Filter Results: (90) Arrow Down

EnergyRemove Energy →

New research on energy from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including energy sources, energy conservation, and sustainable business practices.
Page 1 of 90 Results →

Industrial Decarbonization: Confronting the Hard Challenges of Cement

by by Janelle Conaway

CEOs in construction and heavy industries must prioritize innovative abatement strategies to meet rising global demand for cement while reducing emissions. Research by Gunther Glenk offers an economic framework for identifying emission reduction options.

Getting to Net Zero: The Climate Standards and Ecosystem the World Needs Now

by Rachel Layne

What can companies and regulators do as climate predictions grow grimmer? They should measure impact, strengthen environmental institutions, and look to cities to lead, say Robert Kaplan, Shirley Lu, and Rosabeth Moss Kanter.

When Climate Goals, Housing Policy, and Corporate R&D Collide, Social Good Can Emerge

by Glen Justice

Grants designed to improve housing can make homes more energy efficient and save money for low-income families, providing a powerful way to confront climate change, says research by Omar Asensio. What do the findings mean for companies trying to scale innovation?

When It Comes to Climate Regulation, Energy Companies Take a More Nuanced View

by Desmond Dodd

Many assume that major oil and gas companies adamantly oppose climate-friendly regulation, but that's not true. A study of 30 years of corporate advocacy by Jonas Meckling finds that energy companies have backed clean-energy efforts when it aligns with their business interests.

Can Second-Generation Ethanol Production Help Decarbonize the World?

Re: Gunnar Trumbull

Raízen, a bioenergy company headquartered in São Paulo, is Brazil’s leader in sugar and ethanol production and the world’s leading ethanol trader. Since its creation in 2011, the company had primarily produced first-generation ethanol (E1G) from sugarcane, a crop that can also be used to produce sugar. In 2015, Raízen also started to produce second-generation ethanol (E2G), a biofuel derived from residual and waste materials, such as cane bagasse and straw – which don’t compete with food production. The company’s growth strategy focused on developing and boosting a low carbon portfolio that focused on E2G, based on the belief that Raízen—and Brazil—could help the world decarbonize and profit from the energy transition. Paula Kovarsky, Raízen’s chief strategy and sustainability officer, was confident the company could become a global green energy champion. But after the board’s approval for the first round of E2G investments, she faced a complex challenge: how to expand the market for second-generation ethanol and other sugar-cane waste biofuels, in order to ensure Raízen’s long-term growth? Harvard Business School professor Gunnar Trumbull and Kovarsky discuss the company’s strategy for bringing second-generation ethanol to the world in the case, “Raízen: Helping to Decarbonize the World?”

Could Clean Hydrogen Become Affordable at Scale by 2030?

by Desmond Dodd

The cost to produce hydrogen could approach the $1-per-kilogram target set by US regulators by 2030, helping this cleaner energy source compete with fossil fuels, says research by Gunther Glenk and colleagues. But planned global investments in hydrogen production would need to come to fruition to reach full potential.

Will Global Demand for Oil Peak This Decade?

by Alvin Powell, Harvard Gazette

The International Energy Agency expects the world's oil demand to start to ebb in the coming years. However, Joseph Lassiter and Lauren Cohen say the outlook will likely be more complex, especially as poor and fast-growing regions seek energy sources for their economies.

War in Ukraine: Soaring Gas Prices and the Return of Stagflation?

by Avery Forman

With nothing left to lose, Russia's invasion of Ukraine will likely intensify, roiling energy markets further and raising questions about the future of globalization, says Rawi Abdelal. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The ESG-Innovation Disconnect: Evidence from Green Patenting

by Lauren Cohen, Umit G. Gurun, and Quoc H. Nguyen

Energy-producing firms are more likely to produce “blockbuster” green patents than other firms. Yet energy firms are excluded from many environmental, social, and governance (ESG) funds, and are the targets of divestiture campaigns whose stated aims often include green energy innovation.

The Business of Saving the Planet

by Sean Silverthorne

The biggest challenge facing today's business leaders? Putting their operations in harmony with the environment. Read the latest research around building sustainability into business processes and management practices. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Green Businesses Are Incredibly Difficult to Make Profitable. Try It Anyway

by Dina Gerdeman

Making a business successful is a challenge in itself, but making a green business profitable is an even harder journey. For society's sake, entrepreneurs must be prepared to make that journey, says Geoffrey Jones. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

What’s the Best Administrative Approach to Climate Change?

by James Heskett

SUMMING UP: James Heskett's readers point to examples of complex environmental problems conquered through multinational cooperation. Can those serve as roadmaps for overcoming global warming? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Op-Ed: Why Private Investors Must Fund 'New Nuclear' Power Right Now

by Joseph Lassiter

Joseph Lassiter has high hopes for “new nuclear” technology, which he believes can meet the world’s urgent demand for power. But its success requires big, immediate investments from the private sector. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

More Than 900 Examples of How Climate Change Affects Business

by Carmen Nobel

MBA students participating in Harvard Business School’s Climate Change Challenge offer ideas on how companies can negate impacts from a changing environment. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Bigbelly's Big Bet on the Digital Trash Can

by Michael Blanding

Bigbelly wants to transform its solar-powered trash cans into digital hubs offering Wi-Fi access, advertising, and data-collecting sensors. (Oh, and garbage receptacles, too.) A new case study by Mitchell Weiss explores the challenges of a bold strategy pivot. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

How "New Nuclear" Power Could Save the Planet—If Regulators Would Allow It

by Joseph Lassiter

The barriers to rapid progress in next-generation nuclear power are certainly not technical and probably not even economic, argues Joseph Lassiter. The greatest barriers today are in outdated nuclear regulations. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Obama’s Clean Power Plan: Can Nuclear Power Beat the Global Threat of Coal?

by Carmen Nobel

Joe Lassiter believes the smart use of nuclear power is an essential ingredient in fighting the worldwide threat of coal-fired power plant emissions. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

Michael Porter on America’s Historic Energy Opportunity

Re: Michael E. Porter

America is caught in a divisive debate over energy strategy, which threatens our nation's economic and environmental goals. "There is an urgent need for the US to get on a new path," according to a new report by Michael E. Porter, David S. Gee, and Gregory J. Pope. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

The Transparency Revolution in Corporate Reporting

Re: George Serafeim

Professor George Serafeim looks at how standardizing the way companies report data on their social and environmental initiatives could effect revolutionary change in the stock market. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

A Road Map to Fix America’s Transportation Infrastructure

by Dina Gerdeman

Why is America's transportation system so outdated, why should we care, and what can we do about it? Rosabeth Moss Kanter offers a road map to roadway recovery in her new book, Move: Putting America's Infrastructure Back in the Lead. Open for comment; 0 Comments.