How to profit from global warming?

Global warming, regardless of the correctness of the theories that explain it, is a fait accompli. The environment is changing, giving us new challenges, and we can no longer avoid them. But why avoid them?

For 10 years, the Ashridge Business School has held annual essay competitions on the role of business in modern society. This year, the theme of the competition was innovation that could lead to business development without any environmental damage . We support the School in this endeavor, we, Hewlett-Packard , as well as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Subtopics: new markets and business models; new services and products; new ways to produce and deliver services and products. And at the heart of them all: what innovations in management and way of thinking will be needed to make a profit.

The competition is held among students (graduate students) who receive the title of specialist or master now, in the 2008-2009 academic year. Applications are accepted from students who:

• receive an MBA (Master of Business Administration) from any university or business school in Europe, Africa or the Middle East (EMEA region)
• receive a master's or specialist degree at any university associated with partnerships with HP (see the full list here - 13 universities in Russia)
• get an MBA at any university in the world that is a partner of the European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS)

The volume of an essay in English should not exceed 3,000 words + 300 words for the main abstracts. The deadline for submitting an essay for consideration by the jury is May 3, 2009 . You can read about other rules and the composition of the jury in a brief brochure .

And the most interesting: the winner of the competition, who sent the best work according to the jury, will receive a cash prize of € 7,000 , half-year patronage from HP and valuable career advice from Spencer Stuart. Second and third place will bring € 5,000 and € 3,000 respectively.

All information about the competition can be found on the Ashridge School website .

In general, this is a great way to express yourself for those who think globally, but do not hover in the clouds.