The Warwick Business School campus

The campus at Warwick Business School is full of greenery

Warwick Business School has been named the joint greenest business school in the UK after climbing the Financial Times’ world rankings. 

The Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2023 sees WBS move two places up to 55th in the world, 14th in Europe and sixth in the UK, while also being named joint first in the UK and 17th in the world in its Carbon Footprint Rank. 

Alongside the University of Warwick, WBS has committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and scope three emissions, which are those outside the direct control of WBS like staff travelling to work, by 2050. 

Warwick was among the first UK Universities to develop a Carbon Management Plan and since 2005 WBS and the University have nearly halved their carbon emissions per metre squared. 

David Elmes, Professor of Practice, who helped WBS and the University set their net zero goals and declare a climate emergency in 2019, said: “This is great news for the school and shows we are leading by example in what is the biggest issue facing our planet. 

“Our sustainability strategy is not only about reducing our own emissions to become net zero, but also centres on leading the research agenda for sustainability transformation, embedding sustainability in our curriculum and educating the business leaders of the future to take their organisations on a path to net zero. 

“All our core modules in our Full-time MBA have at least a quarter of their content addressing issues of sustainability. Then there’s a suite of elective modules to take it further.   

“We started with electives focused on sustainability with Sustainability & the Low Carbon Economy modue in 2010, but it is now so pervasive and urgently important it needs to be across the core of an MBA.” 

WBS was also ranked 23rd in the world in the FT’s ESG and Net Zero Teaching Rank, which measures the proportion of teaching hours from core courses dedicated to environmental, social and governance issues. 

The Carbon Footprint Rank is a new metric introduced by the Financial Times to reflect the growing importance of sustainability among MBA students, with its ranking covering the top one per cent of business schools across the world. 

Sustainability is embedded across the core Full-time MBA curriculum with graduates going on to work for some of the biggest companies in the world, joining management training schemes at the likes of Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Accenture, JP Morgan and consulting giants McKinsey. 

Andy Lockett, Dean of WBS and Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, said: “This is another hugely encouraging ranking that sees us grow our reputation internationally. Our Full-time MBA has grown rapidly in recent years with demand for places meaning we now have two full-time cohorts running alongside each other. 

“The new sustainability metrics in the ranking are an important step and back-up Corporate Knights’ rating of our MBA as the second most sustainable in the world, best in Europe and top in the UK. 

“We have invested a lot in sustainability across the school and will continue to do so as we aim to reach net zero. Those studying our MBAs will graduate to be the business leaders of tomorrow, so it is vital they take the necessary tools and knowledge with them to build sustainable organisations.” 

To see the full Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2023 click here.