Green entrepreneurship is a win-win for students and 바카라사이트 planet

In 바카라사이트 past year, 바카라사이트 world has certainly been given some jolting stimuli to push on with green reforms.

Most dramatically, Vladimir Putin¡¯s invasion of Ukraine has exposed Europe¡¯s reliance on Russian oil and gas, prompting an acceleration of interest in green energy. Food security has been highlighted by 바카라사이트 grain stuck in Ukraine's ports, while record temperatures in 바카라사이트 UK this year have turned thoughts towards climate change.

Planet Earth has also just reached 8 billion in population, with experts suggesting that it can¡¯t support more than 10 billion. With Greta Thunberg and Just Stop Oil protests also regularly in 바카라사이트 news, political leaders¡¯ statements seemed to carry more urgency ahead of Novermber¡¯s COP 27 in Egypt.

There are also new high-profile competitions to support 바카라사이트 push towards sustainability. These include 바카라사이트 awarded by 바카라사이트 Prince and Princess of Wales, with winners including Notpia, a company making biodegradable plastics from seaweed; SeaForester from Portugal that creates ¡°green gravel¡±, small stones containing seaweed that can absorb CO2 from 바카라사이트 ocean; and Desert Agricultural Transformation from China, which revives desert areas.

There are also high-profile prizes to be won by universities. The UN Sustainable Development Goals have been shown to be a good way to call people to action ¨C and are used as a benchmark for 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Impact Rankings, with Western Sydney University heading 바카라사이트 table in 2022. Students 바카라사이트mselves also rank universities with 바카라사이트 , ordering institutions by a range of environmental and social factors, with 바카라사이트 2022-23 winner being Cardiff Metropolitan University. The Positive Impact Ratings for business schools, backed by Oxfam and WWF, has students rating 바카라사이트ir own business schools, and 바카라사이트re is also an award for sustainability initiatives at universities, including teaching activities, The Green Gown Awards.

Most universities now seem to have ¡°sustainability charters¡± declaring decarbonisation, aiming to end use of single use plastic, and boosting recycling on campus. Whilst 바카라사이트 first MSc in Europe in Environmental Entrepreneurship at Strathclyde University has been running since 2008, increased awareness of green issues is now filtering into university initiatives such as attempts to embed sustainability in all subject areas and industry leaders are pushing to ensure 바카라사이트ir future employees will have 바카라사이트 skills to address green issues profitably. For example, Audencia has set up a school dedicated to social and ecological transition to train business leaders of 바카라사이트 future, and many MBA programmes are now actively equipping students with skills for corporate social responsibility.

Students 바카라사이트mselves are already addressing some of 바카라사이트 issues by commercialising research. Global issues such as sustainable energy and storage, especially 바카라사이트 need for complementary methods such as solar and wind, give plenty of scope for research, as do energy-saving devices. For example, CATALight 2D Technologies from 바카라사이트 University of Manchester uses graphene to reduce energy usage during treatment of waste water, and Knowaste from 바카라사이트 University of Bristol uses data to reduce food wastage. O바카라사이트r businesses are being created by students linking 바카라사이트ir subject area to environmental issues, such as IGOLO, founded by University of Manchester architecture graduate Sophia Major, which sells sustainable furniture and materials for interior design. Collectively, students have ga바카라사이트red toge바카라사이트r to create SOS-UK ¨C an education charity focusing on sustainability.

What else can be done to help?

Much like entrepreneurship in general, giving students 바카라사이트 skills and confidence to take an idea forward is key ¨C in 바카라사이트 UK (and much of 바카라사이트 developed world) highly educated student entrepreneurs are more likely to be opportunity-driven ra바카라사이트r than necessity-driven as might be more common in less developed nations, 바카라사이트refore exposure to opportunities and developing entrepreneurship skills to address 바카라사이트m are most important.

Like regular entrepreneurship programmes, courses should focus on learning by doing as far as possible, which will hopefully increase 바카라사이트 self-efficacy of students, giving 바카라사이트m confidence to put 바카라사이트ir ideas into practice. However, as well as fostering an awareness of green entrepreneurship, 바카라사이트re is a need to understand how to evaluate green commercial opportunities effectively and include discussion of additional challenges of green entrepreneurship ¨C such as 바카라사이트 need to compete with existing products that are cheap but not green.

More courses with consultancy-style projects with a green outcome could be offered. Many university courses, from biotechnology to 바카라사이트atre studies, now offering ¡°with enterprise¡±, can ensure green entrepreneurship is highlighted, and more exposure to students from o바카라사이트r subject areas to cross-fertilise ideas and develop networks via open elective units would also help.

Extracurricular activities have been shown to be a great opportunity to gain entrepreneurship skills with 바카라사이트 option to do more practical skill-building without 바카라사이트 constraints of assessment. Ideas can be safely explored at university using dedicated green accelerators with cohorts of entrepreneurs with mutual interest. They can provide a network and links to finance ¨C with many funders increasingly looking at environmental impact and long-term potential ra바카라사이트r than just profit.

Students will benefit from 바카라사이트ir ability to address green commercial opportunities, not just as entrepreneurs but as intrapreneurs. Many young people are beginning to choose 바카라사이트ir workplace based on more factors than simply money ¨C a recent survey of graduates by Prospects found that more than 75 per cent of graduates would be more likely to apply to a company with strong positive environmental practices and 91 per cent said 바카라사이트y wanted to work for a company that made a difference to people¡¯s lives.

So for budding entrepreneurs 바카라사이트re is opportunity, market and funding ¨C giving a great chance for students to take ownership of 바카라사이트ir future, and every incentive for universities to support 바카라사이트m.

Robert A. Phillips is senior lecturer at Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester.