Corporate Knights ranks UBC MBA 5th globally among large schools

UBC Sauder’s leadership in sustainability education has been recognized once again. In the 2025 Better World MBA ranking by Corporate Knights, the UBC MBA program placed 5th globally among large schools, those with an average of at least 80 graduates over the past two years. The program also ranks 14th overall in the world amongst all schools, according to the coveted annual ranking of business schools with the most sustainability-focused MBA programs.

Key examples of UBC Sauder’s commitment to sustainability education can be found within the MBA program, as well as the school’s many climate-centric business resources. 

An MBA program with a sustainability focus 

UBC Sauder's full-time MBA program curriculum, offered through the Robert H. Lee Graduate School, exemplifies the school’s core principle of a global reputation for excellence in innovation and social impact. The program reinforces sustainability, ethics and responsible leadership, and the faculty encourage students to incorporate these pillars as key components of the business decision-making process. Some of the core courses that UBC MBA students are exposed to include: 

• Climate and Economics Strategy 
• Climate and ESG Accounting and Reporting 
• Indigenous Relations and Climate Economy, and  
• Climate Finance  

For those with an even deeper interest in incorporating sustainability into their degree, the UBC Sauder MBA Climate Career Track offers climate-focused courses and future-minded career-development opportunities, giving future leaders the tools to understand, report on, and reduce climate impacts, and drive positive change in the world. 

The Centre for Climate and Business Solutions 

UBC Sauder’s Centre for Climate and Business Solutions (CCBS) connects students to climate professionals across industries through events, climate hackathons, and workshops, showing that every job is a climate job. CCBS is currently offering the ongoing "Working in Climate" Event Series, exploring how climate action intersects with various careers, industries, and professions through thematic events. From fields like business, law, and technology to sectors such as energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and infrastructure, the series highlights how sustainability is reshaping every aspect of the global economy. 

CCBS offers high-impact internships, where students work directly on climate and sustainability challenges in business, including CCBS student Skylar Kylstra (MBA Class of 2026). Drawn to the UBC Sauder MBA program for its strong climate focus, Skylar wanted to bridge her science background with practical business applications. She recently completed an internship at Methanex in partnership with the Centre, where she supported the company in developing its decarbonization strategy. 

CCBS is focused on working with businesses to accelerate climate action while equipping students with practical, in-demand skills. Through initiatives such as the BMO SME Climate Clinic and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Clinic, the Centre has supported 69 businesses to date. In these programs, students help small-and medium-sized enterprises calculate their carbon emissions to meet growing supply chain and investor demand, and assist startups in quantifying product-level climate impacts for customers and investors.

Together, these experiential learning programs strengthen Canada’s business ecosystem and prepare the next generation of leaders to drive the transition to a low-carbon economy and adapt to a changing climate.  

CDL Climate 

UBC Sauder’s Creative Destruction Lab Vancouver (CDL-Vancouver) houses CDL Climate, a not-for-profit incubator that pairs visionary founders with established business leaders. The CDL Climate Stream provides high impact contributions to climate challenges by unlocking the potential of cutting-edge research and accelerating its path to commercialization. 

CDL startups work with CDL mentors to sharpen objectives, prioritize time and resources, raise capital, and engage with experts working on the frontiers of climate research. With the CDL process and structure, we will help founders accelerate the commercialization trajectory of novel innovations to become massively scalable ventures that have substantial positive climate and societal impacts. 

About the ranking 

The 2025 ranking assessed 179 MBA programs worldwide, drawn from leading global MBA listings, past Better World MBA honorees, and accredited institutions. Schools were evaluated on the proportion of core courses integrating sustainable development themes — including biodiversity, Indigenous partnership models, climate finance, supply chain ethics, and equity. Alumni outcomes in impact organizations accounted for 10 per cent of the final score. More information on the ranking methodology can be found here.