Environmental Sustainability →
- 09 Aug 2010
- Research & Ideas
How to Speed Up Energy Innovation
We know the grand challenge posed by shifting away from dirty energy sources. The good news, says Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson, is that we have seen such change before in fields including agriculture and biotech, giving us a clearer pathway to what it will take. Key concepts include: The research brings attention to industries that experienced radical transformation at great speed: agriculture, chemicals, life sciences, and information technology. The problem: Energy is a commodity product that can't be differentiated, the sector already exists, and the change needs to happen at enormous scale. Trying to speed innovation without simultaneously creating demand for low-carbon energy is unlikely to have much of an effect. History shows it's unlikely we can pick the winning technology in advance. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 06 Jul 2010
- Research & Ideas
Renewable Energy: Winds at Our Back?
It certainly stirred up controversy in 2001 when an entrepreneur proposed erecting 130 wind turbines off the coast of Massachusetts' Cape Cod. After nine years of struggle over regulatory, environmental, safety, and social issues, the plan appears closer to becoming a reality. HBS professor Richard Vietor reflects on wind energy and innovations in the renewable energy industry. Key concepts include: The Cape Wind project has sparked controversy in the eastern United States related to regulatory, political, environmental, and social concerns. Wind power is important for the near term, but in the longer term solar and nuclear power may gain ground. The United States is rapidly falling behind other developed countries in its approach to renewable energy sources. Nevertheless, President Obama's stimulus package provides significant incentives and subsidies for green energy projects. More than 30 states have renewable production standards that require utilities to purchase or develop from 15 percent to 30 percent of their power from renewables over the next 10 to 15 years. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 28 Apr 2010
- Working Paper Summaries
Environmental Federalism in the European Union and the United States
Under what circumstances will individual states take the lead in passing the most stringent environmental regulations, and when will the federal government take the lead? When a state takes a leadership role, will other states follow? HBS professor Michael Toffel and coauthors describe the development of environmental regulations in the U.S. and EU that address automobile emissions, packaging waste, and global climate change. They use these three topics to illustrate different patterns of environmental policymaking, describe the changing dynamics between state and centralized regulation in the United States and the EU. Key concepts include: State governments have been an important source of policy innovation and diffusion for automobile emissions in the EU and the U.S., and packaging waste policies in the EU. In these cases, state authorities were the first to regulate, and their regulations resulted in the adoption of more stringent regulatory standards by the central government. With climate change policies, the EU and its member states have developed regulations in tandem, reinforcing each other. In the U.S., state governments developed more innovate regulations than the federal government for both climate change and packaging waste, but these policies have not substantially diffused to other states. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 24 Feb 2010
- Working Paper Summaries
Accelerating Innovation In Energy: Insights from Multiple Sectors
How should the energy sector best respond to the threat of climate change? In this introductory chapter to a forthcoming book, Harvard Business School's Rebecca M. Henderson and Richard G. Newell of Duke University frame the discussion by highlighting the volume's contributions concerning four particularly innovative sectors of the U.S. economy: agriculture, chemicals, life sciences, and information technology. These four sectors have been extraordinarily important in driving recent economic growth. Henderson and Newell describe why accelerating innovation in energy could play an important role in shaping an effective response to climate change. Key concepts include: An effective innovation system has three key elements: accelerating demand for new technology; institutions that support abundant generation and dissemination of fundamental scientific and technical knowledge; and a vibrant, competitive private sector. Public policy has played a role in building and/or sustaining all three elements. If the goal of federal policy is to encourage effective technological solutions to mitigate climate change, then a short-term commitment is unlikely to meet expectations, even if the commitment is extraordinarily intense, such as was seen with the Department of Defense's Manhattan Project. If federal agencies increase investment in energy innovation at the same time that vigorous efforts are made to enhance the demand for carbon-free technology, it is likely that technological innovation could play a decisive role in mitigating some of the key economic and social risks arising from climate change. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 06 Jan 2010
- What Do You Think?
Is a Stringent Climate Change Agreement a Pot of Gold?
Reading this month's comments, HBS professor Jim Heskett wonders if we even need a climate change agreement as a catalyst to foster innovation and the VC investment required to support it. (Online forum has closed; next forum opens February 4.) Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Jul 2009
- Research Event
Business Summit: The Coming World Oil Crisis
Without enormous changes the world faces an imminent oil crisis—and there are no silver bullet solutions. People must wake up to the sobering ramifications of peak oil, which may be the defining issue of this century. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 26 Jun 2009
- Research Event
Business Summit: Business and the Environment
If the causes for global climate change are not addressed, the consequences for the planet are likely to be disastrous. Governments, business, and consumers must act. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 19 Jun 2009
- Research Event
Business Summit: The Evolution of Agribusiness
Agribusiness has come to be seen not just as economically important, but as a critical part of society. The future for this massive industry will be both exciting and complex. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 11 Mar 2009
- HBS Case
The Energy Politics of Russia vs. Ukraine
A recent Harvard Business School case looks at Russia's decision in 2006 to cut off supply of natural gas to Ukraine's energy company—a move repeated this year. Is Russia just an energy bully? Students of professor Rawi Abdelal learn there is nothing black and white when it comes to Russia's energy politics. From HBS Alumni Bulletin. Key concepts include: The Western notion that Russia uses energy as a weapon is a media oversimplification of very complicated politics. Gazprom is the country's single most important company and biggest taxpayer. Because natural gas is much cleaner than oil or coal, Europe will likely become even more dependent on Russian gas. Energy can be a tool for influence but it's not an effective tool for domination. Russia will be in trouble if Europe decides to stop buying Russian gas. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Oct 2008
- Working Paper Summaries
Responding to Public and Private Politics: Corporate Disclosure of Climate Change Strategies
Social activists are increasingly attempting to directly influence corporation behavior, using tactics such as shareholder resolutions and product boycotts to encourage companies to improve their environmental performance, increase their transparency about operations and governance, and more stringently monitor their suppliers' labor practices. This paper examines how companies are responding to these pressures, in the context of requests for greater transparency about the risks climate change poses to their business—and the strategies these companies have developed to address these risks. This paper reveals that a company is more likely to comply with social activists' requests for greater transparency about climate change when the company itself, or other companies in its industry, has been targeted by formal shareholder resolutions on environmental topics—and when the company is facing potential regulations restricting greenhouse gas emissions. These findings demonstrate that changes in corporate practices may be sparked by both social activists and by the mere threat of government regulations, and that challenges mounted against a specific firm may inspire broader changes within its industry. Key concepts include: Firms are more likely to acquiesce to a shareholder request if they or other firms in their industry have already been targeted by a shareholder resolution on a related issue. Political context affects the success of private politics, in that firms under threat of regulation are more likely to acquiesce to a shareholder request. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 08 Sep 2008
- HBS Case
The Value of Environmental Activists
With decidedly non-profit goals leading them on, how do environmental protection groups such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund create value? Can it be measured? A Q&A with Harvard Business School professor Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and case writer Jordan Mitchell. Key concepts include: The challenge for a business student is how to put a quantifiable measure on whether Greenpeace and WWF are successful in reaching goals. WWF and Greenpeace create value by increasing the world's willingness-to-pay on environmental issues. Most scientists agree that the earth is deteriorating at a faster rate than during the 1960s and 1970s, but it would be worse off had it not been for the tireless campaigning of environmental NGOs. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 01 Feb 2008
- What Do You Think?
How Sustainable Is Sustainability in a For-Profit Organization?
Online forum now closed. For managers, sustainability can mean the integration and intersection of social, environmental, and economic responsibilities. The concept is admirable, says Jim Heskett, but does it also confuse managers entrusted with the bottom line? How should they make trade-offs? Jim sums up reader responses. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 10 Oct 2005
- Research & Ideas
Corporate Responsibility and the Environment: What is the Right Thing To Do?
Does it make legal, ethical, or economic sense for companies to participate in environmental corporate social responsibility programs? A new book from HBS professor Richard Vietor and colleagues Bruce Hay and Robert N. Stavins attempts to separate fact from fiction on the debate. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
- 15 Jul 2002
- Research & Ideas
Going Green Makes Good Business Sense
Green can be good, says HBS professor Forest L. Reinhardt. In a recent reunion session for alumni, he outlined how environmentally-minded company policies can make good strategic sense for business. Here are some strategies you might consider. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.
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Venture Capital’s Disconnect with Clean Tech
Clean-tech start-ups depend on patience and public policy to thrive—the Internet models for VC funding don't apply. That's why Harvard Business School professor Joseph Lassiter is making an unusual recommendation to his entrepreneurship students: Spend a few years serving time in a government job. Key concepts include: MBA students and young venture capitalists often assume that all promising start-ups can grow and exit as fast as Internet start-ups, but they're mistaken. Clean-tech start-ups are often stymied by a "valley of death"—that precarious stage between researching and developing a product and going to market. The success of clean-tech companies often is dependent on public policy, so it behooves budding VCs and entrepreneurs to spend a few years learning the ropes in a government or corporate job. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.