In the context of the ongoing Sustainable Entrepreneurship for Climate Action Erasmus+ project and the study of good practices across the globe, on 12 October 2023, we had a great opportunity to learn about sustainable projects overseas.

26 Lapland UAS participants from business and tourism programmes – both Master´s and Bachelor degree students had a possibility to participate in an online lecture by Dr. John Donnellan, Management Chair & Associate Professor, Fulbright Scholar and NJCU Fulbright Liaison at NJCU School of Business. He presented a very interesting topic “Sustainable Development Projects – Wall Street Prospective” that was a great highlight for students to realise that the global world is interconnected and the event that take place in the Financial District of Manhattan in New York City can have significant impact on the business across the globe.

In summary, we learnt that in a groundbreaking shift, Wall Street is now prioritizing sustainability projects, acknowledging the financial and ethical advantages of integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into investment decisions. This move reflects a growing awareness that ESG-focused companies are not only more resilient but also attract investors, driving the financial sector to create ESG-focused funds while demanding greater corporate transparency on sustainability matters. Notably, the case of JP Morgan Bank has been incorporated as a part of the lecture since Dr Donnellan had extensive experience working in this bank. It underlined the commitment of Wall Street financial institution to sustainability as it joins other industry leaders in driving a greener and more responsible financial future. We hope that this is a great beginning of the sustainable project cooperation between NJCU School of Business and Lapland UAS. We would like to thank NJCU and Dr. John Donnellan for this amazing initiative!

Article and picture by Anzelika Krastina