Sustainability Managers for a New Global Era

Challenges to corporate business success requires the development of a new type of manager/leader who can integrate business expertise with knowledge of science and technology. Sustainability is a compelling issue that businesses globally are facing. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in Europe requires large companies operating in the European Union to disclose information on their environmental, social and governance performance. In the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is now requiring public companies to disclose information on their climate-related risks in their annual reports. These new requirements require a new generation of professionals in business that understand the challenges related to climate change, biodiversity conservation, waste management, and pollution. Asia is particularly impacted by these challenges, as it will account for 50% of global trade by 2030 and 60% of global GDP by 2050. This paper tests the viability of professional graduate degree program designed to prepare sustainability professionals for Vietnamese businesses. A survey was delivered in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to discover if local companies find sustainability education to be a current or future human resource need for their organizations; if so, what education and job skillsets are business organizations looking for; and to assess their support for an experiential program, internship or consultancy for students in such a program. The results of this survey indicate that there is a growing need for sustainability professionals in Vietnam and that companies would be interested in developing research and internship opportunities with local universities.