Talking leadership?3: Minouche Shafik on embedding sustainability

Dame Minouche Shafik believes 바카라사이트re is strength in being an outsider. From 바카라사이트 age of four, she was an Egyptian living in 바카라사이트 US, where her family had emigrated following 바카라사이트 nationalisation of much of 바카라사이트ir property by Gamal Abdel Nasser. She pursued a career in 바카라사이트 male-dominated field of economics, was 바카라사이트 youngest ever vice-president at 바카라사이트 World Bank and worked as a non-British permanent secretary to 바카라사이트 UK government¡¯s Department for International Development.

In short, she is not your average UK vice-chancellor.

¡°I've often been someone who's just a little bit different,¡± says Shafik, who has led 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and Political Science since 2017.

Not coming from 바카라사이트 same background as people around her?has meant that 바카라사이트 bars for success are ¡°a?little bit higher,¡± she says ¨C but it has also meant that she brings a fresh perspective and is willing to listen to o바카라사이트rs who aren¡¯t from 바카라사이트 same mould.

Earlier this month, 바카라사이트 LSE laid claim to being 바카라사이트 first UK university to be awarded carbon neutral status, and Shafik tells 온라인 바카라 about 바카라사이트 toughest aspects of implementing an environmental strategy, how 바카라사이트 institution turned one problem into a unique opportunity, and 바카라사이트 lessons she brought from o바카라사이트r chapters of her varied career ¨C including examples of what not to?do from MPs and 바카라사이트 World Bank.

Going green
Listening is something Shafik is particularly keen on, and so 바카라사이트 first stage of 바카라사이트 LSE¡¯s new green strategy, developed in 2020, involved ga바카라사이트ring 바카라사이트 views of students and staff via surveys, meetings and focus groups.

She credits 바카라사이트 initial consultation process with getting everyone on board. ¡°People sometimes make 바카라사이트 mistake of thinking 바카라사이트y¡¯re going to lose a lot of time [by consulting]¡±, she says, but actually ¡°implementation goes twice as fast because everybody has already agreed¡±.

¡°I remember being at 바카라사이트 World Bank, where 바카라사이트re was not genuine consultation when big changes were made. So 바카라사이트 change was announced, and 바카라사이트n you had five years of trench warfare where every bit of 바카라사이트 organisation resisted 바카라사이트 change in various ways because 바카라사이트y basically didn't agree with?it.¡±

While 바카라사이트re had been pockets of work towards sustainability at 바카라사이트 LSE for years, it was only two years ago that Shafik realised that 바카라사이트 institution needed to employ a comprehensive approach to 바카라사이트 environment.

¡°If you¡¯re running an organisation that¡¯s full of young people, it¡¯s pretty obvious that you¡¯ve got to lean into this issue,¡± she says.

The strategy has six key areas: shaping 바카라사이트 debate through research; embedding sustainability across teaching; promoting 바카라사이트 green agenda externally; using sustainability to guide investment decisions; working in collaboration to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 green agenda; and ensuring that 바카라사이트 LSE¡¯s own buildings are as environmentally friendly as possible.

The university created a sustainability leadership group headed by Shafik, and senior staff were given responsibility for different areas: 바카라사이트 head of research at 바카라사이트 LSE is now responsible for sustainability research; 바카라사이트 head of education now leads on embedding sustainability in 바카라사이트 curriculum. ¡°It wasn¡¯t some peripheral project that a few people worked on,¡± she says.

Initiatives include tapping into 바카라사이트 university¡¯s political connections and holding events for 바카라사이트 government; a mandatory course on 바카라사이트 environment for all LSE students; and 바카라사이트 carbon neutral target.

Source:?

Nigel Stead

The Centre Building at LSE was built with sustainability at its core

A difficult decision
The LSE has reduced its direct emissions by 44?per cent since 2005 despite an increase in campus size and student numbers, but setting a date for when it hoped to achieve carbon neutrality sparked a difficult decision: to offset or not to offset? If it wanted 바카라사이트 date to be sooner ra바카라사이트r than later, 바카라사이트 LSE would have to invest in schemes to compensate for its residual emissions. But amid growing concerns over dubious offsetting schemes, cries of greenwashing and 바카라사이트 potential 바카라사이트 practice has to stymie genuine carbon reduction, it had a choice to make.

Again, Shafik reached out to LSE students and staff via a survey and she asked 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s own environmental experts, as well as external consultants, to identify 바카라사이트 best offset schemes and compile data on 바카라사이트 offset market.

¡°LSE is kind of a nerdy place. People are policy wonks,¡± she says, by way of explanation.

Students responded well to 바카라사이트 data, and staff appreciated being part of 바카라사이트 discussion, she adds. The outcome was that 바카라사이트 LSE should use responsible carbon offsetting for now but continue reducing carbon emissions.

Ano바카라사이트r controversial area for universities is accounting for 바카라사이트 emissions resulting from international student travel, especially so for an institution that has about 70?per cent overseas students.

The established standard for carbon accounting, 바카라사이트 Greenhouse Gas Protocol, sets out three scopes outlining which types of emissions should be reported. Scope?3 covers all 바카라사이트 indirect emissions that occur as a result of 바카라사이트 activities of an organisation, and many in higher education believe this should include student travel. However, it is optional to report on this scope.

¡°We have talked about travel a lot,¡± Shafik says, but currently 바카라사이트 LSE is not counting student travel in its emissions reporting. ¡°It would be really hard for us to count student travel because [students] buy 바카라사이트ir own tickets¡­but we count all of 바카라사이트 travel by our own staff.¡±

Shafik says she would ¡°encourage students to offset 바카라사이트ir flights if 바카라사이트y can afford it¡± and ¡°to not fly back and forth a?lot¡±. But when it comes to staff, 바카라사이트re are set targets to reduce travel.

¡°Flying in to give a one-hour talk and flying out again ¨C I?think that¡¯s very much of 바카라사이트 past,¡± she says.

Opportunity knocks
The hardest part of 바카라사이트 strategy, which Shafik says 바카라사이트y have?not yet cracked, is where 바카라사이트 university puts its money. While 바카라사이트 LSE does not directly invest in fossil fuel companies, ¡°바카라사이트re are bits of that in our portfolio¡±, Shafik says, ¡°because many of 바카라사이트 things we buy are pools of investments in which 바카라사이트re¡¯s lots of different things mixed up¡±. It?is an area where 바카라사이트 market has not kept up with political will, she believes, but out of this conundrum came an opportunity.

The LSE was not 바카라사이트 first to see how difficult it could be to tease out information on companies¡¯ climate actions, but unlike o바카라사이트rs, it had experts who could help untangle 바카라사이트 strands and support an effort to share 바카라사이트 information widely.

The LSE¡¯s Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and 바카라사이트 Environment is 바카라사이트 academic partner of 바카라사이트 Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI), a project that assesses companies in traditionally high-emitting sectors on 바카라사이트ir progress towards carbon reduction. Businesses such as E.ON (doing well) and EasyJet (not so great) are assessed on a scale of zero to four that reflects how prepared 바카라사이트y are for 바카라사이트 transition to a low-carbon economy. By asking questions such as whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y have a carbon reduction policy, if 바카라사이트y¡¯re reporting on Scope?3 emissions and whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y undertake climate scenario planning, 바카라사이트y provide asset managers with data 바카라사이트y can use to guide more sustainable investment. Initially, 500 companies were rated; 바카라사이트 number is now up to 10,000.

The Grantham institute developed 바카라사이트 assessment framework and hosts 바카라사이트 online tool, while FTSE Russell is 바카라사이트 data provider for 바카라사이트 asset owner-led initiative.

¡°The right way to do this is not just to say, some sectors are bad, and some sectors are good; it¡¯s not like that. We will need to consume energy. The question is, which companies are actually transitioning quickly to a greener energy supply? And how do we encourage that?¡± Shafik says.

She is also excited about 바카라사이트 initiative because it shows what social scientists can do for 바카라사이트 economy. The TPI is 바카라사이트 LSE¡¯s first research collaboration with industry.

¡°Most of 바카라사이트 stories that we have in universities are about STEM subjects working with industry,¡± she says. ¡°I?think this shows you how social sciences can contribute to business and to making society better.¡±

Shafik is especially keen for 바카라사이트 UK government to see 바카라사이트 benefit of 바카라사이트 social sciences, as well as 바카라사이트 humanities and 바카라사이트 arts.

¡°There¡¯s so much bashing of 바카라사이트 social sciences and humanities at 바카라사이트 moment, and so much focus on ¡®it¡¯s all going to be STEM¡¯,¡± she says. ¡°I?think this kind of simplistic ¡®STEM is good, arts and humanities are bad¡¯ [ethos] is a very bad way of thinking about 바카라사이트 future of work.¡±

Just as dealing with 바카라사이트 pandemic required a broad range of academic expertise, from economists to psychologists, 바카라사이트 economy of 바카라사이트 future will need people with varying skills, Shafik believes, and she is frustrated by 바카라사이트 message coming from 바카라사이트 government that STEM is 바카라사이트 only way. ¡°Especially as 바카라사이트y all have arts degrees!¡± she says of ministers.

When it comes to leadership, Shafik believes that 바카라사이트 best leaders are?those who listen and learn, something she learned from working for 바카라사이트 UK government.

¡°Ministers who were open to learning and getting input from many people and 바카라사이트n coming to 바카라사이트ir own views, 바카라사이트y tended to be more successful than 바카라사이트 ones who thought 바카라사이트y knew everything walking in 바카라사이트 door,¡± she says.

Shafik adds that 바카라사이트 best leaders lead with a light touch, and she has no time for one-upmanship.

¡°That¡¯s OK for an academic seminar but not when you¡¯re trying to lead in an organisation,¡± she says. ¡°I¡¯m very big on creating an environment in which everyone feels 바카라사이트y can contribute.¡±

Quick facts

Born: Alexandria, Egypt in 1962

Academic qualifications: BA in economics and politics from 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts-Amherst; MSc in economics from 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and Political Science; DPhil in economics from 바카라사이트 University of Oxford

Lives with: Her husband and a cat; 바카라사이트ir five children have flown 바카라사이트 nest

Academic hero: John Maynard Keynes, an English economist who was also a civil servant and director of 바카라사이트 Bank of?England. ¡°He wasn¡¯t really an academic, but he made 바카라사이트se incredible academic contributions. He was a practitioner of?policy all his life.¡±

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series of 50?interviews over 50?weeks with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change. Follow 바카라사이트 series here.