The Lightsmith Group’s Adaptation Investment Strategy
- 13 MAR 2024
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- Climate Rising
This episode continues our series on adaptation, and features Jay Koh who co-founded
the Lightsmith Group, the first growth private equity firm focused on climate adaptation.
Jay discusses the firm’s investment strategy, the sectors his firm invests in and
their investment criteria process. He also shares thoughts on the role of public policy
and offers career advice. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair,
Business & Environment Initiative Guests: Jay Koh, Co-Founder and Managing Director
of the Lightsmith Group For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org
This episode continues our series on adaptation, and features Jay Koh who co-founded
the Lightsmith Group, the first growth private equity firm focused on climate adaptation.
Jay discusses the firm’s investment strategy, the sectors his firm invests in and
their investment criteria process. He also shares thoughts on the role of public policy
and offers career advice. Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair,
Business & Environment Initiative Guests: Jay Koh, Co-Founder and Managing Director
of the Lightsmith Group For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org
How Could Harvard Decarbonize Its Supply Chain?
Re: Robert Kaplan & Shirley Lu
- 27 Feb 2024
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- Cold Call
Can Second-Generation Ethanol Production Help Decarbonize the World?
Re: Gunnar Trumbull
- 30 Jan 2024
- |
- Cold Call
Out of the Woods and into the Ethos: Unique Business Course Still Resonates
Re: Andrew Hoffman
- 26 Jan 2024
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- Michigan Today
How Could Harvard Decarbonize Its Supply Chain?
- 27 FEB 2024
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- Cold Call Podcast
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.”
Seeds of Innovation: GALY’s Quest to Cultivate the Future of Agriculture in the Lab
- FEBRUARY 2024
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- Teaching Material
In 2023, Luciano Bueno, CEO and founder of plant cell culture agriculture company GALY was considering the best path forward for his company has he planned to pitch Series B investors. GALY, founded in 2019, aimed to produce cotton and other crops from cells grown in the lab. The company hoped to create 500,000 tons of products by 2030, and by 2023, had produced proof of concepts of cotton, coffee, and cacao. Bueno had a number of decisions to make. How should the company scale? Where should it locate production? Should it build its own production facilities, or license its intellectual property to partner firms? Should the company continue operating an office in Brazil, or centralize operations in Boston? The answers to these questions would point the way forward, but which path was best?
Can Cities Beat the Heat? (A): A Comparative Analysis of Climate Actions and Change Enablers in 14 U.S. Cities
- FEBRUARY 2024
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- Case
Throughout the early 2000's, emphasis was placed on initiatives to adapt to and mitigate climate action in cities. This series presents overviews (snapshots) of 14 U.S. metropolitan regions to help identify similarities, differences, and opportunities for developing and implementing climate solutions to address global warming. Comparing cities makes it possible to develop hypotheses about possible options leaders can take to increase the likelihood of implementable and high-impact climate action. Given exacerbated circumstances and more extreme weather, how are cities developing solutions to worst-case scenarios? Can effective actions be undertaken faster and on a bigger scale? What social, cultural, organizational, and institutional factors are “change enablers” associated with greater speed and impact? The 14 core cities were Birmingham, Boston, Chattanooga, Columbus, Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Jose, San Antonio, and Seattle.
Can Cities Beat the Heat? (B1): Birmingham Climate Action Snapshot
- FEBRUARY 2024
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- Teaching Material
Climate snapshots provide a summary of climate actions that occured between 2018 and 2024, highlting major green initatives, innovations, carbon mitigation strategy, and action across multiple levels of government and the private sector. Snapshots also provide an understanding of the specific climate threats, such as sea-level rise and extreme heat that threaten each city, as well as opportunities such as fresh water access. Factors including transportation, public sector collaboration, voter consitutencies, and access to green jobs are also considered. The goal of the snapshots is to outline a broad scopoe of the city's climate initiatives that can be scaled or applied elsewhere.
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Executive Education
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As we increasingly experience the effects of climate change – predicted by scientists over 50 years ago – business is vital.