Building blocks of a successful staff-student environmental, social and governance committee

Sustainability is a crucial focus for many educational institutions worldwide. But how do you ensure that all stakeholders embrace your sustainability initiatives?

Gaining unanimous buy-in on your institution’s sustainability decisions can be challenging, which is why forming a staff-student environmental, social and governance (ESG) committee might be the best solution.

This committee oversees the development and implementation of your institution’s environmental, social and governance strategy, making sure that policies remain relevant and practical. By involving students, you ensure that your initiatives align with their needs, while gaining valuable insights to guide your strategic goals, monitor performance, and recommend resources and funding for environmental, social and governance-related activities.

Here are practical steps to successfully launch such a committee, drawing on my experience of successfully doing so at ESCP Business School London Campus in 2022.

1. Strategic alignment: is sustainability a priority for your institution?

Before forming a committee, evaluate whether, or how, sustainability aligns with existing institutional and departmental strategic priorities. Prioritising sustainability is resource-intensive and requires a holistic approach involving all departments. So, start by identifying all the key transversal pillars such as education, research, governance and student experience into which sustainability efforts must be integrated. This will help form a strong foundation for a successful sustainability strategy that embeds smoothly across all functions.

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2. Horizontal or vertical? Find the right structure

Determine whether a committee is the right structure for your institution, based on how decisions are typically made. Consider whether appointing a single person would be sufficient to address your institution’s sustainability goals or if a broader, collective approach is needed. If your institution, like ours, already has several dedicated committees, a horizontal decision-making structure may be the best approach to distribute responsibilities and achieve results more holistically and effectively.

3. Key voices: who should be involved in your committee?

Once you are set on creating a committee, the next step is to identify key stakeholders who should be involved. Keep the core group small and focused, inviting additional guests as needed. The effectiveness of the committee will depend heavily on the organisation and commitment of its members. The size of the committee will also depend on your institution’s priorities and the scope of sustainability initiatives.

Important: While it’s tempting to involve only staff-led departments, don’t forget your students. They are the biggest stakeholder population on campus and should have an equal say in setting your environmental, social and governance-related priorities.

Recently, students have become increasingly vocal about the need for institutions to prioritise sustainability. They seek to study and work at places that not only advocate for but actively practise sustainability. Involving students ensures that your initiatives align with both their current needs and future aspirations, while also boosting overall engagement and satisfaction.

Depending on your institution’s size and level of investment in sustainability, your core team may vary. We recommend inviting representatives from these key groups to start with:

• Sustainability team
• Faculty
• Research team
• Student experience team
• Facilities
• Students’ union.

Our core committee currently has seven members, which has recently increased by one, to include the social impact lead.

4. Set the ground rules: priorities, roles and expectations

Agree on priorities early on to shape the committee’s agenda and determine the frequency of meetings. Balancing student needs with organisational goals will be key. When students feel heard and included, they will become powerful advocates for the changes you want to implement.

For instance, we found that engaging students early on led to unexpected insights. During one of our initial meetings, students, backed up by our sustainability officer, proposed replacing all single-use cups with eco-friendly options. This seemingly small change ended up nearly eliminating single-use container waste on campus after being fully embraced by the entire campus community – and later by our sister campuses in other countries.

Define the roles and responsibilities of each core committee member to ensure smooth operation. Clear communication and setting realistic expectations will also help prevent misunderstandings and ensure effective collaboration.

We use several tools to keep everything organised and on track, which you might find useful if you are just starting this process:

• A “terms of reference” document outlining the committee’s scope, members, responsibilities and structure
• Structured agendas, distributed well in advance, to keep meetings focused, productive and inclusive of everyone’s discussion points
• AI for minute-taking, backed up by a human counterpart to ensure accuracy
• Project timeline management tools to track progress and key milestones, which might be particularly helpful for more complex and long-term projects.

These tools will be a great start to ensure that the committee remains focused, collaborative and efficient, driving real results across the institution.

The results of some sustainability initiatives may take time, especially with distributed responsibilities, but a well-structured staff-student environmental, social and governance committee practically guarantees long-term impact.

Once priorities are set, each member shares ownership for execution within their respective area, which makes all the difference. This collaborative, organised approach will help you align sustainability goals with operational realities more effectively, fostering a shared commitment to positive change across the whole organisation, instead of isolated departments.

Now, all that’s left is to ask yourself – is your institution ready to take the next step?

Emily Centeno is director of marketing, admissions, communications, events and sustainability at ESCP Business School’s London campus and the local chair of the Environmental, Social and Governance Committee. ESCP Business School was shortlisted for Business School of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards 2024 #THEAwards. A full list of shortlisted candidates can be found here. 

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