ESCP Sustainability Institute
Our Mission
The ESCP Sustainability Institute, launched at the end of 2024, was set up to create visibility around the school’s research, teaching, and practice on sustainability while catalysing innovative initiatives at the interface of academia and industry.
In its first year, the Institute developed a solid foundation through the launch of its public presence, recruitment of a postdoctoral fellow, and the formation of strategic partnerships across industry and academia. It initiated a series of projects and events—including action research programmes, research–practice exchanges, and multi-school student collaborations—that illustrate the types of activities the Institute enables.
Our DNA
Engage
Facilitate partnerships between academia and industry for actionable insights.
Lead
Build capacities for resilience in public and private sectors.
Adapt
Develop cutting-edge strategies for adaptation to climate change and environmental risk.
Leadership Section
Director
Aurélien Acquier
Director of the Institute for Sustainability
Professor Aurélien Acquier holds a PhD in Management from Ecole des Mines - PSL and an Habilitation for Doctoral Supervision from Paris 1 - Sorbonne. His research explores how Anthropocene and Planetary Boundaries reshape organizations and their strategy. A regular guest speaker at international events, he has published numerous articles and books about the history of sustainability and CSR, or how new organizational configurations (such as Global Value Chains or sharing economy) affect sustainability topics.
Project Leaders
Christopher Hossfeld
Associate Professor
Financial Reporting & Audit
chossfeld@escp.eu
Anne Le Manh
Associate Professor
Financial Reporting & Audit
alemanh@escp.eu
Florian Lüdeke-Freund
Professor
Sustainability
fluedeke-freund@escp.eu
Pierre Peyretou
Permanent Affiliate Professor
Sustainability
ppeyretou@escp.eu
Nathalie Prime
Professor
Sustainability
prime@escp.eu
Martin Schmidt
Professor
Financial Reporting & Audit
mschmidt@escp.eu
Julien Schmitt
Professor
Sustainability
jschmitt@escp.eu
Francesco Venuti
Associate Professor
Financial Reporting & Audit
fvenuti@escp.eu
Caroline Verzat
Professor
Sustainability
cverzat@escp.eu
Valentina Carbone
Professor
Sustainability
vcarbone@escp.eu
Research Associates
Research associates
- Jozef Cossey, Postdoctoral Researcher
- Nicolas Gasiglia, Doctoral Candidate， nicolas.gasiglia@edu.escp.eu
- Arthur Gauthier-Penhirin, Doctoral Candidate
- Salomé Laloum, Doctoral Candidate， salome.laloum@escp.eu
- Marina Thiebault, Doctoral Candidate， marina.thiebault@edu.escp.eu
Programme Adaptation(s) (ESCP x Axa Climate)
ESCP Business School and AXA Climate announced the launch of a partnership to support the climate adaptation of organizations. This initiative, known as the Programme Adaptation(s), is created in response to the growing need for businesses and public actors to adapt to climate risks. An ADEME study from 2023 revealed that only half of the surveyed companies had undertaken adaptation actions, highlighting the urgency of the issue.
The Programme Adaptation(s) is structured around three key initiatives:
- Research: The program includes the joint publication of scientific papers and a public Adaptation Barometer. This research, conducted under the ESCP Sustainability Institute led by Professor Aurélien Acquier, aims to understand the challenges and opportunities in climate adaptation for both public and private organizations.
- Conferences: A series of public conferences are organized for professionals and students to discuss critical themes such as different types of adaptation, the interplay between adaptation and mitigation, and the challenges of communication and controversies related to these transformations.
- Exploration Program: A series of collaborative workshops, expert meetings, and study trips that brings together risk management experts and sustainability professionals of some of France’s largest and most valuable companies. This initiative aims to foster innovation and develop common solutions to the challenges adaptation poses through sharing experiences and insights.
Other Research and Pedagogical Projects
Latest Publications
Featured
Videos
La conférence, co-animée par ESCP Business School et AXA Climat, analyse comment le changement climatique reconfigure les enjeux liés à la souveraineté, en termes de ressources, de défense et de finance, et interroge les moyens concrets pour les États et les entreprises de se préparer à cette nouvelle réalité.
Over the course of three dynamic days, our Bachelor students engaged in a series of scenario games across our Berlin, Paris, and London campuses. A total of 175 students participated, confronting real-world business challenges and exploring innovative solutions to environmental issues.
Dans cette rencontre, Valentina Carbone, Professeur de "sustainability and supply chain management" à ESCP Business School, accueille Solène Le Bourdiec, cheffe de projet R&D chez EDF, pour explorer un projet innovant qui combine décarbonation et optimisation de l’usage des ressources naturelles.
Dans son émission Supply Chain Durable, Valentina Carbone reçoit Martin Lauquin, Expert onepoint, co-fondateur du collectif Making Tomorrow et co-créateur du cours Design Fiction for Sustainable Futures, pour parler de la démarche prospective, qui face aux défis climatiques est devenue essentielle pour se projeter dans le futur et anticiper les changements.
