerships, networking events, local newsletters, and awards. Many of these are open to the PRME community. There are Local Networks in over 80 countries. For more information click here.
- Global Compact Focus Areas: Businesses in the Global Compact are driving change across a range of corporate sustainability issues and topics. These different focus areas have platforms, meetings, and events, many of which are accessible to PRME Signatories and provide opportunities to connect with likeminded businesses on issues also of interest to schools. Some of these focus areas include:
- Environment: Climate change (including Caring for Climate), Water and Sanitation (including the CEO Water Mandate) and Food and Agriculture (including the Food and Agriculture Business Principles)
- Social Issues: Labour (including the Child Labour Platform), Human Rights, Gender Equality (including the Women’s Empowerment Principles), Children (including the Children’s Rights and Business Principles), Indigenous Peoples, Education.
- Governance: Anti-Corruption (including Anti-Corruption Call to Action), Peace (including Business for Peace, and Rule of Law.
- Global Compact’s Work on Financial Markets: The Global Compact supports a number of projects involving the Financial Sector. This includes the Global Compact 100, Sustainable Stock Exchange Initiative, and Short-Termism in Financial Markets. The Principles for Responsible Investment, a sister initiative of PRME and the Global Compact, has a special academic research network that regularly connects practionners with academic research on thought-provoking analyses, current thinking, and future trends.
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