South Pole Carbon Asset Management-Going for Gold?

Forest L. Reinhardt; Jost  Hamschmidt; Mikell  Hyman

Case | HBS Case Collection | November 2008 (Revised March 2009)

South Pole Carbon Asset Management-Going for Gold?

by Forest L. Reinhardt, Jost Hamschmidt and Mikell Hyman

Abstract

In late 2008, Christoph Sutter, CEO of South Pole Carbon Asset Management, reflects on his firm's early success at originating carbon credits in developing nations and selling them to governments and firms that seek to offset their greenhouse gas emissions voluntarily or to fulfill regulatory obligations. South Pole's early strategy has focused on being a first mover in the niche market for premium quality carbon credits. But as the market evolves in the face of significant policy uncertainty, Sutter wonders what South Pole's strategy should be for the future. This case study can facilitate discussions about environmental markets, about opportunities for entrepreneurship raised by new environmental regulations, and about challenges in markets for tradable pollution permits.

Keywords: Developing Countries and Economies; Non-Renewable Energy; Entrepreneurship; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Strategy;

Format: Print

29 pages

Educators Purchase

Citation:

Reinhardt, Forest L., Jost Hamschmidt, and Mikell Hyman. "South Pole Carbon Asset Management-Going for Gold?" Harvard Business School Case 709-030, November 2008. (Revised March 2009.)

Case | HBS Case Collection | August 2019

New Hope Liuhe: Building an Integrated Agri-Food Business

Forest L. Reinhardt, Shu Lin, Natalie Kindred and Nancy Hua Dai

In October 2018, LIU Chang (Angela), chairman of Beijing-based New Hope Liuhe (NHL), was considering the strategy of the firm. With $9 billion in sales and a presence in nearly 20 countries, NHL was China’s largest animal feed producer and a major pork and poultry producer and processor. The firm also marketed a range of food products to consumers. This case describes NHL’s entrepreneurial beginnings, growth, and recent efforts to transform from a feed producer into an integrated agri-food company with an active presence throughout the chicken, duck, and pig value chains. Considerable context is provided on the structure and evolution of these livestock industries in China, the food processing industry, and important issues such as food safety. This background is helpful in enabling students to assess NHL’s evolution in scale and scope and consider what (if any) changes should be made to the firm’s strategy in the context of this critically important market.

Keywords: Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Food; Agribusiness; Expansion; Diversification; Growth Management; Consumer Behavior; Change Management; Entrepreneurship; Organizational Structure; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Government and Politics; Animal-Based Agribusiness; Transformation; Volatility; Business Cycles; Goods and Commodities; Supply Chain; Product; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Food and Beverage Industry; China; Asia;

Citation:

Reinhardt, Forest L., Shu Lin, Natalie Kindred, and Nancy Hua Dai. "New Hope Liuhe: Building an Integrated Agri-Food Business." Harvard Business School Case 720-009, August 2019. View Details

Cite View Details Educators

Founded in 1963 by Bhavarlal Jain (Bhau), who believed in “providing solutions for every problem,” Jain Irrigation in 2018 had a global footprint and $1.1 billion in revenue. Bhau had insisted that his business add value to farmers' lives and promote sustainable agricultural practices, and that social mission remained at the heart of the organization. Jain’s business was now run by Bhau’s four sons and included five main business units: micro-irrigation (MI) systems, industrial-use pipes, tissue culture research and development, food processing and solar energy products. As a new, third generation began to move into company management, the Jain family considered how to sustain growth, profitability, and also their commitment to farmer livelihoods.

Agriculture was Ireland’s largest indigenous industry. Its agri-food sector was export driven, with almost 90% of production exported. Bord Bia was the Irish government agency charged with the promotion, trade development, and marketing of the Irish food, drink, and horticulture industry. Bord Bia's CEO, Tara McCarthy, was shaping the government agency's new strategy amid a volatile socio-political environment (with Brexit and other cross-border trade issues) and in light of consumer trends in the macro food and drink industry.

Faculty & Research

South Pole Carbon Asset Management-Going for Gold?

Abstract

Citation:

About the Author

More from the Author