
Social impact at ESMT Berlin
Programs
Responsible Leaders Fellowship Program
The Responsible Leaders Fellowship Program is a postgraduate program available to graduates of the ESMT MBA program. The six-month fellowship starts immediately after graduation, allowing the graduate to take up to six months to complete a social impact project in a developing country, where they contribute their knowledge and capabilities and gain real-world business experiences. Partners of the project include Ampion, Barefoot College, German Doctors, TsiBA Education, Welthungerhilfe, and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF). Read more about the RLF here.
Initiatives
Zero Waste Initiative aims to transform ESMT Berlin into a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly Campus. Our goal is to create a platform where students, faculty, and staff can educate themselves and bring sustainability initiatives to life.
Current initiatives
We run multiple initiatives aimed at raising sustainability awareness and incorporating sustainable choices into everyday life and drive long-term change. Here are some examples:
- Introduction of a 3-bin recycling system on Campus and respective recycling training
- Introduction of recyclable coffee mugs on Campus
- Informational stickers and posters around Campus that promote sustainable choices
- Annual sustainability survey
- Book recycling system
Net Impact Club
Students from the MBA program at ESMT Berlin founded the first Net Impact sustainability chapter in Germany in 2018. Net Impact, a global organization focused on using business skills to combat social and environmental problems, has more than 100,000 members from 324 chapters in 40 countries around the world.
The chapter which is made up of students, faculty, alumni, and staff from ESMT but open to anyone outside the school as well – aims to work with other business schools and universities to create a network and an “active platform” to discuss sustainability issues and their solutions and to take action.
Clean the Spree
In September 2018, the Net Impact Club took part in World Cleanup Day, leading the Clean the Spree initiative. Together with 300 volunteers from around the city of Berlin, they cleaned the river Spree and its banks, recycling the removed waste. A number of social organizations such as Plan A, Flussbad, Alles im Fluss, Witschaftsjunioren Berlin, as well as companies such as Booking.com and Decathlon supported the event. The students will be leading the initiative again this year. Learn more about Net Impact's ongoing programs and events here.
Center for Sustainable Business and Leadership
The Center for Sustainable Business and Leadership at ESMT Berlin (CSBL) brings research, expertise, and initiatives to bear on issues connecting business leadership, society, and sustainability. One of its initiatives is the Sustainable Business Roundtable, a world-class, peer-to-peer learning network of global companies. Founded in 2011, the network of 25 companies, such as adidas, E.ON, Merck, and Siemens, meet biannually to discuss sustainability challenges and opportunities, inviting guest experts to join the discussion.