Welcome from the Dean
Across the world, we face a defining set of sustainability challenges: a changing climate and a rapid loss of biodiversity; degradation of our land and pollution of our oceans; deep and persistent global inequities; and insufficient mobilisation of finance and inadequate governance.
The Global School of Sustainability was created to answer a clear, and undoubtedly complex, question: How can we support global prosperity and opportunity while protecting the environment that sustains us?
Harnessing the social sciences
At GSoS, we know that development and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive. But a social science-led approach is essential to progress where the barriers to accelerated progress are primarily economic, political, social and behavioural.
Our work is structured around five core themes:
- Generating sustainable growth and development that is inclusive, resilient and environmentally sound
- Aligning investment, finance, markets and business with long term sustainability
- Strengthening political, legal and governance systems to enable effective action at scale
- Building societies that are equitable, adaptive and able to thrive
- And protecting and enhancing nature and biodiversity
The Global School of Sustainability is not a separate department at LSE, but a platform that builds on the university’s existing strengths and global networks; bringing together expertise across economics, finance, politics, law, geography, psychology, philosophy and more, whilst strengthening engagement with policymakers, business leaders and civil society across regions and economies.
Looking ahead
As GSoS grows, our ambition is to deepen our impact and expand our reach.
We will continue to:
- advance pioneering research
- strengthen global partnerships
- support the next generation of sustainability leaders
- and contribute to the policy debates shaping our collective future
The pace of change required is significant, but so too is the opportunity.
A personal reflection
At a moment of profound change, the Global School of Sustainability is built on a simple but powerful idea: That a more sustainable world can also be a more prosperous one, and that by accelerating the shift in how our economies and societies operate, we can build a better future for both people and the planet.
Our co-founders Professor Lord Nicholas Stern and Lei Zhang continue to impress on all of us the urgency of acting at speed and at scale.
Addressing the global sustainability challenge requires collaboration, and we are actively engaging with partners across academia, policy and business as we take our agenda forward. This is the defining challenge of our time - and one we must meet together.
Welcome to The Global School of Sustainability at LSE.
Professor Jonathan Pershing is the Dean of the Global School of Sustainability, and a Professor in Practice at LSE. He has held significant positions in the US Department of State — including as the US Special Envoy for Climate Change — and at the US Department of Energy, as well as leadership roles in the World Resources Institute and the International Energy Agency.