FIRST WORD
T he last time I wrote my annual column, the world was emerging from lockdown and preparing for COP26. It was widely billed as a final chance to agree a plan for a green recovery and avert cataclysmic climate change. Any progress in that direction was short-lived. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine redrew the geopolitical map and the narrative around energy production. With Europe determined to end its reliance on Russian gas and oil, the priority switched from sustainability to energy security. Suddenly, fracking and even new oil and gas licences for North Sea operators were back on the government’s agenda. Yet the green transformation cannot wait if we are to meet our collective target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial era. Our own Professor of Global Energy, Michael Bradshaw, shares his insights on the challenges ahead in our cover story on page 42. Elsewhere Nick Chater, this year’s winner of the prestigious David E. Rumelhart Prize for his
contribution to cognitive science, argues that governments and corporations must stop passing responsibility to individuals and focus on systemic change to lead us out of this crisis on page 65. Climate change is not the only problem facing political and business leaders. Stephen Roper reveals how the post-pandemic return to the office has exposed a rise in mental health issues on page 8, Nigel Driffield analyses the challenges of levelling up regional economies post-Brexit on page 78, and Graeme Currie outlines a vision for achieving better outcomes for care leavers on page 16. At Warwick, we believe that businesses have the power to change the world for the better and that business schools have the ability – and a responsibility – to help address grand societal challenges. By working together,
Walk in, be proud of your difference, own it Justin Farrance Warwick Business School Alum, Corporate Lawyer and Founder of the charity GROW Mentoring.
we can find solutions to the wicked problems we face.
Professor Andy Lockett Dean of Warwick Business School
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet. At its heart are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), an urgent call for action by all countries. These SDGs are embedded in everything we do at Warwick Business School. Check the icons at the end of each article to see which goals it is connected to.
Discover how Justin is driving change by advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal industry, and how you could start your own journey of change at wbs.ac.uk
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