HBS Faculty-led Alumni Discussion on Business and Climate Change

We live at a paradoxical moment. Capitalism is destroying the natural and social worlds on which we all rely, but it may also be our best hope for building a just and sustainable world. How do we get there from here? “Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire” draws on ten years of research and Professor Henderson’s hugely successful MBA course to lay out a practical roadmap for how business can help to turn our world around – and how you can help. Opening remarks by Alan Horn (MBA 1971), Chairman of Walt Disney Studios and Chair of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Board of Trustees member on why it is imperative to take action on climate now. Closing remarks by Roland Hwang, Managing Director, Climate and Clean Energy Program, NRDC, on reimagining a role for government and the opportunity to create virtuous cycles with business leaders. Roundtable discussions and ample networking and reception time will round out an evening of inspiration and fellowship. This event is organized in partnership with the HBS Association of Southern California, HBS Association of Orange County, HBS Club of San Diego, and the HBS Business & Environment Initiative (BEI). It is part of a series of regional alumni events organized by BEI on the role of business leaders in the age of climate change. Read the recent HBS Alumni Bulletin story about this event here.

This event is part of a series of alumni gatherings focused on climate change organized by the HBS Business & Environment Initiative.

Over time, climate change will transform Boston’s landscape and economy. Disruption will bring opportunities as well as risks. What are Boston-area businesses doing to confront this challenge? What can they do? What should they do? Find out, and share your ideas with a dynamic panel of some of Boston’s top leaders from business and government. Enjoy conversation and a networking reception with fellow alumni and the HBS community before and after the panel. Moderated by Mike Toffel, John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management, Harvard Business School; Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative, panelists include: Jeremy Grantham (MBA 1966), Co-founder, Chief Investment Strategist, and Chairman of Grantham Mayo and van Otterloo (GMO, LLC); Gina McCarthy, Former U.S. EPA Administrator (2013-2017) and Director of C-CHANGE (Center for Climate, Health and the Global Environment) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; David Perry (MBA 1997), President, CEO, and Director of Boston-based Indigo Agriculture (Indigo Ag, Inc.). Read the most recent HBS Alumni Bulletin story about this event here.

This event is part of a series of alumni gatherings focused on climate change organized by the HBS Business & Environment Initiative.

In this faculty-moderated alumni panel for alumni only, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to manage climate risk in existing portfolios and through new investment opportunities. As the different nations around the world face the conflicts between meeting their own energy needs and the worldwide challenge of decarbonization, hear from expert faculty and alumni on how the finance sector is positioning itself for this transition, both mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change worldwide. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how best to factor climate change into their own investment strategies. Enjoy conversation and a networking reception with fellow alumni and the HBS community before and after the panel. For more event details, please visit the HBS Club of New York website by clicking on the event title above. Read the most recent HBS Alumni Bulletin story and key takeaways about this event here.

This event is part of a series of alumni gatherings focused on climate change organized by the HBS Business & Environment Initiative.

Potential sea level rise, worsening storms, and increasingly exposed assets create a difficult dilemma for South Florida. The HBS Business & Environment Initiative and the HBS Club of South Florida organized a case-based discussion led by Prof. John Macomber about the significant challenges and opportunities that climate change creates for Miami and South Florida. The discussion was followed by a networking reception. This interactive case study explored climate projections, insurance models, and the benefit/cost approach to investments in reinforcement, relocation, and rebuilding. The discussion was followed by a networking reception.

This event is part of a series of alumni gatherings focused on climate change organized by the HBS Business & Environment Initiative.

In coordination with the HBS Alumni Relations office and HBS Alumni Clubs & Associations, BEI is launching a series of events for alumni to share perspectives about climate change and establish a network of those interested in taking a leadership role by pursuing business opportunities and advocating for effective public policies. A panel of HBS alums will offer framing comments, followed by discussion and reception.

This event is part of a series of alumni gatherings focused on climate change organized by the HBS Business & Environment Initiative.

Our list of panelists includes:

niBradoo (MBA 2008) CEO and Co-founder of BlueOak, Sourcing Metals Sustainably™ from End-of-Life Electronics

Jonathan Doochin (MBA 2010) CEO at Soligent Holdings, the largest solar distributor in the Americas

Lauren Loktev (MBA 2011) Partner, Collaborative Fund

Rick Needham (MBA 2002) Partner, Energy Sector Lead, The Rise Fund at TPG Global

Interviews with some of the participants can be found here. Slides from the webinar led by Prof. Forest Reinhardt and Prof. David Bell on April 2, 2015 can be accessed here: Presentation (pdf)

Electricity poses a unique challenge in the global marketplace. Providing low-cost, predictable, and consistent electricity to businesses and citizens is a key to creating wealth, driving productivity, and sustaining prosperity. Clearly the role that business plays in this transformation will be crucial to its success. The goal of this alumni conference was to bring together individuals from startups, established corporations, the investment community, and policy makers to address the massive challenge we face in providing access to low-cost, clean electricity across the globe, and to provide insights into the financial and organizational solutions that might enable us to make rapid progress.

The conference was based on the premise that by 2050, cities worldwide will have 3 billion more inhabitants. Supporting this rapid urbanization calls for massive private investment in water services, power, transit, and the built environment. The scarcity of materials and capital will open up major opportunities for companies that can make money in leveraging how resources are used.

10:00-11:15am

Moderator: Michael W. Toffel, Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management

The world’s population has doubled in our lifetime and tripled in our parents’. These growing numbers are placing increasing pressure on many of the earth’s resources, but particularly on land and water, while accelerating economic growth is simultaneously accelerating emissions of greenhouse gases, so that there is now a serious risk of destabilizing the earth’s climate. Business is often identified as the source of many of these problems, but business is also the source of the freedom, prosperity, and opportunity that is so central to meeting humanity’s needs. In this talk, Professor Henderson will discuss both the risks and the tremendous opportunities inherent in harnessing the power of private enterprise to build a more sustainable world. She will also explore how people can hold the tension between the demands of the bottom line and their desire to make a difference in the world.

Related Resources: Fall 2015 Presentation Slides (pdf)

At a time of changing technology, shifting environmental and market conditions, and increasing competition from giant Asian companies, business leaders also face heightened pressure to increase returns to shareholders and improve corporate governance. In the name of good governance and greater accountability to shareholders, many companies have declassified their boards, introduced majority voting for directors, and eliminated so-called “poison pills." Others, under pressure from activist investors, have bought back shares, spun off divisions, or taken other steps to modify their business models. In this session, Professors Bower and Paine will review the intellectual foundations of the “good governance” movement and report on the conversations they have had with corporate executives, investors, and asset managers about the implications of this movement and the role of shareholders in the modern public corporation.

Today’s existing nuclear power alternatives as well as renewables are forecast by the EIA and IEA to be losing the race with fossil fuels worldwide and are expected to continue to do so for the forecast future. A new suite of nuclear power alternatives that is capable of competing economically with fossil fuels (coal in Asia and natural gas in the United States) is needed, but time is of the essence if we want to keep cumulative, worldwide CO2 emissions from reaching what could well be threatening levels.

Related Resources: Spring 2015 Presentation Slides (pdf) Rethinking Nuclear: Can We Change the World’s Cumulative Carbon Emissions Soon Enough? (Spring 2015 video) Fall 2015 Presentation Slides (pdf) Fall 2015 Presentation: Nuclear Innovation in America—An investor's view (pdf)

Urbanization in China during the past 30 years has been both a construction project and a process of human migration of historically unparalleled scale, yet has proceeded without private property rights over land and despite restricted citizenship for rural-to-urban migrants. Assistant Professor Rithmire will make sense of the contradictions of the Chinese urban project and the possible futures of Chinese capitalism.

Related Resources:

Spring 2015 Presentation Slides (pdf)