Sustainability network aims to advance globally with $2.45 million SSHRC Partnership Grant

The Embedding Project, a global sustainability initiative founded by SFU Beedie School of Business professor Stephanie Bertels

The Embedding Project, a global sustainability initiative founded by Stephanie Bertels, a SFU Beedie School of Business professor, has received a $2.45-million, seven-year Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

The project will use the funding to further its work in developing a new global forum for knowledge-sharing and dialogue on sustainability. The goal: to become a globally recognized knowledge resource for organizations seeking to advance their sustainability performance.

The Embedding Project brings together academic researchers from six institutions (SFU’s Beedie School of Business, Cambridge University’s Judge School, MIT’s Sloan School of Management, Rotterdam School of Business, HEC Montreal and University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business). It also partners with dozens of global companies, including local sustainability leaders Teck Resources, the Port of Vancouver, and QuadReal, to help companies integrate social and environmental factors into their core decision-making.

“This grant brings the resources we need to continue to advance our work to a global scale,” says Bertels, who is director of the Beedie School’s Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability.

“We look forward to supporting companies and their executive teams and boards as they embed sustainability into the core of their businesses. Students, researchers, and companies will all benefit from the opportunity to work together to advance corporate sustainability.”

The knowledge and resources developed by the Embedding Project are shared through two primary methods of engagement: regional peer-to-peer networks, where companies assess and compare their efforts and engage in structured peer coaching; and global communities of practice. These communities convene on significant topics, with leading companies sharing and developing best practices and co-creating tools and resources. Each is facilitated by expert researchers.

The project also hosts a variety of innovative teaching materials and resources on its knowledge portal to educate the next generation of business leaders in how to embed sustainability.

The SSHRC grant will help the project achieve its goals while moving towards financial self-sufficiency as it delivers value to its members and partners.