Publications

2012
Working Paper

Finding the God Particle of the Sustainability Business Case: Greener Pastures for Shareholder Value

By: Marc L Bertoneche and Cornis van der Lugt

The start of the 2000s saw a flurry of international publications on "the business case" for sustainability, seeking to map out the returns on investment and to differentiate recommended actions from cases of corporate philanthropy. Reports by business organisations... View Details

Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Performance; Environmental Sustainability

Keywords: Constantine von Hoffman; Administration of Environmental Quality Programs; Administration of Environmental Quality Programs; Administration of Environmental Quality Programs; Administration of Environmental Quality Programs; Administration of Environmental Quality Programs; Administration of Environmental Quality Programs; Administration of Environmental Quality Programs; Administration of Environmental Quality Programs

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16 Jul 2020
News

Accounting for Real Change

independent auditors. The COVID pandemic has revealed a similar problem, Cohen writes. “This time, it is the measurement of companies’ social and environmental impacts that must be made transparent.”... View Details

24 Sep 2014
Op-Ed

Take a Trim Tab Approach to Climate Change

The "bully pulpit"—a term coined by Theodore Roosevelt back when the word "bully" meant terrific—originally referred to the US presidency and its tremendous potential for speaking out and influencing public opinion. Nowadays, the term describes any position with the... View Details

Keywords: by Amy C. Edmondson; Energy; Utilities

25 Mar 2015
News

The Greening of Houston

which provides safety and environmental services and products to the energy industry, knew the city from his undergraduate days at Rice University. He moved back in 2010, and when he did, his mentor, L. E. Simmons (MBA 1972), president of... View Details

09 Dec 2021
News

Higher Returns

practices and sustainable products. They're the ones checking the packaging and labeling to ensure that there is a positive social and environmental impact message as well, specifically on consumer products.... View Details

01 Mar 2007
News

Gore All Business at HBS

students during a talk titled “A Change in Business Climate” presented in Burden Auditorium in December. Gore explained that the population explosion, coupled with the revolutions in science and technology, have greatly magnified the View Details

Keywords: Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services; Professional Services; Scientific Research and Development Services

01 Jun 1997
News

Bruce Rauner (MBA '81) Endows New Professorship

biology and chemistry to prepare for a career related to helping the environment. An introductory course in economics changed all that. "I realized that economic issues drove many of the decisions companies made regarding environmentalism... View Details

Keywords: James E. Aisner

1995
Chapter

Investment in Pollution Compliance Options: The Case of Georgia Power

By: F. L. Reinhardt and M. Edleson

Keywords: Pollutants; Investment; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Energy Industry; Georgia (state, US)

09 Sep 2013
Lessons from the Classroom

Teaching Climate Change to Skeptics

realistic, while 20 percent believed it was a random fluctuation warranting no urgent action," says Lassiter, the Senator John Heinz Professor of Management Practice in Environmental Management at Harvard Business School. "In Houston, it... View Details

Keywords: by Carmen Nobel

14 Nov 2012
Research & Ideas

New Agenda for Corporate Accountability Reporting

like local community-building initiatives. Others disclose activities rather more guardedly: effects on environmental pollution, for example. As of April last year, there were over 32,000 such reports of "global corporate... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace; Accounting; Energy; Utilities

October 16, 2023
Article

How a Defined Purpose Drove Unilever’s Turnaround

By: Ranjay Gulati

Keywords: Mission and Purpose; Leadership; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability

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January 2024 (Revised May 2024)
Case

PortageBay and ESG Analytics

By: Vikram S. Gandhi and Radhika Kak

In 2023, sustainable investors faced several challenges. The first was the lack of access to standardized and vetted environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data, and equally, the interpretation of this data into investment-useful insights. Reducing reliance on... View Details

Keywords: ESG Ratings; Investment Funds; Governance; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact

Spring 2018
Article

The Next Phase of Business Sustainability

By: Andrew J. Hoffman

The era of corporations integrating sustainable practices is being surpassed by a new age of corporations actively transforming the market to make it more sustainable. View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Trends; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Corporate Disclosure

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February 2009 (Revised August 2012)
Background Note

Note on Socially Responsible Investing

By: Sandra J. Sucher, Daniela Beyersdorfer and Ian McKown Cornell

This note describes Socially Responsible Investing, providing a brief history, description of different socially responsible investing approaches, and overview of selected players and institutions involved in the socially responsible investing field. It has been... View Details

Keywords: Investment; Corporate Governance; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability

25 Apr 2014
News

Taking up the issue of climate change

As chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Alan Horn (MBA 1971) is in the business of creating magical worlds that captivate audiences. He also is passionate about the real-world issue of climate change and its impact on future generations.... View Details

November 7, 2023
Article

How Courage Can Help Leaders Stay the Course

By: Ranjay Gulati

Keywords: Leadership; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Environmental Sustainability; Profit; Food and Beverage Industry

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March 2025 (Revised June 2025)
Background Note

Getting to Net Zero: The Role of the Financial Sector

By: Shawn Cole, Jonah Zahnd, Karina Chung and Jack Cenovic

In early 2025, momentum towards the goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 continued in many parts of the world, even as it appeared to face a set-back following the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Financial institutions... View Details

Keywords: Transition; Climate Change; Environmental Regulation; Environmental Law; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Risk and Uncertainty; Competitive Advantage; Financial Services Industry