Business leaders are under pressure to address the climate crisis, but they can’t do so alone. Climate alliances can help leaders and firms be more ambitious, responsible, and effective in driving the systems change necessary to save the planet.

In response to global crises, a group of European business schools have come together to equip the leaders of tomorrow with the skills needed to tackle these challenges.

Eight of Europe’s top business schools are combining their expertise, research, and alumni networks to help drive sustainable change. Here’s why

The Business Schools for Climate Leadership Forum Second Edition saw representatives from eight top European institutions including IMD and London Business School collaborate to find climate solutions

Carbon emissions transcend firms and borders—they are a massive, unpriced externality. Companies across industries are increasingly waking up to the need to cooperate in the fight against climate change but the law might get in the way. Across Europe and the U.S., regulators are discussing whether corporate climate collaborations violate antitrust law. Companies need to keep an eye on this debate, and regulators should strive to incorporate the effect of a partnership on emissions into antitrust considerations.

Business schools have much to contribute to the fight against climate change. They are experts in organizational transformation, performance measurement, operations, marketing, leadership, and governance. A group of eight business schools has come together to find ways in which business schools can collaborate to forge a community of responsible and educated business leaders.

In an article published in The Economist, Peter Tufano, Dean of the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford until 2021, presents the project BS4CL, a group of eight European business schools which have joined together to help business leaders combat the climate crisis facing the planet.

While several actors of the economic and financial sectors committed themselves to climate actions during the COP26, business schools did not want to be outdone in this effort and forged BS4CL, which Forbes describes as an alliance of academic thought leaders including Oxford Saïd Business School, Cambridge Judge Business School, HEC Paris, IE Business School, IESE Business School, INSEAD, IMD and London Business School. They will collaborate in an effort to drive business towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The Financial Times presents BS4CL that gathers eight of Europe’s leading business schools in order to join forces on academic research about climate change, strengthen teaching and improve outreach between staff, former and current students.

Climate change isn’t a problem for political leaders to solve alone. Business has a responsibility to help, and to lead, as well.