IMD business school for management and leadership courses
Dear Friends of IMD,
Business leaders today are facing a fork in the road. Climate change, social upheavals, technological transformation, regulatory shifts, and geopolitical uncertainty are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace. The challenge – and opportunity – lies in ensuring that economic growth and prosperity go hand in hand with environmental and social responsibility.
We empower leaders with cutting-edge tools, insights, and strategies to turn sustainability into a catalyst for innovation and long-term success. As a dynamic hub for global business leaders, we are shifting the focus from ‘why’ sustainability matters to ‘how’ it can be embedded into strategy, operations, and leadership. At the same time, we remain deeply committed to advancing sustainability within our own institution.
Our 2024 Sustainability Report reflects the concrete progress we have made in integrating sustainability into our education, research, partnerships, and operations.
We are pushing the boundaries of sustainability-focused executive education. In 2024, we launched four new Sustainability Accelerator programs, introduced an Executive Certificate in Sustainable Business, and are set to launch an Executive Master’s degree. We expanded our global reach with Sustainability for Business: ESG Fundamentals, our first Coursera course, which makes our professors’ expertise freely available to managers around the world. Meanwhile, our MBA program climbed in the Corporate Knights sustainability ranking, underscoring our commitment to embedding sustainability into core business education. Our innovative pedagogy earned top honors at the QS Reimagine Education Conference, where our SpheriCO2 XR 360 Leadership Game won Gold for Immersive Experiential Learning.
Rigorous research and actionable thought leadership are at the heart of IMD’s impact. In 2024, more than 45 faculty and experts collaborated on Leading the Sustainable Business Revolution, an essential playbook to help leaders navigate the complexities of sustainability leadership and seize emerging opportunities.
We also strengthened our research contributions with The Circular Business Revolution: A Practical Framework for Sustainable Business Models by Julia Binder and Manuel Braun, and Nature’s ROI: 5 Key Enablers to Building a Nature-Positive Business Strategy, a groundbreaking collaboration with the WWF. Additionally, our joint white paper with Capgemini Invent, Lead the Change, presents new frameworks for sustainable business leadership.
Collaboration is central to our approach. In 2024, we co-hosted an alumni conference for the Business Schools for Climate Leadership (BS4CL) alliance, bringing together high-profile practitioners from eight leading European business schools. We also engaged our sustainability alumni community in a forum on tackling climate finance and convened senior sustainability leaders to share insights and challenges through our Sustainability Leaders Circle. We shared our expertise at key global forums, including the World Economic Forum, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Summit, the Building Bridges Summit, and the Inner Development Goals Summit.
Leadership must be inclusive to achieve sustainable impact. Our MBA program continues to attract top talent from 44 nationalities, with 37% female participants, reinforcing our commitment to diversity. We launched a Women on Boards program to support women seeking corporate board positions and celebrated the 20th anniversary of Strategies for Leadership, Europe’s longest-running women-only leadership development program. In addition, we proudly launched a Women’s Leadership Program in collaboration with MIM Kyiv and supported by the Lundin Chair, designed to empower Ukrainian female leaders in times of crisis.
Beyond education, we lead by example. In 2024, we expanded our solar energy infrastructure, connected our Lausanne campus to district heating for greater efficiency, and introduced a new supplier code of conduct to strengthen responsible procurement practices. Our employees actively engaged in Climate Week learning initiatives, reinforcing our culture of sustainability.
IMD has held an EcoVadis Gold Sustainability Rating since 2022, affirming our position as a global leader in sustainable business. In 2024, we were selected as part of the 2024-2025 cohort of Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Champions – a distinguished collective of business schools shaping the future of sustainability in management education.
This report is a testament to our commitment as signatories to the PRME and our ongoing pursuit of excellence in sustainable business education. As we reflect on the milestones of 2024, we remain steadfast in our mission to challenge the status quo, inspire change, and drive meaningful impact that will shape a better future for generations to come.
David Bach
IMD President