BLOG: What we learned from the Centre for Sustainable Business launch event
Director, Professor Jo Meehan, explains how feedback on sustainability challenges gathered during the Centre’s launch event, has helped focus research priorities and shape plans for the year 2023.
It was a pleasure to officially launch the new Centre for Sustainable Business (CSB), based in the University of Liverpool Management School in October.
Under the theme ‘reimagining business’, over 100 businesses and policymakers attended the event, and listened to keynote speakers, Jeremy Nicholls -SDG Assurance Framework Lead at the UNDP, and Kate Downes and Katie Dean - Assistant Director for Evidence, Research & Intelligence, and Strategic Transformation Lead- from the LCRCA.
Find out more about our collaboration with the LCRCA
The event was not only an opportunity to present the Centre, but also to learn what the most pressing sustainability challenges are for different organisations in our region, and find out how the CBS can support them in the future.
Strategic planning and better understanding of sustainability issues
Through a public poll, attendees were invited to share their experience on the issues they have encountered so far in managing the social and environmental emergencies.
Although insufficient resources were mentioned as an important factor, an overwhelming majority of respondents pointed at a lack of strategic vision as the main hindrance to successful sustainability planning and implementation.
The broad scope of sustainability, the concept not being fully understood and insufficient commitment form top level management, were indicated as likely causes.
Respondents also reported efforts to increase organisational awareness around frameworks, policies and best practice, through courses and consultation with experts, and via the recruitment of sustainability related roles.
However, despite respondents welcoming these initiatives, they admitted the levels of success at the present time were quite modest.
When asked about how their organisations and business eco-systems could be ‘reimagined’ for a more sustainable future, several respondents highlighted an urgency to redefine the concept of ‘value’ as a key challenge.
This meant reimagining in realistic terms, how to reconcile profit generation with the need to guarantee positive outcomes for people and the planet, in the context of their business.
Most respondents admitted the difficulty in tackling this challenge, and suggested the CSB could provide significant support via joint research, sustainability audits, technical advice and consultancy, and adapting knowledge and evidence for the context of specific organisations.
At a global level, access to key insights, best practice and collaborative workshops, were also highlighted as important areas the Centre could support with.
Following the launch event, we have continued speaking to businesses to better understand how the CSB can support their sustainability journeys and help to shape futures that are environmentally and socially just.
Plans for 2023
Based on business feedback, we have planned an initial programme of events and activities, beginning in early 2023.
This includes a set of curated ‘insight’ articles, where we will translate our latest research evidence, amplify diverse business and policy perspectives, and share how we are embedding sustainability skills and education into our student experience.
In February, we are teaming up with the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) to co-host the first of a series of practical Circular Economy Club events to bring the circular economy to life for organisations and communities across the Liverpool City Region.
In June, the Centre will co-host an event on risk and uncertainty in decision making for sustainability with the University of Liverpool’s Institute for Risk and Uncertainty.
And as our most ambitious event for 2023, we are organising the inaugural CSB Conference on 28 June, where the Centre’s team and Advisory Board members will share research insights, summarise upcoming policies, support practical action plans, and invite you to collectively ‘reimagine business’.
If you would like to contribute to our insight series, particularly to share innovations for social and environmental business practice or experience in delivering on the business-not-as-usual agenda, please get in touch.