- 21 Jun 2023
- Climate Rising
BCG Climate Vision 2050: Sustainability at 36,000 Feet
For the second episode in our series on corporate net zero programs, we’re sharing an episode on airline decarbonization from the Climate Vision 2050 podcast produced by the consulting firm Boston Consulting Group. This episode sets up a scenario in 2050 where the industry relies on liquid nitrogen, sustainable aviation fuels, electric aircraft, and blending-wing body planes, coupled with present-day experts who explain the changes. Link to original podcast: BCG Climate Vision 2050 (“Sustainability at 36,000 feet” episode) Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative
- 07 Jun 2023
- Climate Rising
Beyond Net Zero: How Seventh Generation Plans to Achieve Real Zero Carbon
In this first episode in a new series on companies setting and meeting net zero climate targets, Ashley Orgain, Chief Impact Officer at Seventh Generation, discusses why this home care products company decided to set a real zero climate goal instead of net zero, and how they plan to achieve it. She also describes how Seventh Generation is going beyond a carbon footprint to measure its carbon fingerprints that touch every aspect of their business, from banking to creative services. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guest: Ashley Orgain, Chief Impact Officer, Seventh Generation
- 24 May 2023
- Climate Rising
How BMW is Driving Decarbonization
This bonus episode of Climate Rising features Harvard Business Review’s Cold Cast podcast with Brian Kenny interviewing HBS professor Shirley Lu on BMW Group’s decarbonization strategy, which is the subject of a new case study that Shirley wrote with HBS colleagues George Serafeim and Mike Toffel. They discuss why BMW is focusing on reducing vehicle lifecycle emissions, and why the company has so far avoided setting a phase-out date for internal combustion engine BMWs. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guest/Host: ● Brian Kenny, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Harvard Business School and host of Cold Call ● Shirley Lu, Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School
- 17 May 2023
- Climate Rising
Can We Really Engineer a Climate Fix?
Today, as a bonus, we’re sharing an episode of the Skydeck podcast that features interviews with HBS alumni where they share lessons learned and their life experiences. We thought this episode of Skydeck would be particularly interesting to you because it focuses on carbon capture technology. This is one of three Skydeck episodes on this topic. And for even more, check out Climate Rising’s own episodes on carbon capture, released in the fall of 2022. To hear more about the Skydeck podcast visit www.alumni.hbs.edu/skydeck Visit climaterising.org for more information. Climate Rising host: Mike Toffel Skydeck host: Dan Morrell
- 10 May 2023
- Climate Rising
How OPower Uses Behavioral Science & AI to Reduce Energy Demand
In this sixth episode in our series on climate change and artificial intelligence (AI), Paul McDonald, Senior Director, Opower Product Strategy & Marketing at Oracle Energy and Water, discusses how OPower uses behavioral science and AI to help utility customers reduce their energy use. He describes why saving electricity benefits both customers and utilities, and shares his advice for those interested in careers in business and climate. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guest: Paul McDonald, Senior Director, Opower Product Strategy & Marketing at Oracle Energy and Water
- 26 Apr 2023
- Climate Rising
Climate Adaptation & Supply Chains: Everstream Analytics’ AI Solution
In this fifth episode in our series on climate change and artificial intelligence (AI), Jim Hayden, Chief Data Scientist at Everstream Analytics, discusses how they use AI and machine learning to help mitigate risk and optimize opportunities for supply chain logistics in a changing climate and in the face of extreme weather events, such as heat stress, drought, and temperature extremes. And he shares his advice for those interested in careers in business and climate. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guest: Jim Hayden, Chief Data Scientist, Everstream Analytics
- 12 Apr 2023
- Climate Rising
Ideon: Mining the Energy Transition
In this fourth episode in our series on climate change and artificial intelligence (AI), Gary Agnew, CEO and Co-founder of Ideon Technologies Inc, and Kim Lawrence, VP, Talent and Customer Experience, discuss how they use energy from supernovas, sensors, satellites, and machine learning to improve the efficiency and reduce the environmental impact of mining for minerals critical to the clean energy transition. They also share their advice for those interested in careers in business and climate. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guests: ● Gary Agnew, CEO and Co-founder, Ideon Technologies Inc ● Kim Lawrence, VP, Talent and Customer Experience
- 29 Mar 2023
- Climate Rising
WeaveGrid's AI Solution for EV-to-Grid Integration
In this third episode in our series on climate change and artificial intelligence (AI), Apoorv Bhargava, CEO and co-founder of WeaveGrid, a company that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help electric utilities optimize the integration of electric vehicles into a clean energy grid. He describes how they approach the intersection of transportation and energy as a systems problem, and he shares his advice for those interested in careers in business and climate. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guest: Apoorv Bhargava, CEO and Co-founder, WeaveGrid
- 15 Mar 2023
- Climate Rising
Google’s AI Approach to Climate Change
In this second episode in our series on climate change and AI, Yossi Matias, Vice President, Engineering & Research at Google, and the founding Managing Director of Google Center in Israel, explains how Google uses AI and Machine Learning to tackle some of the biggest challenges for climate mitigation and adaptation. He describes how Google uses partnerships and collaboration to innovate in the climate space, and shares his advice for those interested in careers in business and climate. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guest: ● Yossi Matias, Vice President, Engineering & Research at Google, and the founding Managing Director of Google Center in Israel
- 01 Mar 2023
- Climate Rising
How BCG Uses AI to Address Climate Change
In this first episode in a new series on climate change and AI, Hamid Maher and Charlotte Degot, Managing Directors and Partners at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), explain how BCG has developed and uses AI tools to help their clients manage climate risks and address mitigation and adaptation challenges. They describe how they pitch these solutions to potential clients, and share their advice for those interested in careers in business and climate. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guests: ● Hamid Maher, Managing Director and Partner, Head of Africa, BCG ● Charlotte Degot, Managing Director and Partner, Global Lead for CO2 AI, BCG
- 15 Feb 2023
- Climate Rising
Accelerating Climate Solutions for Food & Agriculture
This special episode features a discussion on solving the challenges climate change poses to food & agriculture, recorded as part of the HBS Short Intensive Program on Accelerating Climate Solutions. HBS Senior Lecturer Eleanor Laurans interviews Alex Bondar, partner at Acre Venture Partners, and Rebekah Moses, Vice President of Impact Strategy at Iron Ox. They discuss climate tech and venture capital and the roles played by consumers, farmers, investors, and corporations. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Host/Guests: ● Eleanor Laurans, Senior Lecturer, Harvard Business School ● Alex Bondar, Partner, Acre Venture Partners ● Rebekah Moses, Vice President, Iron Ox
- 01 Feb 2023
- Climate Rising
Climate Tech Investing in Deep Decarbonization
This bonus episode features Harvard Business Review’s Exponential View podcast, where Azeem Azhar interviews climate tech investor Shayle Kann, a partner at Energy Impact Partners. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of investing in the net zero economy and why Shayle prefers to frame it as deep decarbonization. They also cover what metrics venture capitalists should consider when investing in climate tech and how net zero electricity fits into solutions. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guest/Host: ● Azeem Azhar, entrepreneur, investor, and host of Exponential View ● Shayle Kann, Partner, Energy Impact Partners
- 18 Jan 2023
- Climate Rising
Accelerating the Energy Transition: The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act
This bonus episode features the Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Law Program’s CleanLaw podcast, where professors Jody Freeman (Harvard) and Greg Dotson (University of Oregon) talk about the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act that was enacted in 2022. They discuss how the bill got passed, what the law contains, how its provisions connect to other climate-related laws, and how it seeks to accelerate the country’s deployment of clean energy and other efforts to address climate change. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guests: ● Jody Freeman, Archibald Cox Professor of Law & Director, Environmental and Energy Law Program, Harvard Law School ● Greg Dotson, Associate Professor, University of Oregon School of Law Episode specific link
- 28 Dec 2022
- Climate Rising
A Lookback at COP27: How Do Companies Engage in Global Climate Policy?
Nat Keohane, President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, discusses how companies participate in global climate talks and policy development, such as the recent UN Conference of Parties (COP) in Egypt. He also talks about what to expect as countries move from crafting climate agreements to implementation and what companies’ role is in that work. He also offers advice for those interested in careers in business and climate change. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guest: Nat Keohane, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
- 14 Dec 2022
- Climate Rising
Nature-based Carbon Removal: DroneSeed’s Reforestation Model
Grant Canary, CEO of DroneSeed, a startup company designed to accelerate reforestation after wildfires, shares his perspective on the landscape of nature-based carbon removal solutions and how DroneSeed has developed a business model to address both climate and financial risk. He also discusses how his venture capital background lends itself to tackling complex climate solutions and he offers advice for those interested in careers in business and climate change. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org . Guest: Grant Canary, CEO, DroneSeed
- 30 Nov 2022
- Climate Rising
Tech-based Carbon Removal: Sustaera’s Direct Air Capture
Shantanu Agarwal, Co-Founder and Director of Sustaera, a startup company developing a Direct Air Capture technology to remove carbon from the atmosphere, shares his perspective on the landscape in the race to develop scalable and affordable carbon removal technologies–from engineering to financing to deployment–and how Sustaera’s specific technology fits in. He also discusses how his entrepreneurial background led him to finding solutions for climate change and he offers advice for those interested in careers in business and climate change. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guest: Shantanu Agarwal, Co-Founder and Director, Sustaera.
- 16 Nov 2022
- Climate Rising
U.S. DOE’s Jigar Shah & the State of Carbon Removal
Jigar Shah, Director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, shares some of the technical and finance challenges and opportunities of carbon removal solutions, and shares how transitioning his private-sector energy finance background into government leadership has shown him how public-private climate tech partnerships could be improved. He also offers advice for those interested in careers in business and climate change. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guest: Jigar Shah, Director, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy.
- 02 Nov 2022
- Climate Rising
McKinsey's Climate Consulting
Daniel Pacthod, Senior Partner and global co-leader of McKinsey Sustainability, shares how the company works with its clients to address climate risk and find opportunities through its pillars of net-zero strategy, green business building, decarbonization transformation, net-zero financial institutions, and sustainable investing. He also offers advice for those interested in careers in business and climate change. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org Guest: Daniel Pacthod, Senior Partner and global co-leader of McKinsey Sustainability, McKinsey & Company
- 19 Oct 2022
- Climate Rising
Bain’s Climate Consulting
Cate Hight, an expert partner in Bain’s Sustainability & Responsibility and Energy & Natural Resources practices, shares how the company’s strategy, operations, customer value, and transformation work help enable their consulting and private equity clients identify opportunities associated with climate change and mitigate climate risks. She also offers advice for those interested in careers in business and climate change. For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org. Guest: Cate Hight, Expert Partner in Sustainability and Responsibility and Energy and Natural Resources practices, Bain.
How Science Based Climate Targets Work
Today’s episode features Alberto Carrillo Pineda, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer of the Science Based Targets Initiative explains how they help companies and financial institutions design verifiable and achievable climate targets, and how they assess and validate those targets. He also discusses how the SBTi is transitioning from focusing on technical assistance and assessments to a standard-setting organization. Company Resources: The Science Based Targets initiative How science-based targets work Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative Guest: Alberto Carrillo Pineda, Co-Founder and and Chief Technical Officer, Science Based Targets Initiative For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org