Environmental Risks - Publications - Faculty & Research

24 Sep 2014
Op-Ed

Stop Thinking of Climate Change as a Religious or Political Issue

You sometimes hear people say things like, "I believe in global warming" or "I don't believe in climate change." It seems odd to approach climate change in this way, as though it were a question of belief, like religion. Most of the time when we confront uncertainty in... View Details

Keywords: by Forest Reinhardt; Energy; Utilities

December 2007
Case

The Amsterdam World Trade Center

By: A. Eugene Kohn, Hans van Tartwijk, Nhat Minh Nguyen, Brent Kazan and David Lane

Late in September 2001, Hans van Tartwijk, president of Trimp & van Tartwijk Property Development (TvT) of Amsterdam, Holland, was deeply worried about the status of his largest ongoing project; the Amsterdam World Trade Center (WTC). As the discretionary developer,... View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Property; Performance Improvement; Projects; Environmental Sustainability; Real Estate Industry; Netherlands

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23 Jan 2020
Research & Ideas

Businesses Need a 'Catalyst' to Make CSR Practices Stick

modernization of the ecosystem, not just one enterprise. This often requires structuring a special purpose vehicle that can manage shared risks and returns. Buy-in. The company must obtain buy-in of regional managers by adjusting... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

02 Aug 2024
HBS Case

How a Mission to Cut Food Waste Launched a Multimillion-Dollar Venture

On a hectic Friday in October 2016, Josh Domingues wondered if he had made a mistake quitting the security of a well-paying job managing contracts for professional hockey players to start a new venture selling nearly expired groceries at discount prices. After all, a... View Details

Keywords: by Lane Lambert; Technology; Information Technology

23 Jan 2008
First Look

First Look: January 23, 2008

this loss of land, mining-related environmental degradation, and allegations of human rights abuses, a coalition of five indigenous communities forged an alliance with a group of domestic and international NGOs to build their case against... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

12 Jul 2011
First Look

First Look: July 12

debt issuers deteriorates during credit booms, and that this deterioration forecasts low excess returns to corporate bondholders. The key insight is that changes in the pricing of credit risk disproportionately affect the financing costs... View Details

Keywords: Carmen Nobel

12 Feb 2014
Research & Ideas

Private Sector, Public Good

Environmental pressures, including the risk that we could destabilize the climate through the emission of green-house gases. Poverty and inequality, with fewer people taking greater pieces of the earnings... View Details

Keywords: by Dina Gerdeman

02 Jan 2012
Research & Ideas

Most Popular Articles of 2011

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6582.html http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/11-053.pdf Published: January 4, 2011 Paper Released: November 2010 It's a challenge that all good managers face: How do you strike the right balance between encouraging autonomy among your employees... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

18 Feb 2009
First Look

First Look: February 18, 2009

useful and saleable by-product. The term "by-product synergy" (BPS) has been coined to describe this practice. By converting waste into by-product, the firm not only reduces its waste disposal cost and potentially increases revenue, it may reduce its View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

28 Apr 2010
Research & Ideas

Earth Day Reflections

collection of data, engage more deeply and effectively with all their stakeholders, and lower reputational risk through a high level of transparency. Given the importance of sustainability, I think companies have an ethical obligation to... View Details

Keywords: by Staff

30 Mar 2010
First Look

First Look: March 30

people believe the risk decreases (negative recency) but at the same time exhibit more cautious behavior (positive recency). The rest of the difference is consistent with two well established mechanisms: judgment error and the use of... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

18 Aug 2009
First Look

First Look: August 18

http://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cb/product/609016-PDF-ENG Dharavi: Developing Asia's Largest Slum Harvard Business School Case 710-004 Maharashtra state is accepting bids to redevelop Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia. A real estate developer assesses the View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

06 Nov 2018
First Look

New Research and Ideas, November 6, 2018

Assessment: Evidence from Food Safety Inspections By: Ibanez, Maria, and Michael W. Toffel Abstract—Many production processes are subject to inspection to ensure they meet quality, safety, and environmental standards imposed by companies... View Details

Keywords: Dina Gerdeman

02 Jul 2013
First Look

First Look: July 2

characteristics, such as risk aversion and talent; firm characteristics, such as ownership; detailed measures of managerial practices relative to incentives, dismissals, and promotions; and measurable outcomes, for the firm and for the... View Details

Keywords: Anna Secino

19 Jun 2007
First Look

First Look: June 19, 2007

Levine, and Michael W. Toffel Abstract Ratings of corporations' environmental activities and capabilities influence billions of dollars of "socially responsible" investments as well as some consumers, activists, and potential... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

November 2009
Article

Responding to Public and Private Politics: Corporate Disclosure of Climate Change Strategies

By: Erin Marie Reid and Michael W. Toffel

The challenges associated with climate change will require governments, citizens, and firms to work collaboratively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a task that requires information on companies' emissions levels, risks, and reduction opportunities. This paper... View Details

Keywords: Climate Change; Problems and Challenges; Pollutants; Risk and Uncertainty; Business and Shareholder Relations; Management Practices and Processes; Social Issues; Corporate Disclosure; Values and Beliefs; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Government and Politics

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December 2012 (Revised April 2013)
Case

Olam: On a New Course

By: David E. Bell, Forest Reinhardt and Mary Shelman

From modest beginnings as a cashew trader in Nigeria, Olam, founded by Indian nationals in 1989, has grown into a leading global agricultural trading company, with annual revenues of $14 billion. The company recently has begun investing in farms and in the production... View Details

Keywords: Risk Management; Leadership; Customer Value and Value Chain; Corporate Strategy; Organizational Culture; Environmental Sustainability; Expansion; Competitive Advantage; Agribusiness; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Nigeria

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15 Feb 2012
Op-Ed

Occupy Wall Street Protestors Have a Point

the environmental challenges of climate change, scarce water, and depleted fishing stocks as well as by migration driven by both income inequality and the environment. Interestingly (given that we interviewed them in late 2007 and early... View Details

Keywords: by Joseph L. Bower, Herman B. Leonard & Lynn S. Paine

06 Mar 2007
First Look

First Look: March 6, 2007

report their own violations. In this study, we examine how regulatory enforcement activities influence organizations' decisions to self-police. We created a comprehensive dataset for the "Audit Policy," a United States View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace