Climate Fellows
The BiGS Climate Visiting Fellows are scholarly researchers who focus on the intersection of business and climate change, deepening our commitment to accelerating research aimed at mitigating and adapting to global climate change.
The BiGS Visiting Fellows are scholarly researchers who relocate to HBS's campus for one academic year to work on specific projects related to issues of business and society. Consisting of scholars who study climate change or racial equity, they provide intellectual leadership and research support that accelerates the process of knowledge creation at HBS and leverages the expertise of our faculty.
Current Climate Fellows
Matteo Gasparini
DPhil (PhD) candidate at University of Oxford's Smith School for Enterprise and Environment (SSEE) and the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET)
The financial economics of sustainability and climate change
As business strives to reduce carbon emissions and transition to clean energy, Gasparini plans to study the financial economics of climate change, focusing on the role of financial regulations in facilitating or hindering the transition to net-zero emissions. He will explore how climate business alliances influence financial institutions’ sustainability initiatives and the implications for market competition.
Jonas Meckling
Associate Professor at the University of California Berkeley
The political economy of decarbonization
With a focus on studying the politics of clean energy transitions and probing why some economies are moving faster than other, Meckling plans to examine the recent rise of green industrial policy currently shaping markets for low-carbon technologies. He will examine what effective green industrial policy might look like as well as pitfalls such as international conflict to help mobilize effective business investments to create and grow markets for low-carbon technologies.
Former Climate Fellows
Omar Asensio
Associate professor in the School of Public Policy; director of the Data Science and Policy Lab, Georgia Institute of Technology
Using AI to ensure an equitable distribution of EV infrastructure
As the United States prioritizes plans for EV infrastructure that facilitates highway travel with fewer emissions than traditional vehicles, Asensio will accelerate his research into whether current policies and incentives might leave some communities behind. With the largest database of electric vehicle charging infrastructure performance worldwide—featuring information such as location, pricing, charging speeds, and consumer reviews—he uses big data and machine learning to reveal strategies for sustainable growth.
Gunther Glenk
Assistant Professor of Business at the University of Mannheim
Corporate Transitions Toward Zero Net Emissions
As part of the growing movement to slow climate change, companies worldwide are increasingly taking responsibility for the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their economic activity. Glenk will examine questions related to corporate transitions toward zero net emissions. Specific topics include the economics and management of corporate carbon emissions, decarbonization and sustainable energy technologies, and incentives for climate action.
Conor Hickey
Research fellow in the Climate Research Programme at the University of Oxford's Environmental Change Institute
Examining the financial and organizational impacts of delayed climate action on corporations
With significant experience researching corporate net-zero strategies, Hickey plans to investigate the impact of delayed climate action on corporations. Delayed climate action can take various forms, such as an over-reliance on speculative technologies that do not exist yet at scale, or strategies that prioritize short-term solutions with limited long-term climate benefits. These approaches can hinder progress towards achieving net zero emissions and may exacerbate the negative impacts of climate change. He'll focus specifically on the sectors that currently have limited mitigation potential, such as aviation. Hickey believes by demonstrating the financial impact of delayed action, corporations may be more supportive of effective regulation.
Andrew Hoffman
Professor at the University of Michigan, with joint appointments at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the School for Environment & Sustainability
A systems-level view of climate change
Having researched the intersection of business and the environment for nearly 30 years, Hoffman plans to look at climate change as a systems breakdown, rather than an environmental issue. Integrating physical, social, and political science into business decision making, Hoffman plans to conduct a systemic examination of how business and business schools can improve their approach to combating climate change, arguing for large-scale action.
Jonas Meckling
Associate professor at the University of California Berkeley
The political economy of decarbonization
With a focus on studying the politics of clean energy transitions and probing why some economies are moving faster than other, Meckling plans to examine the recent rise of green industrial policy currently shaping markets for low-carbon technologies. He will examine what effective green industrial policy might look like as well as pitfalls such as international conflict to help mobilize effective business investments to create and grow markets for low-carbon technologies.
Robyn Meeks
Assistant Professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy
The study of climate resilience in developing countries
With 20 years of experience researching water and energy technologies, Meeks plans to examine how the resilience of an electrification technology—specifically, mini grids—can be augmented in rural, remote communities in developing countries, which are disproportionately affected by climate change. Her project in Nepal brings together technology, government, and electric utilities to determine how rural, isolated communities—and their citizens and businesses—can increase the resiliency of their economies as extreme weather events become more common.
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