Sustainability
Esade Sustainability
People committed to our planet and society
Our Purpose
Faithful to our mission and founding Jesuit values, the members of the Esade community are committed to working to build a more humane, fair, caring, sustainable, and respectful society.
With the aim of advancing and firmly establishing ourselves as an exemplary, inclusive, responsible, sustainable, and transparent academic institution, in July 2020, the Esade Executive Committee approved the implementation of the first Institutional Sustainability Plan.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are the roadmap to greater involvement in fields such as social justice, quality education, climate action, and responsible consumption.
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Commitment to achieve carbon neutrality in 2024 in scope 1 and 2 by offsetting non-reducible emissionsWe are committed to actions, education, and research that make a positive impact on the regeneration of our planet. We commit to achieving carbon neutrality by 2024 in scope 1 and 2 by offsetting non-reducible greenhouse gas emissions. Based on our emissions in 2019, we have also established a reduction of scope 3 emissions associated with mobility by 33% by 2030. |
Our Journey
October 2020 - March 2021
Thirteen editions of training workshops in the field of sustainability, Agenda 2030, and the SDGs with the participation of 198 members of the community.
October 2020 – July 2021
Creation of a committee made up of 12 professors and 7 students to review the Business School programs with a view to mainstreaming sustainability across all areas of knowledge.
November 2020 – July 2021
Creation of a 16-member Diversity and Inclusion (DI) working group to identify areas of improvement and set guidelines for promoting an inclusive culture.
February 2021
Holding of a Staff Sustainability event, attended by 250 people, with the aim of analyzing our contribution to the SDGs and identifying proposals for improvement.
February 2021 – July 2021
Materiality assessment based on an in-depth dialogue with key stakeholders. The assessment included 13 focus groups, nine interviews, and three surveys.
February 2021 - November 2021
Carbon footprint calculation for scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.
April 2021
Celebration of the 1st Sustainability Week, jointly organized with various student associations and Esade Alumni, featuring 30 activities related to the SDGs and attended by 553 members of the Esade community.
October 2021 - December 2021
Creation of six working groups tasked with defining specific actions, indicators, and resources needed for each of the dimensions identified in the dialogue with stakeholders.
February 2022
Celebration of the 2nd Sustainability Week, this time organized across all academic programs and including curricular and extracurricular activities. The week also featured three different challenges in the fields of mobility, business simulation, and ESG investment.
February 2022 – Currently
Design and drafting of the plan, including actions in the three main areas of our institution’s academic activity: research, education, and social debate. Specific goals and actions were identified to improve our impact on people and the planet.
Our Impact
Sustainability at Esade aims to have an impact on people, the planet, and governance and culture. The current climate emergency calls for a social transformation based on new approaches and behaviors, and these are not possible without an attitude of discovery and mutual understanding. The planet’s regeneration requires personal transformation and work on environmental, social, and spiritual dimensions. That is why people are at the heart of sustainability.
Our Progress
Sustainability initiatives are carried out in all three of our institution’s main areas of activity: research, education, and social debate. Our campuses act as laboratories for innovation and learning and facilitate the personal transformation of our community. At the same time, we work responsibly and with unwavering commitment to society to forge partnerships that multiply our impact.
Highlights from the 2021/22 academic year
Improved coverage of sustainability in the different programs
The curricular offer has been expanded with new subjects and challenges, as well as the inclusion, for example, of Agenda 2030 and the SDGs in the executive education programs.
Celebration of Sustainability Week
with the inclusion of sustainability in the vast majority of core subjects, thereby helping to mainstream it.
Assessment of Esade’s impact on its regional/international environment
through EFMD Global’s Business School Impact System (BSIS).
Significant advances in operations
such as the purchase of green energy (electricity), the inclusion of ESG criteria in the supplier selection process, and improvements in lighting.
Collaboration with the URL-SDG Committee
on the 2023 Times Higher Education SDG Impact Ranking.
Progress toward making the Esade Foundation’s investment portfolio
which accounts for 50% of its endowment – 100% sustainable in accordance with the European Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFDR).
Workplace climate survey
and drafting of the Equality Plan and Workplace, Sexual and Discriminatory Harassment Protocol.
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Quantifying our carbon footprint for scopes 1, 2 and 3 in keeping with the ISO 14064-1 standardThe quantification of our inventory of market-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions revealed that we produced a total of 10,651.99 tons of CO2e during the 2020-2021 academic year compared to a total of 13,372.07 tons of CO2e during the 2019-2020 academic year, representing a 38.38% drop from one year to the next. These results are extremely positive, though we have to bear in mind that mobility data were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic which began in March of 2020. |