Professor Iain Black has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) for his work in climate change education. The award was presented by Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of the RSGS with Executive Dean of the Business School David Hillier also present. The honorary fellowship is conferred for services to the RSGS and to society and sustainability. It was first awarded in 1888 with previous recipients including Sir Ernest Shackleton, Annie Lennox, Mark Carney, Sir David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg and Professor Anne Glover, Special Advisor to the Principal at the University of Strathclyde.
Professor Black recently joined Strathclyde Business School as Professor of Sustainable Consumption to lead on the school’s sustainability strategy and develop the Climate Solutions Programme. This is a partnership between the RSGS and the Institute of Directors which provides solutions focussed climate change and sustainability education and training to KE and internal audiences.
Professor Black said, “I am deeply humbled to be awarded this honorary fellowship. The award is primarily based on work developing, along with a range of experts, highly impactful training that sought to go beyond climate literacy to provide businesses and individuals the knowledge, skills and motivations to find solutions to the climate crises. The Royal Scottish Geographical Society, driven by its CEO Mike Robinson has been at the centre of national and international efforts in this area, and I would like to recognise this and thank them for their leadership.”
Executive Dean of Strathclyde Business School, Professor David Hillier, said, “I was delighted to see Iain receive this award – it’s a great start to his time at Strathclyde and we look forward to seeing the Business School’s sustainability strategy flourish under Iain’s leadership in the future.”
RSGS chief executive Mike Robinson said, "We were delighted to present Professor Iain Black with RSGS Honorary Fellowship for his invaluable contributions towards the creation of the Climate Solutions course, providing a simple and quick way to gain significant understanding of one of the most important issues of our generation, climate change. Iain has worked closely with our CEO to write and deliver the course, and its popularity is a testament to this effort, with an amazing 75,000 people now enrolled."