University marks International Women’s Day by shining a light on the barriers women face that are hindering the road to sustainability in business and net zero.
Social and economic inequality, lacking inclusivity amongst marginalised groups, and gaps in the education system are amongst the biggest societal barriers having a detrimental impact on the environment and the UK’s road to a more sustainable economy, according to some of the country’s leading women at the forefront of sustainable development.
To mark International Women’s Day 2025, Salford Business School brought together a group of women paving the way in sustainability, for a roundtable discussion centred on breaking down barriers for women to help achieve sustainability in business and the shift to net zero. Participating in the roundtable were the University’s experts in sustainability: Dr Alejandra Diaz De Rienzo, Dr Divya Patel, Professor Katy Mason, Dr Neetu Sharma, Dr Ruth Hudson, Sara Boswell and Dr Silvia Tedesco, with Professor Francine Morris moderating. They were joined by Barratt Redrow’s Anna Slatcher, Innovate UK Business Growth’s Dr Giulia Sirigu, Arising Futures’ Kay Ali, Vision Linens’ Rachael Shah and VTCreation’s Valery Touchet.
According to Care International, at COP28 in 2023, just 15 of the 133 world leaders in attendance were women. In 2024, the numbers remained relatively unchanged with only eight out of the 78 world leaders participating in COP29 being women, highlighting the ongoing issue of lacking gender parity and representation when it comes to improving the environment and sustainability. This data was further solidified by our roundtable, which uncovered many women feel their voices aren’t heard when it comes to driving sustainability.
Professor Francine Morris, Associate Dean for Enterprise and Engagement at Salford Business School, commented: “While we’ve come a long way on the journey to true gender equality, women continue to face daily barriers and our roundtable highlighted the impact this is having on debates and policy around net zero and sustainability.
“Societal barriers including poverty, time constraints, digital exclusion and access to knowledge, services and opportunities, particularly amongst marginalised groups, is hindering the sustainable choices people are able to make. The knock-on effect is the damage it’s causing to people and our planet. This year’s International Women’s Day theme, ‘accelerate action,’ rings true in a lot of cases, for gender equality and the road to developing a more sustainable economy. Our climate crisis could further inequalities and social divides, so we need to work together to take urgent action.”
The conversation explored the pivotal role education could play in helping us all live more sustainably. Educating children from a young age to make informed choices, bridging knowledge gaps when it comes to sustainable living, and working with industry, SMEs and policymakers to address systemic problems that have been designed in to our economic structures from the ground up, were all recommendations from the participating experts which could help shift ingrained behaviours and current cultural norms, to drive real positive change.
Professor Katy Mason, PVC (Pro Vice Chancellor) Dean of Salford Business School, added: “Education and awareness will be critical in achieving sustainability and net zero goals, and the roundtable emphasised the need to further amplify the role of education around sustainability, carbon literacy and the interconnectedness of systems. Collaboration will also be key, particularly with businesses who have a critical role to play in contributing to sustainability.
“It’s essential we empower people to drive meaningful change. We’re already seeing younger generations take charge when it comes to sustainability and making a positive impact, but there’s an opportunity to elevate this further.”
Katy concluded: “Right now, there are some who perceive sustainable living as a luxury and here at the University, we’re aiming to challenge this narrative. Living sustainably is essential for everyone if we are to flourish as a society.
“By helping businesses build and play their part in a circular economy, and by supporting everyone to learn more about recycling, reusing and renewing goods, as opposed to giving in to the pressure to consistently consume, we will not only reduce waste and cost, but we’ll be doing it for the common good by helping to secure the future of our planet’s precious resources.”