Tag: Sustainable Development Goals

Exploring bioregionalism: pathways to a sustainable economy

Author sarahcawthra | Posted on

On Thursday 16 April 2026, the Sustainable Economies Research Group (SERG) at UWE Bristol, hosted by Professor Peter Bradley, brought together researchers, practitioners, policymakers and students to explore a powerful idea: how bioregional thinking can help reshape our economies to better serve both people and planet.

Held at Bristol Business School, the half day event combined expert insights with participatory discussions, all centred on a simple but transformative premise – humans are part of nature and our economies should function in balance with the living systems we depend on. Around 50 delegates attended, travelling from as far afield as Devon and York, representing organisations including the Institution of Environmental Sciences, Bioregional Learning Centre, University of Bath, University of York, London Metropolitan University, Bioregional Solent Library and Royal Wootton Bassett Environmental Trust.

The morning sessions examined bioregionalism from multiple perspectives. Speakers explored how place-based approaches can foster environmental leadership, strengthen communities and create more resilient local economies. From ecosystem services to regional energy systems, the message was consistent: aligning economic activity with ecological realities offers a pathway to a fairer and more environmentally sustainable future. 

Sue Riddlestone OBE, Chief Executive and Co-founder of Bioregional, highlighted both the urgency and opportunity of this shift:

“Our global economy is creaking, and not delivering for the majority of people, which is leading to populism and unrest even in the UK, astonishing when we are one of the richest nations in the world. It was so refreshing to explore together in a very practical way our collective experiences, of how a bioregional approach could deliver a sustainable economy which works for people and planet.”

Building on this, practitioner perspectives grounded the conversation in real world application. Paul Pivcevic, Director at Wylderne, shared insights from his work in the Forest of Dean. Reflecting on the evolving role of business within a bioregional context Paul posed the question:

“What role does a business aspiring to be regenerative have in relation to place? In our case the Forest of Dean bioregion. What can we uniquely contribute to unfolding the potential of this wider system we’re nested within?”

After a networking lunch, the focus shifted to interactive group sessions, where participants explored practical challenges and opportunities for advancing bioregional approaches.

Financing bioregional projects

One focus group examined the complexities of funding bioregional initiatives. Discussions highlighted the importance of understanding the full “spectrum of capital” from philanthropic grants and public funding to impact investment, ESG funds and traditional finance.

Participants explored blended finance models and innovative mechanisms such as Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to attract diverse investment streams. There was also strong interest in engaging local investors through tools like community bonds, as well as tapping into stakeholders who benefit directly from regional outcomes such as water companies or flood risk management bodies.

The group noted that framing projects as “place based” may sometimes resonate more strongly with investors than the term “bioregional.” Ultimately, success will depend on designing projects that clearly demonstrate both financial viability and the added value of working in harmony with regional ecological systems.

Bioregionalism in governance

The second focus group explored how bioregional thinking might reshape governance. A central challenge identified was how to define meaningful boundaries. While larger scales may better reflect whole ecosystems, they can feel too abstract at a local level. Participants suggested that boundaries should be understood as flexible or “fuzzy”, reflecting the complexity of natural systems and allowing for different scales depending on context.

Shifting away from fixed political boundaries presents practical and cultural challenges, particularly where existing administrative systems are deeply embedded. However, participants noted that in some cases a place based, nature led approach could actually simplify governance by connecting fragmented jurisdictions, as seen in regions like the Severn Estuary which spans multiple authorities and national borders.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of reconnecting governance with people’s lived experience of place. This may involve learning from cultures and communities with stronger relationships to land and local systems, as well as recognising the knowledge and connections held within long established local communities.

A recurring theme was the idea of belonging. Participants reflected on a growing desire to reconnect with both nature and place, and suggested that bioregionalism could offer an inclusive way to channel this into more grounded and responsive forms of governance that reflect both ecological and social realities.

The event closed with a shared sense that while bioregionalism is still an emerging framework that offers a practical and hopeful direction for rethinking how economies operate at a local level.

Reflecting on the event Professor Bradley said:

“What stood out across both practitioners and academics in attendance was the level of engagement and the willingness to explore practical ways of applying these ideas.”

“Many participants I spoke with saw real value in bioregional thinking as a way to engage communities, support more sustainable patterns of production and consumption and build resilience in the face of economic and environmental uncertainty. Its strength lies not only in environmental outcomes, but in the wider benefits it can bring to people, place and wellbeing.”

The SERG research group is keen to build on this momentum. Plans are underway to host follow up events and establish an ongoing discussion group, creating space for continued collaboration, knowledge sharing and action.

This event demonstrated that the transition to a sustainable economy isn’t just about new technologies or policies – it’s about reimagining our relationship with place and working together to bring that vision to life via collaboration and community, step by step but with a sense of urgency and the need for resilience.  

You can view the slides from the presentations here.

If you would like to find out more about this work, please contact Professor Peter Bradley.

Sustainable Finance Workshop

Author ripleywk | Posted on

Date: 12th March 2024 Time: 9am -1pm Location: UWE Bristol, EP1, Frenchay Campus

Register here

UWE Bristol and Fintech West invite organizations and wider stakeholders to discuss finance in the transition towards Net Zero.

Our workshop invites participation from all backgrounds – business, academia, government, and communities alike. Together we’ll discuss sustainable finance’s role in our regional transition to NetZero. Attend just to listen or contribute your thoughts. We extend an open invitation for anyone interested in the future, all you need to do to attend is register.

Why Attend

The South West leads change and is renowned for ethical, environmental, and social impact initiatives. Our workshop utilizes that momentum to address Sustainable Finance and its implications. Attending makes you an active participant in shaping the region’s progressive journey and gives you a voice in our fiscal future. Gain first-hand knowledge of ongoing initiatives, explore collaborative efforts already in motion, and understand what else must be done.

Save Your Seat for Change

A sense of urgency in delivery is lacking to achieve the UK’s binding NetZero greenhouse gas emissions target by 2050 (Climate Change Committee, 2023). Transitioning to NetZero demands substantial investment, but also promises extensive job and skills opportunities. Active participation from all sectors is crucial to driving the action and change needed to meet this critical goal.

Why Your Presence Matters

No matter your background, you hold a critical role in enabling a sustainable future and green economy. Your insight and participation can directly increase access to the research, funding, and support needed for positive social and environmental impact. By attending, you have a prime opportunity to help shape and accelerate the sustainable finance initiatives so urgently needed. Your involvement matters.

Agenda

  • 9.00 – Registration and networking
  • 9.25 – Welcome from Peter Bradley (UWE)
  • 9.30 – Stuart Harrison FinTech West
  • 9.40 – WECA – Plan for innovation
  • 10.00 – Alex Ivory BCC – Mission Net Zero Project
  • 10.20 – Kai Johns Rathbones – Water scarcity and Net Zero; The role of investors
  • 10.50 – UWE Bristol – Sustainable finance and investment 
  • 11.10– 11.20 – Coffee/tea
  • 11.20 – 12:00  Themed discussions:
    • Policy/regulatory compliance;
    • Just transition and private finance;
    • The role of fintech in sustainable finance;
    • Climate risks and mitigation
  • 12:00 – Coffee/tea/light lunch

Secure Your Spot Sign up now

If you, or anyone from your organisation would like to attend please complete the registration form. For more information or if you would like to get involved with planning or presenting at this event please contact Peter Bradley

Directions for those that have registered.

Full directions to the venue can be found in the confirmation email that will be sent a few days before the event. Google maps directions from UWE East entrance can be can be found here for those that need it.

Business schools in emerging markets: why do they matter?

Author jyotishaw | Posted on

True, the image that business schools have gained in the latter years is one of elitist and expensive institutions that train greedy executives and insatiable business people whose drive for profit has not only created an unequal world but also derived in economic catastrophes such as the financial crash of 2008. And while these interpretations may not be far from the reality, arguably, a different perspective is to see business schools as tools and drivers for inclusive and sustainable economies and development. Indeed, they can also train business leaders, managers, and entrepreneurs to be socially responsible and to lead innovation in business models, processes, products, and services according to a more positive set of values. They can also educate their students to nurture firms that value diversity, close the gender gap, commit to reduce inequalities and support the development of national economies according to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

In fact, there are 15,000 business schools in the world, half of them are located in emerging markets, yet only around 1% of these are accredited by leading organisations such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA), or the EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS). Interestingly, most of the recent accreditations granted by these institutions come from business schools in emerging markets. This situation triggers the curiosity to enquire about the kind of management education that is being diffused throughout the world, especially in latecomer countries.

Driven by this concern, Camelia Ilie (INCAE Business School), Guillermo Cardoza (INCAE Business School), Gaston Fornes (University of Bristol) and myself aimed to enquire how have business schools based in emerging markets developed and grown? What are their drivers, enablers, and barriers? How have they developed and overcome these? What strategies were adopted to achieve sustainable growth? How did they develop their academic and pedagogical capabilities? What capabilities did they develop to face the challenges of management education today?

Our study, which was published in the journal Sustainability, and aimed to reduce the gap in the understanding of business schools in emerging markets and their development. To do so, we analysed the cases of 7 of leading business schools in emerging markets located in Africa, China, India, Latin America and Russia. We conducted this analysis employing in-depth interviews with their deans or presidents, complemented with archival research, underpinned by theoretical and empirical research. Although anonymity was promised and the names of these higher education institutions cannot be revealed -as a measure to obtain reliable and valid results-, our findings are based on business schools usually recognised in world and regional rankings. The sample also includes a balance between young and more mature schools, privately and state-funded, some of them with strong ties with other business schools from the United States and others born as stand-alone institutions. All of them are accredited by at least one of the major management education accreditation bodies described earlier, which implies they are part of this 1% elite schools in the world and that they comply with international academic quality standards. Furthermore, we included cases beyond the traditional countries studied by emerging markets scholars -China and India-.

Our case studies highlight very interesting patterns, similarities and differences in terms of the national context and how these schools aim to serve their societies. While the study provides a very rich account and stimulating insights for every individual case, our analysis highlights the following:

  1. Despite the differing years in which they were founded, business schools in emerging markets aim to support the country’s development by training local business people with management knowledge, skills, frameworks and techniques originating in the global North, mainly the US.
  • We could identify four models of adoption and adaptation:

(i) direct adoption of programmes;

(ii) hiring of national citizens working in business schools from abroad;

(iii) systematic exchange with partner institutions; and

(iv) hiring of local practitioners working in the domestic market.

All these four models implied the adoption and adaptation of imported teaching and learning strategies, for which the governance model and structure of the schools had a clear impact.

  • Intuitively, the adoption process of the first model took longer than the faculty-led models (ii, iii, and iv). We argue that this was facilitated by the exposure of academics to the local and international realities, which became the drivers for building the capabilities required for this process.
  • Moreover, the opening of national economies was also a relevant factor that boosted the demand for trained business professionals who could lead firms to more competitive levels. At the same time, foreign companies venturing into emerging markets also needed trained professionals who could understand the business environments of both home and host countries and efficiently implement standardised management practices. This demand provided the financial resources that fuelled a sustainable growth path for these business schools and drove the upgrading of teaching and learning strategies to international standards.
  • Business schools in emerging markets seek international accreditation to build their reputation and legitimise themselves. The schools in our study that followed models (i) and (ii) had it easier as they already had the governance model and structure that understood the international standards language. In turn, the institutions following the other models sought help from international business schools to sort out this process. This allowed these schools to gain international recognition, although, as our interviewees emphasised, accreditation requirements do not seem to understand in depth the reality faced by this type of institutions in emerging economies. 
  • While business schools have grown exponentially, especially in emerging markets, as to ‘commoditise’ business education, the processes described above enabled the schools in our study to gain a new capability: compliance with international standards by adopting teaching and learning activities from abroad, but at the same time developing learning activities that reflected the domestic reality, taking the lead not only in supporting local firms with the challenges faced by their context but also in themes such as sustainability; inclusion, diversity and social change; technological management and disruption; innovation; start-ups and global networks.  

These findings suggest that the model set by leading business schools in the Global North has been adopted and adapted by business schools in the Global South, which has facilitated the boom of these higher education institutions throughout the world. The very few, top business schools in emerging markets that have managed to build a different path, as those from our study, likewise started by adopting and adapting the model, yet they increasingly developed the critical capabilities that allowed business schools from advanced countries to stand out: on the one side, attracting and retaining highly qualified faculty members and practitioners that work closely to firms, and on the other, designing their own learning and teaching activities to meet the local needs, but at the level of international standards.

Of course, this study is based on 7 of the top 50 business schools in emerging markets. It would be interesting to expand this enquiry to understand what other processes are at stake, the relationship between non-accredited business schools and the service provided to their societies, as well as the contribution to their business environments. More importantly, our study leads to reflect on the role played by international accreditation bodies and business schools in the global North, their power and influence in shaping (and globalising) management education, including their effects in training senior executives and managers from emerging markets, and their potential contribution to model sustainable societies across the world. Similarly, we should be thinking out of the box and envision what lessons and learnings we are missing by endorsing a ‘one-size-fits-all’ business school model that has not embraced the diversity, challenges, learning needs and strategies faced in other contexts.

This blog post was written by Juan Mondragon Quintan, Assistant Support Lecturer in Economics at UWE Bristol.

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