University of Exeter Business School wins THE Business School of the Year in industry “Oscars”

Awarded last night (Thursday Nov 17), the accolade is among the most prestigious in the industry, in recognition of the University of Exeter Business School’s commitment to addressing the climate crisis. The School has made sustainability a major focus of its strategy and mission through research, education and partnerships, in line with its strong belief  that business has a crucial role to play in tackling the global climate emergency.

Professor Lisa Roberts, Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter, said: “I’m so delighted with this outstanding and well-deserved recognition of our Business School as the leading light in taking meaningful action on the climate crisis. It’s an incredible testament to our staff, who are pioneering research that changes the culture and practices of business, while maintaining high standards of student satisfaction and training the next generation of global business leaders. I’d like to extend a huge thanks and congratulations to all our staff, students and supporters for this tremendous achievement.

Its NetZeroPlus initiative, which aims to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere by planting 750,000 hectares of trees in the UK before 2050, has attracted funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The school was also chosen to lead a new £30 million UKRI programme, the National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Hub, to create business models for the circular economy.

Exeter’s research into a novel way of measuring economic growth that takes into account how nature contributes to the economy – the Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) – was officially approved for use by the United Nations and has been included in a “green book” of guidance for civil servants issued by the Treasury.

Locally, too, the School has taken a lead on sustainability, partnering with business owners in the south-west to help companies adapt to new economic climates. This year, it launched the Exeter Sustainable Finance Centre, which uses research on sustainable and responsible finance to tackle climate change and income inequality.

Award judges commended Exeter for its commitment to sustainability and climate action, themes that cut “right across everything they do, from research to teaching and outreach”. The panel singled out the School for its work on making changes to the Treasury’s “green book”, which was a “notoriously difficult thing to achieve”, the judges noted.

Professor Alexandra Gerbasi, Dean of the University of Exeter Business School, said: “This award really is the pinnacle of recognition for a UK business school, and I couldn’t be more proud of our phenomenal community. The vision, dedication, and innovation of our staff, students, graduates and supporters is what makes the difference – to us as a university, but more importantly, to impacting positive change in the region and worldwide.”

Nearly 1,000 people gathered at the Hilton London Metropole Hotel for the ceremony, which attracted hundreds of entries from across the UK and Ireland.