In May 2024, MIM and MBA students came together, with support by the Hoffmann Institute and Student Life Singapore, to organize Earth Week 2024 on the INSEAD Asia Campus in Singapore. This was the first Earth Week on the Asia Campus and featured guest speakers and activities tailored to the continent.
Over four days, students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to attend insightful panels and participate in activities revolving around sustainability in Singapore. As a topic discussed in most workplaces, people are more and more curious about how to integrate a sustainability mindset into their professional lives. Earth Week 2024 brought in experts to answer those questions and explain the different aspects of sustainable practices.
What a Week!
Monday 6 May – Earth Week 2024 kicked off with a series of insightful panels covering a range of critical sustainability topics. Dean of Faculty Professor Peter Joos launched the week-long event, greeting audience members with warm words of encouragement and valuable insights. “Putting sustainability in governance, strategy, risk management and more helps people run their business in a good way, in a sustainable way”, said Professor Joos. “That’s what I think is the most important thing.” Four panels explored different dimensions of sustainability in business:
- Investing in a Sustainable Future: Climate-Tech Ventures
This panel explored the crucial role of capital in fostering innovation and sustainability amidst environmental challenges. Topics include the rise of climate-tech ventures, ESG integration, groundbreaking environmental solutions, investment barriers, the importance of multi-stakeholder collaborations, impact measurement, and future trends in climate and environmental investing. The discussion highlighted opportunities and strategies for driving sustainable investment.
- Empowering Entrepreneurs for Climate Action
This panel explored the role of entrepreneurship in addressing climate change and sustainability challenges. Discussions focused on innovations and success stories for cross-sector collaboration, and the future role of the next generation of climate entrepreneurs.
- Financing the Future with Innovative Investment Strategies
This panel focused on innovative financial models for advancing sustainable infrastructures, such as green bonds, ESG investing, and blended finance. It covered their impact on investments in renewable energy technologies and smart grids. Discussions included the role of government and public-private partnerships. The panel highlighted promising financing models in the Asian market as well as lessons learned from unsuccessful examples. The session concluded with a look at future trends and collective steps for ensuring a sustainable financial landscape.
- Integrating ESG in Business Strategy
In the panel discussion, experts explored Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices, emphasizing their ethical and community-focused integration into corporate strategies, using the hotel industry as an example. The panel discussed impact measurement tools like the Ying-Yang tool and the BOW index for sustainable eyewear, stressing transparency and combating greenwashing. Newcomers to ESG were advised to build skills, understand local challenges, and stay updated on regulations, particularly in Europe. The panel underscored ESG's crucial role in promoting ethical, sustainable, and community-oriented business practices.
Speakers working in finance, tech and investment came to talk about their experience integrating sustainability into strategy and project management. CEOs and staff explained the mentality and resources needed to plan and lead a sustainable project or impact organization.
Tuesday 7 May – The Earth Week team partnered with Sodexo, the INSEAD on-campus food vendor, to host a culinary workshop focused on sustainable eating. Head Chef Prabu and the cooking staff set up in the Mezzanine to engage and inform students and faculty members. Participants learned about recipes made from locally sourced ingredients – including the campus rooftop! – and ate a healthy lunch prepared by the chefs.
Wednesday 8 May – Wednesday evening was reserved for a guided tour of the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. Privileged participants experienced a unique look at the history of sustainability in the bay area of Singapore. This included learning about the local fauna and flora, and green aspects of building from the foundation to advanced cooling systems. Singapore’s dedication to sustainable building and nature conservation is inspired by its landscape, reflecting the country’s expertise and vision.
Thursday, 9 May – Earth Week wrapped up with Climate Fresk Workshops on the Asia Campus. These workshops use the latest IPCC science to teach fundamental climate change concepts through gamification. This approach equips students and staff with a deeper understanding of the climate crisis and the challenges they may encounter in their professional journeys. Participants use critical thinking skills and teamwork to identify priorities and pain points of addressing sustainability, and collaboration strategies to move forward. Guest speaker Jen Tan from Sembcorp shared real-world insights about navigating the energy transition that so many companies struggle with.
What is Next?
Earth Week 2024 on the Asia Campus was a huge success. Events and workshops engaged students, faculty and staff around the latest trends in sustainable business. Experts shared insights from their experiences and showcased the value of sustainable and responsible business practices. The Hoffmann Institute looks forward to collaborating on more Earth Week activities on all our campuses.
Earth Week – along with Health Week – is part of an ongoing effort by the Institute and forward-thinking students to engage around sustainable practices. This raises awareness of the need for environmental stewardship, human health and an integrated approach to sustainability in responsible business leadership. We call on everyone who joined Earth Week 2024 to act on one thing they learned and help change the world for the better.
The Hoffmann Institute would like to thank all MIM and MBA student organizers of Earth Week 2024, all the expert speakers and panellists, and our faculty, partners and staff who joined the Week’s activities. The Institute looks forward to future Earth Week events and more opportunities to engage around the value of environmental stewardship.
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