The initiative has been made possible through a (Canadian) $1 million donation from Lallemand.
HEC Montréal and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford have come together to launch ‘Measuring Beyond’, a joint initiative that will ultimately help to develop sustainable business.
The programme will focus on metrics for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance. The initiative has been made possible through a (Canadian) $1 million donation from Lallemand, a company headquartered in Montréal that specialises in the development, production, and marketing of yeasts, bacteria, and their derivatives.
The programme will contribute directly relevant research to international standards for corporate ESG measurement. This ambition is aligned with that of the newly established International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), which has chosen Montréal as one of its two primary offices globally.
Amir Amel-Zadeh, Associate Professor of Accounting at Saïd Business School, said:
‘This collaborative partnership will help foster an extremely rich research environment, with the business community at its heart. Helping businesses around the world develop ESG evaluation criteria is a crucial foundation if we are to move towards truly sustainable economies.’
We are now seeking like-minded organisations to join a group of leading businesses to support and engage in this ambitious programme. Partners will be invited to regularly attend research seminars and forums at the School.
The initiative is the latest collaboration between the two leading schools. Since 2019, a scholarship programme has enabled nearly a dozen members of the HEC Montréal student community to study at Oxford.
Measuring Beyond is itself a result of links forged between accounting professors at HEC Montréal and Oxford. Many other joint research projects between the two universities are underway, including in the areas of marketing, neuroscience and arts management.