University of Sussex Business School
Guest speakers: Dr. Petros Vourvachis (Loughborough Business School) and Dr Laura Steele (Queen’s Business School)
Date & Time: Tuesday 11 March, 2.00 pm -3.30 pm.
Venue: Jubilee G-32, University of Sussex Business School & Zoom (https://universityofsussex.zoom.us/j/94100023816)
Sustainability reporting is an increasingly important responsibility for universities and business schools, influenced by regulatory pressures, accreditation requirements, and voluntary initiatives such as the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). While reporting frameworks provide a structure for institutions to document their sustainability efforts, there is ongoing debate about whether these reports genuinely drive change or merely serve as compliance exercises.
This seminar will explore the evolving landscape of business school sustainability reporting, introducing key academic literature, frameworks, and challenges. We will discuss how universities, and particularly business schools, are responding to sustainability pressures, with a focus on PRME’s reporting priorities and their alignment with other accreditation bodies. Drawing on our ongoing research project for the purpose of PRME Champions 2024-25 Cycle, which includes Sussex Business School among its contributors, we will share early findings on reporting practices, institutional responses, and stakeholder engagement.
Ultimately, we will consider the broader implications of sustainability reporting: does it translate into meaningful action, or does it risk becoming a box-ticking exercise? What barriers prevent reporting from driving real change? And how can institutions leverage reporting not just for compliance, but to shape the future of sustainability in business education?
Presenter biographies:
Dr. Petros Vourvachis is a Senior Lecturer in Financial Accounting and PRME Lead at Loughborough Business School. His research specialism lies in sustainability reporting, where he’s been exploring the effectiveness of introduced regulatory reporting initiatives in several areas of public interest. Petros has produced two SIP reports for Loughborough Business School, one of which has been recognised for exemplary reporting (2023).
Dr. Laura Steele is a Reader in Business and Society and Director of Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability/PRME Lead at Queen’s Business School, Belfast. Laura was elected to the PRME UK and Ireland (UKI) Chapter Steering Committee in 2022, where she currently serves as Vice-Chair and Co-Lead for Organisational Learning and SIP Reporting. She has led several workshops dedicated to PRME SIP reporting and was involved in organising a consultation on the future of SIPs for the UKI Chapter in 2022. Laura has produced four SIPs for Queen’s Business School, two of which have been recognised for exemplary reporting (2020 and 2022).
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