On October 22 2025, at SGH Warsaw School of Economics, the First Inter-University Climate Forum took place, during which experts, business representatives, local governments, and non-governmental organizations together searched for solutions for climate protection and sustainable development.
The conference focused on the topics of climate change, sustainable development, and the role of business, local government, universities as well as non-governmental organizations in managing the climate crisis. The event gathered representatives from various fields in order to exchange experiences and jointly develop solutions for climate protection, sustainable development, and building dialogue between science, business, society, and decision-makers.
The Vice Rector for Development at SGH professor Dorota Niedziółka emphasized that the scientific community’s response to climate challenges was the launch in 2022 of the Inter-University Climate Academy organized by a unique consortium of three universities: SGH – providing economical approach, the AGH University of Krakow (AGH University) that offers technical skills, and the University of Wrocław – with broad social programme. The initiative offers postgraduate studies focused on climate change knowledge and practical skills to address this critical challenge. The programme is interdisciplinary and supported by the banking and business sectors to provide comprehensive education and foster cross-sector collaboration.
Apart from the Inter-University Climate Academy 12 others postgraduate study programmes are offered by the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. And this stands alongside a broad portfolio of degree pathways that integrate sustainability across bachelor’s and master’s education. One of the 11 bachelor specialisations is indeed “Sustainable Business and ESG”, and “Sustainable Development” is a mandatory course for all bachelor students. Sustainability in SGH is not a slogan: it is a mainstreamed academic track that more and more shapes knowledge formation of future graduates.
ESG- and sustainability-focused teams at SGH collaborate with leading Polish and international organisations, including Forum Odpowiedzialnego Biznesu, Kampania 17 Celów, and UN system actors — co-creating and co-implementing economic transition scenarios. The SGH researchers are not only writing about sustainability: they are in the room where it is negotiated. The SGH academic experts participated in the Pre-COP 2025 in Katowice, contributing to multi-stakeholder consultations and evidence-based shaping of options for climate policy transformation.
The special guest of the forum was the Executive Director of UN Global Compact Network Poland (the organizer of Pre-COP), Kamil Wyszkowski, who delivered an inspiring lecture titled “Climate Education. Will knowledge win over stupidity and why multilateralism and UN science-based standards and goals guarantee the survival of Homo Sapiens”. During the conference, two discussion panels took place: “Climate transformation: business, local governments, society” and “Challenges in climate education – expectations and needs of business, administration, and society”.
A film festival connected with ecology was a part of the forum. The movies were shown in the SGH Main Hall and the film projections were open to the public. Among the presented films was the cinematic hit, the Polish feature film “Simona Kossak” directed by Adrian Panek—a story about biologist Simona Kossak, who, after graduating, decided to leave her previous life in Krakow and started a new chapter in Białowieża. There she meets a respected nature photographer, and their shared love of nature brings them closer, creating a unique bond. The film received the award for the best Polish film at the BNP Paribas Green Film Festival 2025.
The event organizers were: SGH Warsaw School of Economics and AGH University (universities creating the Intercollegiate Climate Academy) as well as the University of Gdansk. The conference was under the patronage of UN Global Compact Network Poland, UNEP/GRID-Warsaw, TOGETAIR, and the Business for Climate Foundation. The media patron was the ESG.pl portal.
