POLICY BRIEFS ON UK WATER POLLUTION, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACTS AMONG WINNERS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE PRIZES

POLICY BRIEFS ON UK WATER POLLUTION, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACTS AMONG WINNERS OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE PRIZES

Chronos Sustainability Prizes at the LSE awarded to students whose work shows greatest potential to have a positive social or environmental impact.

(29 March 2024, London). Chronos Sustainability, the award-winning sustainability consultancy, and leading academic institution The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), last night revealed the winners of prizes to recognise academic excellence in sustainable business, finance and environmental policy.

Established in 2023, the Chronos Sustainability Prizes are awarded in undergraduate and postgraduate categories to those students whose analysis and recommendations are considered to have the greatest potential positive social or environmental impact. Entrants are judged by a panel of internationally recognised sustainability experts, using an anonymised process.

The two prizes are for students in the LSE Department of Geography and Environment who, as part of their coursework, are required to prepare a policy brief on a key area of sustainability significance and to offer recommendations to key stakeholders such as regulators, investors and companies. This year’s winners were:

Postgraduate category [1]

·       Winner: Abigail Perriman for ‘Justice considerations in deploying market-based instruments for environmental protection in South Asia’

·       Highly commended: Dido Gompertz for ‘A clear case of regulatory failure? Examining illegal sewage discharges by the water industry in England and Wales.’

·      Shortlisted: Isabel Edwards, Amy Cano Prentice, Tristan Gilet

Undergraduate category[2]

·       Winner: Amna Almatrook for ‘Do ESG-related disclosures by companies lead to improved sustainability performance?’

·       Highly commended: Saoirse Jackson for ‘The role of governments in reducing the risk of corporates misusing net zero commitments to greenwash.’

·       Shortlisted: Hanna Biernat, Ayushi Mistry, Yu Xia

[1] For postgraduates taking the course GY420/GY465 (Environmental Regulation)

[2] For undergraduates taking the course GY326 (Sustainable Business and Finance)

Many congratulations to all the students for their excellent work, and best wishes to all in their future careers in sustainability.

We would also like to thank the following for generously giving their time and expertise:

·      The undergraduate prize judges: Nathan Fabian (PRI), Ben Gaffney (IFC), Chris Hall (ESG Investor), Valerie Kwan (AIGCC), My-Linh Ngo (BlueBay), Dr. Rory Sullivan (Chronos), Chair of judges: Nicky Amos (Chronos).

·      The postgraduate prize judges:  Maria Carvalho (Natwest), Aidan Davy (ICMM), Elodie Feller (UNEP FI), Alasdair King (Merck), Hilkka Komulainen (Aegon), Nicky Amos (Chronos), Chair of judges: Dr. Rory Sullivan (Chronos)

·      The LSE team: Richard Perkins, Meredith Whitten, Michael Mason, Nikolaus Hastreiter, Kapil Yadav, Ruby Bennett, Amy Cox, Catherine Mitchell and Isobel Jones.

Dr Rory Sullivan, CEO, Chronos Sustainability and Chair of the judging panel for the postgraduate prize said:

“At the core of sustainable finance is a desire to invest in a way that protects prosperity and the environment for the next generation. It’s incredibly encouraging therefore to see the rigour and imagination with which a new generation of students are exploring issues from pollution in the water industry to human rights in South Asian markets. I hope this year’s entrants feel empowered to go on and thrive in the global sustainable finance industry. “

Nicky Amos, Managing Director of Chronos Sustainability and Chair of the judging panel for the undergraduate prize said:

“Voluntary corporate commitments, actions and disclosures have a key role to play in supporting and enabling the low carbon transition. However, we need to be aware of the risks of greenwashing and of unintended consequences. The five shortlisted undergraduate policy briefs all engaged substantively and rigorously with these issues and have generated a series of important recommendations for policymakers and for companies on how the value of these voluntary efforts can be enhanced”.

Richard Perkins, Associate Professor in Environmental Geography, LSE said:

“These prizes offer valuable recognition of the work being done by our fantastic students in the department. They demonstrate how the knowledge and critical thinking skills taught in our environment courses align with the real-world implications and opportunities presented by sustainable finance and corporate sustainability. The Department of Geography and Environment truly appreciates the vision and support of Chronos Sustainability in this important initiative.”

ENDS

·      For further information please contact:

o    Elliot Frankal, Senior Manager, Chronos Sustainability

o   T: + 44 (0)7989 524780 | elliot.frankal@chronossustainability.com

Chronos Sustainability is a prominent support of other graduate initiatives for the sustainable finance sector including the  recent publication of the ‘Chronos Sustainability Sustainable Finance Careers Guide’ - a practical guide for students and early career professionals looking to build a career in the sector.

About Chronos Sustainability

Chronos Sustainability was established in 2017 with the objective of delivering transformative, systemic change in the social and environmental performance of key industry sectors. Led by Nicky Amos and Dr Rory Sullivan, Chronos works with more than 100 clients, including institutional investors, corporates, civil society organisations, intergovernmental organisations and industry bodies, on sustainability-related projects and initiatives around the world. It has led and supported a series of major industry transformation projects including the Transition Pathway Initiative, Climate Action 100+, the Global Coalition for Animal Welfare, the CCLA Corporate Mental Health Benchmark and the Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare. Its support for new talent in the sustainable finance sector includes the publication of the ‘Chronos Sustainability Sustainable Finance Careers Guide’. www.chronossustainability.com

About the London School of Economics and Political Science

LSE is a global community of people and ideas in the heart of central London. We're a specialist social sciences university, ranking third in the world in the QS Subject Rankings 2022 (Social Sciences and Management) and as the top university in London in the Complete University Guide 2023. LSE's motto "rerum cognoscere causas" means "to know the causes of things". It was chosen to support the School's founding purpose, "for the betterment of society". Our ambition today is to be the leading social science university with the greatest global impact.

This document is for use by journalists and media professionals only. This document is a not a financial promotion and is not investment advice. Unless otherwise attributed the views and opinions expressed are those of Chronos Sustainability at the time of publication and are subject to change. © 2024 Chronos Sustainability. All rights reserved.