INSEAD takes First Steps in the Race to Net Zero

A group of INSEAD Master in Management (MIM) students recently organized the INSEAD Climate Run initiative as part of the INSEAD community’s support for Net Zero.

The initiative, consisting of a charitable running event and a series of climate change talks, took place between the 2^nd and the 13^th of May. Aimed at raising funds for the Protection of Tanzanian Forests for Indigenous Peoples, Wildlife and the Climate, a myclimate project, the run was held on INSEAD’s campuses in Fontainebleau, Singapore, Abu Dhabi and San Francisco.

INSEAD students, alumni, staff and members of the community participated in the charity run. More than 120 MIM and MBA students attended the presentations. Speakers discussed what steps can be taken, on an individual or business level, in the race towards Net Zero.

INSEAD Climate run team : Michael (Teng-Kai) Chang, David Young, Shiho Namiki, Matthieu Manzoni, Gewen Cheng, Weicong Zhang, Nacho Vázquez Narváez and Thomas Maurenbrecher

Luc Heering from Protect Our Winters, an NGO seeking to reduce climate change effects on mountain communities and winter sports, discussed climate change developments and its impact on the environment.

Ipsita Bhatia from Count Us In, a London based community that aggregates and counts the practical steps that individuals and organizations are taking toward climate change reduction, discussed green strategies. Count Us In, published an INSEAD Climate Run page on its website, highlighting the initiative’s impact including potential carbon savings and pledges made by participants.

Representatives from South Pole, a sustainability consultancy, highlighted how they help businesses become green and reduce their impact on the environment, demonstrating that it is possible to do well by doing good. The speakers also discussed their motivations for choosing careers in sustainability consulting and the opportunities available to INSEAD students in their organization.

INSEAD MBA ‘99J alumnae Georgina Grenon, Director of Environmental Excellence for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Committee, shared some of the ambitious climate goals that the committee had set for the Games, highlighting that drastic changes are feasible in a short amount of time with the right vision and motivation. She added that everyone should become climate athletes and consistently work towards the goal of reaching net zero.

“This was the first iteration of the INSEAD Climate Run, an initiative that we believe, and hope will continue with future generations of students, with the kind support of bodies like INSEAD’s very own Climate Impact Challenge and the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society. With the handoff to the next MIM cohort happening in just a few weeks, we are thrilled to have started this initiative and look forward to seeing what future generations of INSEAD leaders can make this event into,” said organizers of the INSEAD Climate Run Team.