Publications

April 2008
Case

The Energy Foundation

By: Jane Wei-Skillern and Alison Berkley Wagonfeld

The Energy Foundation, a philanthropic foundation established through a partnership among major donors with a mission to promote clean energy technology, is the largest funder in the U.S. focusing on the energy sector. The $60 million foundation operates through a... View Details

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Investment Funds; Philanthropy and Charitable Giving; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Networks; Expansion; Energy Industry; Energy Industry; United States

Find at Harvard

15 Nov 2013
News

Getting the green light

March 2010 (Revised June 2010)
Case

The Greening of DUMBO

By: Robert G. Eccles, Amy C. Edmondson and Abhijit Prabhu

The Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass (DUMBO) has seen a revitalization since the late 1970s. The neighborhood's business improvement district (BID) is charged with supplementing New York City's efforts in several areas, including... View Details

Keywords: Transformation; Local Range; Business and Community Relations; Business and Government Relations; Environmental Sustainability; Wastes and Waste Processing; Urban Development; Public Administration Industry; New York (city, NY)

05 Mar 2020
News

Green Light

much, good prices, high labor, reasonable green energy, right?” The US Midwest has solid energy options and population density. There’s great hydroelectric power in New York, so the Northeast could work. The... View Details

Keywords: Dan Morrell; photographed by Scott Nobles

06 Jan 2012
Op-Ed

Where Green Corporate Ratings Fail

impossible feat, claimed by a growing number of companies, is achieved by calculating the greenhouse-gas emissions of the organization's operations, investing in energy efficiency and other methods to reduce those emissions, and... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Toffel & Auden Schendler; Information; Publishing

07 Sep 2021
News

Green House

achieve net-zero-energy demand by pairing ultra-low energy use with solar panels for energy production. But Harper’s home goes even further than that select group—achieving net-positive-energy... View Details

January 2023
Case

The Ford Motor Company Green Bond

By: Vikram S Gandhi and James Barnett

In November 2021, Ford Motor Company offered a $2.5 billion green bond to finance investments in electrification. Issuance of green bonds significantly increased into the 2020s, and to date, the Ford Motor Company green bond was the largest such bond offered by a... View Details

Keywords: Finance; Bonds; Green Technology; Financial Services Industry; Auto Industry; United States

01 Dec 2006
News

Green as Gold

lighting, plumbing, and climate control. The interior walls are new; even the furniture is new.” Hamilton Hall is the first building on the HBS campus to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, the U.S.... View Details

Keywords: Paul Massari; Specialty Trade Contractors; Construction

16 Feb 2021
Research & Ideas

To Fight Climate Change, Should Green Investors Reconsider Big Oil?

change, oil companies are diversifying their businesses, putting money toward renewable energy sources and green technology. While sustainable funds shun fossil fuel producers, which contribute half of the... View Details

Keywords: by Kristen Senz; Energy

15 Jul 2002
Research & Ideas

Going Green Makes Good Business Sense

have people who bring more energy and passion to their jobs if the firm for which they work is consonant with their own values." The green debate is one that will be continuing for businesses, he added.... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

May 2009 (Revised October 2009)
Case

Verne Global: Building a Green Data Center in Iceland

Verne Global, a pioneering startup created to build the first large-scale data center in Iceland, faces critical challenges regarding its green strategy. Verne Co-Founder Isaac Kato is tasked with evaluating how the company can most successfully market and sell the... View Details

Keywords: Buildings and Facilities; Business Startups; Marketing Strategy; Product Marketing; Sales; Environmental Sustainability; Pollutants; Green Technology Industry; Green Technology Industry; Iceland

01 Jun 2010
News

Touting Green Energy’s Potential

MARKEY: Just as the telecom sector was revolutionized in the 1990s by legislation that unleashed competition, so too will a green energy sector be launched, generating enormous wealth creation. In March, at... View Details

Keywords: Administration of Environmental Quality Programs; Government; Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services

21 Nov 2019
Blog Post

The Power of Business in the Energy Transition

How do countries and companies work to achieve their carbon reduction goals? Is a Green New Deal necessary to transform the United States economy? These were just a few of the questions driving discussions at the 16th annual Symposium... View Details

Keywords: Energy / Cleantech; Energy / Cleantech

25 Mar 2015
News

The Greening of Houston

not just Hermann Park but around the Bayou and Memorial parks as well,” says Thacker. “It’s been quite wonderful.” Gilbane believes that the greening of Houston is a natural result of all the energy... View Details

Keywords: Constantine von Hoffman; Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development; Government; Administration of Environmental Quality Programs; Government; Special Design Services; Professional Services; Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing; Manufacturing

February 2016 (Revised February 2017)
Case

Greening Walmart: Progress and Controversy

By: Rebecca Henderson and James Weber

In 2005, Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, launched a sustainability initiative aimed at reducing waste and making the company more environmentally and socially conscious. By 2015, the company had made progress on multiple dimensions: energy efficiency in its... View Details

Keywords: Sustainability; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Business or Company Management; Motivation and Incentives; Reputation; Environmental Sustainability; Retail Industry; United States