Filter Results: (236) Arrow Down

ScienceRemove Science →

New research on science from Harvard Business School faculty on issues including science-based businesses, environmental sustainability, and climate change.
Page 1 of 236 Results →

The Climate Targets Leaders Need to Know as Regulations Loom

by Rachel Layne

Is "net zero" better than "carbon neutral"? New rules related to climate risk disclosure are raising the stakes for executives trying to set meaningful decarbonization goals. Michael Toffel demystifies the terms and nuances of climate impact reporting.

Shoot for the Stars: What to Know About the Space Economy

by Kara Baskin

Outer space has come a long way since the 1960s. Matthew Weinzierl explains the current state of the space economy, highlighting the various opportunities for businesses hidden among the stars.

How a Mission to Cut Food Waste Launched a Multimillion-Dollar Venture

by Lane Lambert

Josh Domingues put purpose before profit when he created the Flashfood app to sell less-than-perfect groceries at discounted prices. A case study by Reza Satchu explores Domingues' successes and failures, and what other social entrepreneurs can learn.

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.

The Harvard Business School Faculty Summer Reader 2024

by Avery Forman

What's on your vacation reading list? Harvard Business School faculty members plan to explore not only sober themes, such as philosophy and climate policy, but classic mysteries and hip-hop history.

How One Insurtech Firm Formulated a Strategy for Climate Change

Re: Lauren H. Cohen

The Insurtech firm Hippo was facing two big challenges related to climate change: major loss ratios and rate hikes. The company used technologically empowered services to create its competitive edge, along with providing smart home packages, targeting risk-friendly customers, and using data-driven pricing. But now CEO and president Rick McCathron needed to determine how the firm’s underwriting model could account for the effects of high-intensity weather events. Harvard Business School professor Lauren Cohen discusses how Hippo could adjust its strategy to survive a new era of unprecedented weather catastrophes in his case, “Hippo: Weathering the Storm of the Home Insurance Crisis.”

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 Does Impact Investing Make the Biggest Impact?

by Rachel Layne

More investors want to back businesses that contribute to social change, but are impact funds the only approach? Research by Shawn Cole, Leslie Jeng, Josh Lerner, Natalia Rigol, and Benjamin Roth challenges long-held assumptions about impact investing and reveals where such funds make the biggest difference.

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.

How Used Products Can Unlock New Markets: Lessons from Apple's Refurbished iPhones

by Rachel Layne

The idea of reselling old smartphones might have seemed risky for a company known for high-end devices, but refurbished products have become a major profit stream for Apple and an environmental victory. George Serafeim examines Apple's circular model in a case study, and offers insights for other industries.

How Could Harvard Decarbonize Its Supply Chain?

Re: Robert S. Kaplan & Shirley Lu

Harvard University aims to be fossil-fuel neutral by 2026 and totally free of fossil fuels by 2050. As part of this goal, the university is trying to decarbonize its supply chain and considers replacing cement with a low-carbon substitute called Pozzotive®, made with post-consumer recycled glass. A successful pilot project could jump start Harvard’s initiative to reduce embodied carbon emissions, but it first needs credible information about the magnitude and validity of potential carbon reductions. Harvard Business School professor emeritus Robert Kaplan and assistant professor Shirley Lu discuss the flow of emissions along the supply chain of Harvard University’s construction projects, the different methods of measuring carbon emissions, including the E-liability approach, and the opportunity to leverage blockchain technology to facilitate the flow of comparable and reliable emissions information in the case, “Harvard University and Urban Mining Industries: Decarbonizing the Supply Chain.”

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?”

Do Disasters Rally Support for Climate Action? It's Complicated.

by Rachel Layne

Reactions to devastating wildfires in the Amazon show the contrasting realities for people living in areas vulnerable to climate change. Research by Paula Rettl illustrates the political ramifications that arise as people weigh the economic tradeoffs of natural disasters.

Are Companies Getting Away with 'Cheap Talk' on Climate Goals?

by Tim Gray

Many companies set emissions targets with great fanfare—and never meet them, says research by Shirley Lu and colleagues. But what if investors held businesses accountable for achieving their climate plans?

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.

Should Businesses Take a Stand on Societal Issues?

Re: Hubert Joly

Should businesses take a stand for or against particular societal issues? And how should leaders determine when and how to engage on these sensitive matters? Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Hubert Joly, who led the electronics retailer Best Buy for almost a decade, discusses examples of corporate leaders who had to determine whether and how to engage with humanitarian crises, geopolitical conflict, racial justice, climate change, and more in the case, “Deciding When to Engage on Societal Issues.”

10 Trends to Watch in 2024

by Rachel Layne

Employees may seek new approaches to balance, even as leaders consider whether to bring more teams back to offices or make hybrid work even more flexible. These are just a few trends that Harvard Business School faculty members will be following during a year when staffing, climate, and inclusion will likely remain top of mind.

What Chandrayaan-3 Says About India's Entrepreneurial Approach to Space

by Clea Simon, Harvard Gazette

India reached an unexplored part of the moon despite its limited R&D funding compared with NASA and SpaceX. Tarun Khanna discusses the significance of the landing, and the country's advancements in data and digital technology.

Who Gets the Loudest Voice in DEI Decisions?

by James Heskett

Business leaders are wrestling with how to manage their organizations' commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. If you were a CEO, which constituency would you consider most: your employees, customers, or investors? asks James Heskett. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

STEM Needs More Women. Recruiters Often Keep Them Out

by Rachel Layne

Tech companies and programs turn to recruiters to find top-notch candidates, but gender bias can creep in long before women even apply, according to research by Jacqueline Ng Lane and colleagues. She highlights several tactics to make the process more equitable.