Expanding and assessing sustainability knowledge
One year of commitment with Sulitest’s TASKTM certification
April 2, 2024
HEC Montréal and Sulitest celebrated the first anniversary of TASKTM (The Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge), an international certification that establishes a common framework for the teaching and assessment of sustainability knowledge within organizations.
As the first academic institution in North America to join, HEC Montréal is committed to integrating the notions of sustainable development (SD) into its Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Master’s and MBA programs, as well as providing the majority of its student community with TASK™ certification within three years.
“More than ever, organizations are looking for responsible leaders who are capable of implementing sustainable practices at the heart of their business strategy,” states Federico Pasin, Director of HEC Montréal.
“As a higher education institution, we have a duty to raise awareness about environmental issues within our student community and to deploy initiatives to promote the acquisition of sustainability knowledge. These skills have become essential to addressing the complex challenges of a world in transition.”
Full understanding of sustainability principles
TASKTM is steered by Sulitest, a global movement that supports the dissemination of SD knowledge.
In addition to educating students, this certificate also enables them to measure their level of sustainability knowledge and track their progress throughout their academic career.
The test consists of 112 questions inspired by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the planetary boundaries framework developed by the Stockholm Resilience Institute, and Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics model.
From September 2024 onwards, this certification will be part of the first year of the compulsory pathway for BBA students. This will enable them to apply this knowledge concretely in their professional practices and decisions.
Initiatives at the heart of an ambitious action plan
These initiatives are at the heart of the 2022-2025 Action Plan of the School’s Sustainable Transition Office. This ambitious roadmap for sustainable development, social responsibility, and ethics aims to meet the objectives of the School’s strategic plan, based on 4 streams:
- strengthening governance,
- taking exemplary actions,
- strengthening and supporting projects,
- creating and transferring knowledge.
“These projects will enable the School to carry out its mission and achieve its goal of training responsible leaders who contribute to the socio-ecological transition within organizations by drawing on their experience at HEC Montréal,” says Professor Luciano Barin Cruz, Director of the Sustainable Transition Office at HEC Montréal.
“Initiatives like TASKTM by Sulitest play a key role in assessing our community’s knowledge and identifying areas that require improvement, all with a view to continuous learning and transfer of best practices.”
Find out more:
HEC Montréal’s commitment to sustainable and responsible management