BS4CL Africa: A Year of Acceleration in Climate Leadership and Collaborative Initiatives

On 24 October, BS4CL Africa (Business Schools for Climate Leadership Africa) held its 3rd Annual Deans Roundtable, hosted by ESCA Ecole de Management in Casablanca, Morocco. This year’s event underscored the growing momentum of BS4CL Africa, an alliance launched at COP27 in Egypt, with support from PRME Chapter Africa and BS4CL Europe, to champion climate leadership across the continent through collaborative actions.

Themed "Accelerating Impact," the roundtable gathered deans and representatives from six prominent institutions: AUC School of Business (Egypt), ESCA Ecole de Management (Morocco), Strathmore Business School (Kenya), Lagos Business School (Nigeria), GIBS Business School (South Africa), and Stellenbosch University (South Africa).

Over the past year, BS4CL Africa has expanded its reach and demonstrated impactful climate leadership through various initiatives, including the BS4CL Africa Impact Report—a collective overview of climate leadership actions and achievements from each institution. The launch of the BS4CL Africa website also marked a major milestone, offering a dedicated platform for knowledge exchange, advocacy, and fostering collaboration among African business schools on climate issues.

The roundtable discussions highlighted several key areas for advancing BS4CL Africa’s mission:

1. Measuring Impact: The deans emphasized the importance of refining methodologies to better assess both collective and individual school impacts on climate leadership and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
2. Engagement and Outreach: Participants explored strategies to broaden BS4CL Africa's reach, particularly through stakeholder engagement and developing the BS4CL website as a central resource hub.
3. Research and Capacity Building: The group focused on enhancing joint research efforts, launching collaborative climate leadership papers, and increasing partnerships across African business schools.
4. Resource Mobilization: Deans reaffirmed their commitment to pooling resources and expertise, vital to achieving the alliance’s climate leadership mission.
5. Advocacy: Recognizing the importance of elevating BS4CL Africa’s voice in climate policy, participants discussed ways to position African business schools as influential contributors in regional and international climate dialogues, particularly those impacting Africa.
6. Global Collaboration: Participants emphasized the importance of leveraging connections with EU partners, the UN Global Compact, and PRME to further amplify BS4CL Africa’s global impact.

With a shared sense of urgency, attendees pledged to lead specific initiatives over the coming year aimed at scaling their impact and advancing climate leadership strategies tailored to Africa’s unique challenges.

In attendance at this year’s roundtable were:

• Thami Ghorfi, President, ESCA Ecole de Management, Morocco
• Morris Mthombeni, Dean, GIBS Business School, South Africa
• Jako Volschenk, Stellenbosch Business School, South Africa
• Samer Atallah, AUC School of Business, Egypt
• Caesar Mwangi, Strathmore Business School, Kenya
• Olayinka David-West, Lagos Business School, Nigeria (online)
• Sherwat Elwan Ibrahim, AUC School of Business, Egypt
• Tanya DosSantos, GIBS Business School, South Africa
• Chinwe Ajene-Sagna, Lagos Business School, Nigeria
• Dina Abdel Fattah, AUC School of Business, Egypt
• Saad Laraqui, ESCA Ecole de Management, Morocco
• Jill Bogie, GIBS Business School, South Africa (online)
• Mumbi Wachira, Strathmore Business School, Kenya (online)
• Fernanda Accorsi, IESE, Spain
• Fernando Diaz Lopez, HEC, France

Looking Ahead:

As BS4CL Africa looks toward COP29, it's dedicated to expanding its reach and influence across the continent. Future endeavors will include new partnerships, climate advocacy initiatives, and a continued presence at global climate events. Stay tuned for updates as BS4CL Africa leads the charge for sustainable business education and climate action in Africa.