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Discover climate course materials and resources.
Search the shared repository of simulations, case descriptions and course syllabi to enhance your own climate-related teaching.
- Case Description
In the midst of increasing press scrutiny of the bottled water industry’s environmentally harmful practices, FIJI Water made a series of sustainability promises. The boldest of these was a pledge to go “carbon negative.”
- Topics on: Impact, Strategy
- Case Description
- Topics on: Analytics, Impact, Investing, Statistics, Strategy, Technology
- Course
Over the past 50 years, the notion of corporate environmentalism (later corporate sustainability) was born, grew, and evolved. Though the history of concerns about the state of the natural environment can be traced back more than 300 years, the decade of the 1960s marks the dawn of the “modern” environmental movement. Initially focused on visible forms or air, water, solid and even thermal and aesthetic pollution, attention grew over the next 50 years to include toxic substances, stratospheric ozone, climate change, water scarcity, ecosystem destruction, and species extinction.
An even more recent evolution, triggered by the publication of the Brundtland Commission 1987 report on sustainable development, has witnessed a growing concern for income inequality, living wages, fair representation, secure retirement, transparency, and safe working conditions to round out the “triple bottom line” of the sustainability agenda: environment, equity, and economy. Today, this expanded notion of sustainability has become commonly accepted within both the academy and the corporate sector. Within the academy, what began as a modest offshoot of management science in the early 1990s has grown into a maturing area of study, one that encompasses a wide range of related disciplines. Within business practice, sustainability has entered most domains of corporate activity. Corporations print annual “Sustainability Reports,” insert the term into press releases and CEO speeches, create new positions such as the Chief Sustainability Officer, and gather for conferences on the “sustainability challenge.” A survey by Price Waterhouse Coopers found that 87% of Fortune 1000 CEOs believe sustainability is important to a company’s profits.
- Topics on: Strategy
- Course
The financial significance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors and stakeholder opinions of the acceptability of a firm’s operations (i.e., the social license to operate) is mounting yet the data, frameworks and tools informing investors, consultants and corporates is unreliable. The course provides students novel data, frameworks and tools than can guide the alignment of stakeholder opinions on ESG factors, valuation and strategy.
Estimates of the capital expenditures necessary to achieve a net-zero emissions and the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming target exceed $50 Trillion over the next 30 years. Estimates of the economic damage caused by racial injustice in the United States alone surpass $16 Trillion. While such costs may seem overwhelming, $35.3 Trillion (36% of total global assets under management) actively weigh ESG issues in 2020, up from $13.3 Trillion (21% of global AUM) in 2012. During this same period, the share of executives, board members, and investment managers who consider climate risk, racial justice and other ESG issues to be material to their business decisions has doubled. If a business case for ESG issues can be demonstrated, pools of capital are poised to make an impact.
- Topics on: Policy, Strategy
- Course
The financial significance of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors and stakeholder opinions of the acceptability of a firm’s operations (i.e., the social license to operate) is mounting yet the data, frameworks and tools informing investors, consultants and corporates is unreliable. The course provides students novel data, frameworks and tools than can guide the alignment of stakeholder opinions on ESG factors, valuation and strategy.
Estimates of the capital expenditures necessary to achieve a net-zero emissions and the 1.5 degrees Celsius global warming target exceed $50 Trillion over the next 30 years. Estimates of the economic damage caused by racial injustice in the United States alone surpass $16 Trillion. While such costs may seem overwhelming, $35.3 Trillion (36% of total global assets under management) actively weigh ESG issues in 2020, up from $13.3 Trillion (21% of global AUM) in 2012. During this same period, the share of executives, board members, and investment managers who consider climate risk, racial justice and other ESG issues to be material to their business decisions has doubled. If a business case for ESG issues can be demonstrated, pools of capital are poised to make an impact.
- Topics on: Policy, Strategy
- Course
Climate change and environmental degradation pose some of the most complex challenges of our time. Building a sustainable future requires active and creative leadership by individuals, organizations, governments, and business firms. This half-credit (.5 cu) course integrates scholarship in leadership theory, environmental and climate management, public policy, and ethics to explore questions such as: What are the greatest challenges in environmental and climate leadership today?
How can a firm, nonprofit organization, or individual lead in this space? How can we integrate environmental and climate considerations into our vision of what makes an individual or an organization a leader? What can we learn about leadership from being in “the environment”? Through the partnership of the McNulty Leadership Program, students will engage in a highly experiential way both in the classroom and in the field on a uniquely customized Leadership Venture over Spring Break. This expedition-style experience with students and course instructors combines both “being in the environment” and engaging in discussions with organizations that are climate and LEGAL STUDIES AND BUSINESS ETHICS 2600, Sarah E. Light, Spring 2023 – Syllabus Page 2 environmental leaders. The transferable nature of the expedition is at the heart of the student’s learning, bringing hands-on lessons to real life.
- Topics on: Strategy
- Course
This course will introduce students to core concepts, learnings, and frameworks in risk and environmental management, with a focus on climate change-related risks. The class will explore a variety of approaches to risk analysis, drawing from practices across financial actors and economics sectors.
The course is broadly broken into three parts, organized into: (1) risk identification; (2) communicating and framing of risk; and (3) risk management. Classes involve a combination of lecture, student participation, guest lecture, and simulation.
- Topics on: Operations, Strategy
- Course
The course is especially useful to those interested in using data to measure, disclose, and communicate the value created through corporate efforts focused on sustainability.
- Topics on: Energy, Reporting and Measurement, Strategy
- Resource
Global educators gathered monthly to share best practices for teaching climate in business schools. Access materials and recordings from 5 inspiring sessions.
- Topics on: Strategy
- Resource
Climate change is not just a societal issue; it is a business issue. Tomorrow’s business leaders—today’s MBA students—need to understand the operational, financial, strategy, and leadership implications of climate impacts. This brief deck covers the why and the how of how to bring climate topics to the business school classroom—including go-to resources for finding syllabi, case studies, and interactive exercises.
- Topics on: Strategy
- Case Description
How should Impact America Fund, a prominent early-stage socially-conscious investment think about its ongoing strategy after initial fundraising success?
- Topics on: Economics, Impact, Strategy
- Case Description
Electra Steel is Sandeep Nijhawan’s brainchild to decarbonize the process of making steel by creating green iron ore.
- Topics on: Operations, Strategy
- Case Description
Net Zero is now a global megatrend,
but net zero isn’t just a brand, or an expression of science, or indeed a target. It truly is a global megatrend, a race, and also a means to a cleaner, healthier way of life
- Topics on: Strategy
- Case Description
Two business school professors prepared this exercise for students to focus on the strategic dilemmas for fossil fuel groups
- Topics on: Strategy, Technology
- Case Description
Republicans’ pushback against ethical investing is hitting sentiment elsewhere
- Topics on: Strategy
- Resource
Each of our Erb Institute toolboxes is designed to help you better implement decision-making strategies for sustainability at your company. These toolboxes cover a wide variety of topics and are routinely updated to keep up with changing innovations and trends.
- Topics on: Finance, Investing, Technology
- Resource
Each of our Erb Institute toolboxes is designed to help you better implement decision-making strategies for sustainability at your company. These toolboxes cover a wide variety of topics and are routinely updated to keep up with changing innovations and trends.
- Topics on: Finance, Investing, Technology
- Resource
This is the play against the computer version of Conscious Capitalism. For the play against classmates version, see https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/MP0015-HTM-ENG. Now available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.
The goal of the Conscious Capitalism® Bikes simulation is to develop conscious leaders that build sustainable businesses that benefit all stakeholders. Target Course: Capstone strategy, management, and entrepreneurship for undergraduates and graduates. Students are challenged to operate a conscious business in contrast to the traditional profit-maximizing paradigm. They deal with ethical, environmental, and sustainability issues in addition to the usual management challenges of running a business. It is fun, realistic, relevant, and spirited. Conscious Capitalism® Bikes is a collaborative effort between Conscious Capitalism, Inc and the makers of Marketplace simulations. Game Scenario: Student teams start up an international bicycle company. Two innovative technologies, an economical form of carbon fiber and advanced 3D printers, make it possible to build carbon fiber bikes of any size and shape. The new carbon fiber bikes are still pricey, but more affordable than current models. Will buyers pay the premium for a light weight, really cool, carbon fiber bike tailored to their needs? There is also a new mindset emerging in global commerce, Conscious Capitalism. Will the students take on an expanded goal to become a profitable, conscious business that aligns and harmonizes the interests of employees, customers, suppliers, the community, and shareholders? Instructor Involvement: Instructor/student interaction is encouraged. Students are highly receptive to coaching, targeted lectures, and exercises that enhance their business skills. Student work is online, self-guided with an intuitive interface, built-in instructions, help files, and helpful warnings. There are 6 decision rounds of 2 to 3 hours. Designed for small to medium classes, team or individual play. This product was designed and developed to comply with WCAG 2.0 AA standards.
- Topics on: Finance
- Case Description
What factors should an alternate energy company consider when deciding whether to operate a project once it has been built?
- Topics on: Finance, Impact, Operations
- Case Description
What is the strategy that the oil and gas “super majors” are implementing as they transition to net zero?
- Topics on: Economics, Finance, Impact, Strategy