GSB, Make Climate Change a Core Subject
The GSB, renowned for its access to innovation and for its entrepreneurs, is always adapting its curriculum to reflect the latest trends. But not climate change — yet.
Watching Palo Alto’s skies turn orange last summer and hearing for the second year in a row how the wildfires were the worst ever, I couldn’t help but think: Why doesn’t the GSB teach all students about climate change, and how businesses need to adapt and help fight it?
This year, not one GSB course from the entire catalogue mentions the environment, sustainability, or climate change as a key topic to be addressed in their description. Two of them mention renewables, and maybe a handful will acknowledge climate change in class. This is not enough. The GSB says it wants to develop leaders who will change the world. But it fails to give them one essential tool: understanding the future.
The GSB, renowned for its access to innovation and for its entrepreneurs, is always adapting its curriculum to reflect the latest trends. But not climate change.
We desperately need mandatory sessions on what climate change is, how it will transform the world, what we need to do — and why it is also an opportunity. But this is not enough.
We need investment classes that teach students how to invest in tomorrow’s green unicorns and avoid climate-risky investments.
We need operations classes to focus on sustainability, so that we can help companies with their soon-to-be biggest operational challenge.
We need accounting classes to address environmental accounting, as this is where the future of accounting is.
We need ethics classes to talk about our behavior toward climate change.
HEC, HBS and Wharton are covering climate change in their core requirements. MIT Sloan offers dozens of environment-related classes. INSEAD has appointed a sustainability chair to lead the way on understanding the intersection between business and the environment. It’s probably not enough, but already so much more than what we are doing.
The GSB wants to remain the best MBA program, so asking what other schools are doing when challenged about the lack of climate change related instruction troubles me. How can you innovate if you only follow what others do? How do you expect to teach students entrepreneurship, when you are too afraid or blind to lead in your own field? How do you expect to instill ethics in your students, when you are more driven by competition than by doing what’s good?
What I know and learn about climate change as a joint MBA/Environment degree student is making me question everything about my life. Where should I live to limit my travel needs? Should I have kids if we do not get our climate under control? How can I use my career to make a change?
Why can’t the GSB question its own MBA program?
But I am hopeful. I still believe that nations and companies will understand the stakes and stop misleading employees and the public. And I trust that institutions like ours will show the way to both businesses and countries, and help our society reach the vital net-zero carbon emissions target by 2050 and the 50 percent reduction target by 2030.
Now, more than ever, we desperately need executives who understand how sustainability can be compatible with profits. We need board members who understand that environmental sustainability is more than a public relations stunt. We need consultants who understand how a company can embrace the circular economy. We need startup founders aware of tomorrow’s challenges. We need business leaders who understand the difference between greenwashing and meaningful action.
Stanford is home to some of the most prominent experts on climate change. All the GSB needs to do is bring these experts closer and make their voices heard. So that we students can take those lessons far and wide.
