This article is a copy from and can also be found on the ERMI website and is an adaptation from an article which originally appeared in RSM Outlook Winter 2010.

By Joe Figueiredo

You would not have expected to find sustainable innovation or green investment as part of a business school’s syllabus ten years back. However, the threat of climate change has become such a hot topic, one with bottom-line consequences, that most Fortune 500 companies are addressing ecological and sustainability issues by working, for example, to reduce their carbon footprints.

Gail Whiteman, ECORYS Professor of Sustainability and Climate Change at RSM, and scientific director of the Sustainability and Climate Research Centre of Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), was invited this summer to join an ecological voyage through the Arctic Northwest Passage aboard a polar-class scientific ship. The trip, which included people drawn from a broad spectrum – from science and business to policy and social leadership – was organised by the Canadian Institute of Arctic Oceans as part of Canada’s Three Oceans (C3O) project and International Polar Year (a polar-region scientific programme run by the International Council for Science and the World Meteorological Organization). C3O enables natural scientists to investigate the state of the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans and collect physical, geo-chemical and biological data. Crucially, their work also covers the Arctic’s Canada Basin, an area significantly affected by climate change.

‘Canadian scientists realised that they could study this phenomenon all they want, but without getting people involved from other areas and disciplines, such as business, they wouldn’t get as far as they needed to go,’ says Whiteman. ‘That’s why they invited 13 of us – including CEOs from two large companies, the president of the Canadian space programme and several senior government officials – on a trip through the Northwest Passage.’

An important part of Canadian history, this passage was seen as a potential trade route that would shorten travel time between Europe, Russia and the Far East. However, it wasn’t until 2007 that the Northwest Passage became icefree in the summer, thanks to climate change.

L to R: Gail Whiteman, Jim Balsillie, co-CEO Research in Motion (RIM), Terry Prowse, lead author IPCC report (working group II, polar regions), & Tim MacDonald, CEO Ideal Supply.

The philosopher’s journey
Whiteman’s trip, which lasted a week, was called the “Philosopher’s Journey”. ‘That’s because we basically spent a lot of our time presenting and brainstorming ideas – philosophising, in other words – with the objective of developing strategies for change,’ she says. ‘We typically discussed policy and how to position the Arctic as a strategic asset. I’m not of course referring to its oil, gas and minerals, but to maintaining the integrity of these ecosystems by preventing the loss of Arctic sea ice, which regulates global climate and in turn has knock-on effects for the global economy and societies everywhere.’

When not philosophising, ‘we got involved in scientific sampling, or spent the time observing what was happening outside,’ says Whiteman. ‘Funny, spending hours watching the ice and the effects of climate change first-hand created an emotional bond between ourselves and the natural environment.’

But for Whiteman, this was more than an emotional experience with nature. ‘It was also exhilarating, inspiring, to work with such focused, high-powered people determined to make a difference,’ she says. ‘As well as extending my own professional network with like-minded people, I also learnt the value of satellite technology in tracking the effects of climate change in real-time.’

The value of science

Picture: the view from on-board Gail’s ship, The Louis.  

There is much work to be done, says Gail: ‘We need more accurate data and a lot more sophistication in terms of economic valuation and modelling. Although a report published this year by the International Arctic Research Center indicates that Arctic climate change is a big-ticket item, with initial cost-estimates of its impact (including to agriculture, energy, water supplies and human health) being between US$2 trillion and US$24 trillion over the next 50 years, we need to refine the measures, go one step further and identify what global climate change means for a specific country or market sector.’

According to Whiteman, work also needs to be done putting the numbers together and converting complex environmental science into compelling and convincing narrative. ‘We have to grab the attention of business people, such as CEOs, and make them realise that this not only bad news for polar bears, but also for the preserving the Arctic ice sheets and that they are strategically invaluable assets. Ideally, we need to keep the business community informed through some sort of ongoing outreach, possibly in the form of an Arctic communication strategy.’

Gail concludes with some advice: ‘Remember, the Arctic is the canary in the coalmine, we need to watch it closely. If it were feasible, I would advise business executives to experience and learn first-hand, as I did, that this ecological situation is real and more than just a looming fear in the distance. What’s more, it’s not about just being on some sort of ‘green’ mission: there are significant opportunities to be found in climate change and sustainability for businesses with the right approach and attitude.’

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