by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE
Greetings from Copenhagen! This month, I am traveling in Denmark and Norway to build EDGE’s network and prepare curriculum for a new course to be offered at Fuqua next year, “Climate and Sustainability in the Nordic Countries.” Scandinavia has established a reputation for its leadership in addressing climate and sustainability challenges, and has some of the world’s most innovative companies leading the way. The Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) course that I’m developing will enroll about 30 MBA students for 6 weeks of classroom learning followed by a 2-week in-country tour in Denmark and Norway to explore some of the region’s best practices.
Here are a few of the highlights from my trip so far.
At Copenhagen Business School, I met with Kristjan Jespersen to explore the potential of collaborating on our GATE course. He is enthusiastic to work with us to set up a program in Copenhagen focusing on the critical role of cities in the sustainability transition, the global implications of European policy and standards on climate and ESG, and the central importance of corporate boards and governance in responding to this dynamic environment.
I also met this week with Anne Katrine Bjerregaard and Kiki Larsen at the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping to identify ways that Duke researchers and student consultants might engage on the decarbonization work they are leading. The shipping industry is a key enabler of global commerce, with over 100,000 ships delivering over 95% of the world’s products to end markets. These ships have a large carbon footprint, so decarbonizing shipping is an urgent priority. The Center functions as a catalyst to accelerate R&D, convene shipping value chain partners, and refine the business case for decarbonization of the sector.
Finally, I also had an interesting conversation with Maria Virginia Dundas, Head of Climate & Nature Sustainability at Ørsted. Ørsted is one of Denmark’s most interesting companies, having transitioned from a traditional oil and gas company into one of the leading renewable energy providers in the world. Maria and I discussed their efforts on supplier decarbonization, biodiversity, and science-based target setting. Ørsted is a highly sought-after employer, so there are many ways that we can work together including student consulting through our Fuqua Client Consulting Practicum, speaking in the EDGE Seminar, and supporting the ClimateCAP Initiative. It is exciting to see the clear benefits in collaborating with companies like Ørsted as they accelerate their hiring of talented students, and we strengthen our educational and research efforts on topics of mutual interest.
Next, I head to Tromso, Norway, over 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The Arctic is in many ways on the front lines of climate change, where rapidly increasing temperatures are reconfiguring the physical landscape, ecosystems, and politics of the region. Beyond their environmental consequences, these changes have profound implications for the global economy, as new shipping routes open and new resources are pursued. I will be meeting with leading scientists and experts in Tromso to better understand the future of the Arctic, and the risks and opportunities that these changes create for all of us.
I will also visit Oslo, Norway’s capital, to participate in the Nor-Shipping Conference and extend our work on the blue economy. Norway’s economy and society are closely connected to the ocean. Historically, oil and gas from the North Sea has made Norway wealthy, and their shipping and fishing industries are among the largest in the world. More recently, Norway has been a leader in advancing more sustainable ways of using the ocean, and has grown a fascinating ecosystem of scientists, innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, and investors. The ventures are diverse, including offshore wind, seaweed cultivation, ocean-based carbon removal, improved aquaculture operations, plastic pollution reduction, and many other domains. Just as we have seen the climate tech industry flourish in the last five years, I expect that we will see similar growing interest in ocean-related innovation in coming years. On this trip, I hope to catch a glimpse of this cutting edge, and find ways that we can help to scale more sustainable ocean ventures.
I am excited to find ways to build on these conversations and relationships to enhance EDGE’s work at Duke, and increase our impact on climate and sustainability challenges. If any of you have ideas or contacts in the region, please reach out to me directly. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I will continue to keep you in the loop on this work.
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