When the study program and course conclusion papers were approaching final closure, MBA students of the Administration Institute Foundation (FIA) scheduled an innovative and sustainable initiative: to nullify the carbon footprint resultant from transportation required to attend the course.

Neutralizing of emissions has become, at an increasing pace, a common corporate practice, however, this is the first time the concept is adopted by students during an MBA course. The idea sprung from three members of Class 34 of the International Executive MBA, namely:  Márcia Rios, Luiz Nitschke and Rodrigo Zambon. This group chose to prepare a final course conclusion paper, focusing studies on sustainability indicators. The quest itself, captured such interest, to the extent that the entire class joined the initiative towards neutralizing greenhouse effect gas emissions, arising from transportation, to attend lectures and international trips undertaken during the course.

One of the initiative enthusiasts, Márcia Rios, describes a handful of points that shaped the idea : “During discussions concerning our sustainability study, we visualized the possibility of “nullifying” the carbon print generated by students commuting to attend the course. We didn´t have the “how to” and it was then that we considered calculating the total distance covered (over two million kilometres) totalling all modalities – air and ground, and, based on that, take into account the life cycle concept, that is, consider the environmental impacts of atmospheric emissions  right from the natural extraction phase such as petrol, natural gas or biomass, transformation into raw materials such as diesel , gasoline, alcohol etc. and finally, to the phase of using fuels, in the transportation activity itself.”

The students partnered with the “Espaço Eco” Foundation for the planting of trees so as to counterbalance all the calculated emissions. According to  Luiz Nitschke, “the intent was to link the initiative to an accredited organization that would ensure execution. We undertook the public commitment to “clean up” our footprint and our legate was to set an execution example and, as far as the Administration Institute Foundation was concerned, offer the possibility of presenting and supporting the practice at forthcoming class groups. The subsequent set of students comprised by Class 35 has already embraced the idea of following up on the initiative. We fostered a positive “contamination”.  Worthy of mention is Foundation “Espaço Eco”´s support and now we shall ensure the planting of trees that are typical of the Costal Forest to neutralize our emissions.”

On the last day of lectures, all Class 34 students took part at a ceremony at the institution´s patio with professors and representatives of the Administration Institute Foundation. A  sample of the “Manacá da Serra”, a tree known for it´s eroded soil regeneration properties, was planted. Alongside, students placed a plaque registering the initiative and commitment with it´s effective deployment.  According to Rodrigo Zambon, the idea of setting the landmark counted on full class support given it´s significance and he further declares: “here our legate will remain and so will our invitation to those leaders that are currently present and those to come who act on behalf of the sustainability of their companies and communities” – one of the ways of remembering that profit ought to be sought with austerity, ethics and social-environmental conscience”.

The Administration Foundation Institute expressed commitment towards supporting similar initiatives for forthcoming classes and is already studying expanding the adoption of sustainability practices for the entire course.  According to Professor James Wright, Course Coordinator, additional suggestions concerning sustainability practices are being forwarded to the International Executive MBA Consultive Council for approval with views to minimizing the consumption of electricity and paper further to the use of recycling and sustainable materials by students and professors.

This kind of initiative teams up with the Institute´s social projects in various fields, such as “CAPJOVEM” that supports youngsters from less favoured regions in preparing themselves to take on graduate studies, with integrated care procedures and a success rate that is higher than that observed at paid preparatory courses offered at São Paulo capital.  Another relevant social initiative is the free technical update program for business administration professionals that seek replacement within the marketplace and a sizeable social project developed by our former students, which qualified over 1.000 social organization managers and implemented management improvement projects at over 600 entities supporting their becoming more efficient and self-sustainable.  This latter experience is now being transferred to schools and NPO´s in Eastern Europe, a free export initiative comprising know-how and technology management in the social arena.

Thus, this zero carbon footprint project expands a set of social actions started off by the very first class group of the International Executive MBA that graduated in 1994 and will for sure have an important and lasting effect over forthcoming generations.