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CSGR Roundtable Explores the Ethics Behind Sustainable Leadership

Monday, 12 May 2025

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  • The CSGR team posing for group photo at the roundtable event.

    The CSGR team posing for a group photo at the Roundtable event, capturing a moment of collaboration and engagement.

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ECU’s School of Business and Law’s Centre for Sustainability and Governance Research (CSGR) brought together global experts for a critical conversation on the role of ethics in sustainable business.

In May, the CSGR hosted a roundtable to explore the ethical dimensions of sustainability. This is an area of growing focus as global conversations around ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) continue to evolve.

Leading voices from research and industry shared insights on how ethical frameworks shape leadership, influence decision-making, and inform business practices in a rapidly changing world.

Values and Responsibility

Professor Gabriel Eweje moderated the discussion, inviting the panel to reflect on the real-world challenges of ethical sustainability.

  • Catherine Bell (Partner, ESG and Climate Services, RSM Australia) spoke to the transformative power of leadership. She urged executives to prioritise sustainability over short-term profit. “We need leaders who focus on sustainability—not just profitability,” she said.
  • Professor Edward Wray-Bliss (Stan Perron Chair in Business Ethics, ECU) introduced key concepts including “separatism in ethics” and “ethical proximity,”.  He drew attention to how moral accountability often depends on how close we feel to issues or communities. He stressed the importance of institutional frameworks to support consistent and meaningful action.
  • Professor Mayowa Babalola (Stan Perron Chair in Business Ethics, UWA) shared insights on how culture and subtle cues can reinforce ethical behaviour in organisations. He offered practical solutions to change, focusing on the behavioural psychology behind sustainable practice.

Where to from here?

The audience brought thoughtful questions to the conversation, with many focused on how to implement these ideas in policy and practice. A clear theme emerged: meaningful sustainability can’t be achieved without a strong ethical foundation.

“Ethics is the bedrock of any sustainability effort,” said Professor Gabriel Eweje.

“Without ethical clarity, even the most well-intentioned initiatives risk losing direction. This roundtable was a great way to reconnect sustainability to its moral core—and give future leaders the tools to act with purpose.”

The roundtable formed part of CSGR’s broader mission to advance critical thinking, leadership, and research at the intersection of business, governance, and sustainability.

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