Publications

October 2019 (Revised November 2019)
Case

C16 Biosciences: Lab-Grown Palm Oil

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Olivia Hull

Synthetic biology start-up C16 Biosciences wants to solve a big problem: replace palm oil, a major contributor to deforestation and climate change, with a lab-grown substitute. CEO Shara Ticku has ambitious plans to supply her lab-grown palm oil to food manufacturers,... View Details

Keywords: Science-Based Business; Environmental Sustainability; Social Entrepreneurship; Product Development; Product Positioning; Venture Capital; Strategy; Decision Making; Food and Beverage Industry; Consumer Products Industry

22 Feb 2022
News

March 2022 Alumni and Faculty Books

Edited by Margie Kelley Alumni Books The Metail Economy: 6 Strategies for Transforming Your Business to Thrive in the Me-Centric Consumer Revolution By Joel Bines (MBA 1999) McGraw-Hill Armed with computers, tablets, smartphones, and... View Details

January 2007 (Revised November 2007)
Case

Organic Growth at Wal-Mart

By: Jan W. Rivkin and Troy Smith

In 2005, an executive vice president at Wal-Mart must decide whether to expand the retailer's selection of organic food. The decision is made in the context of wider attempts to move the giant retailer slightly upscale and to focus on environmental sustainability. View Details

Keywords: Food; Growth and Development Strategy; Product; Business Processes; Environmental Sustainability; Expansion; Retail Industry; United States

01 Aug 2022
News

It’s Time to Invest in Climate Adaptation

26 Jan 2024
Blog Post

Hiring at HBS: How Summer Interns Make an Impact at Emerson Collective

market map focus area, as long as it is aligned to Emerson’s mission and objectives,” Lichter said. “Examples include the intersection of A.I. and climate tech and sustainable construction.” Past interns have also helped portfolio... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit / Government

December 2021
Case

Grapery

By: Forest Reinhardt and Natalie Kindred

September 2010 (Revised November 2010)
Case

Ze-gen: Commercializing Clean Tech

By: Lynda M. Applegate, Kaitlyn Lyons and Scott Prozeller

The Ze-gen case covers the first five years in the life of a clean-tech start-up. Ze-gen had developed an innovative technology that converted solid waste into synthesis gas (called syngas). This technology was in testing at the company's pilot plant, built next to the... View Details

Keywords: Business Startups; Renewable Energy; Entrepreneurship; Financing and Loans; Environmental Sustainability; Commercialization; Green Technology Industry; New Bedford

Summer 2025
Article

Are ESG Improvements Recognized? Perspectives from the Public Sentiments

By: Shaolong Wu

While Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) increasingly guides investment management and corporate agendas nowadays, public reactions to firms' ESG performance remain under-studied. This paper fills this gap by investigating whether the public picks up firms' ESG... View Details

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

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February 2024
Case

Can Cities Beat the Heat? (A): A Comparative Analysis of Climate Actions and Change Enablers in 14 U.S. Cities

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Jacob A. Small

Throughout the early 2000's, emphasis was placed on initiatives to adapt to and mitigate climate action in cities. This series presents overviews (snapshots) of 14 U.S. metropolitan regions to help identify similarities, differences, and opportunities for developing... View Details

01 Dec 2002
News

Books

Shift provides solid strategies for integrating an ethical perspective into management practice. Paine argues that companies need to go beyond the codes of conduct and values statements that have become ubiquitous in recent decades and... View Details

11 Dec 2017
News

Growing from Within

locations in the US, and counts consumer experience, increased sales, and sustainable profits among his charges. We asked him about the pros of corporate ownership, the data that drives his strategy, and—naturally—his regular order.... View Details

Keywords: Dan Morrell; Food Services and Drinking Places; Hospitality

Web

Challenges and Opportunities in the Restaurant Industry - Course Catalog

menu appeal at the expense of its founding mission? Menu Management. Chefs and restaurateurs often say they offer what their guests want to eat but many are also interested in the healthiness and sustainability of their offerings. We will... View Details

01 Mar 2013
News

Making Change

experience before college can unlock a lifetime of potential. After a decade of experimentation in education and global development, I enrolled at HBS to develop the skills and strategy to bring Global Citizen Year to life. Winning the... View Details

Keywords: Margie Kelley; housing; gay rights; diabesity; disability; Construction of Buildings; Construction; Educational Services; Social Assistance; Health, Social Assistance; News, Library, Internet, and Other Services; Information; Real Estate

01 Dec 2017
News

Alumni and Faculty Books for December 2017

Americans, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, Ivy League alums, high-school grads, and parents offers coping strategies to help ordinary people turn challenges into extraordinary opportunities for action. College Sports Traditions: Before,... View Details

August 1991 (Revised March 1993)
Case

Champion International Corp.: Timber, Trade, and the Northern Spotted Owl

By: Forest L. Reinhardt

Champion's forest products division owns timberlands, sawmills, and plywood mills in the Pacific Northwest. The listing of the northern spotted owl as an endangered species, and restrictions on exports of logs from state-owned lands, have disrupted the stumpage, log... View Details

Keywords: Science-Based Business; Natural Environment; Product Marketing; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Government and Politics; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Strategy; Trade; Decisions; Management Teams; Forest Products Industry; North and Central America

June 2024
Simulation

Vehicle Lifecycle Emissions Calculator

By: Mike Toffel, Shirley Lu and George Serafeim

This Vehicle Lifecycle Emissions Calculator calculates the greenhouse gas emissions over the lifespan of internal combustion engine (ICEs) vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), including those associated with their... View Details

Keywords: Decarbonization; Environment; Carbon Accounting; Carbon; Carbon Abatement; Electric Vehicles; Automobiles; Environmental Accounting; Environmental Management; Environmental Sustainability; Strategy; Technological Innovation; Supply Chain; Business and Stakeholder Relations; Climate Change; Transportation; Transportation Industry; Auto Industry; Battery Industry

01 Mar 2019
News

Alumni and Faculty Books for March 2019

7 Laws of Enough is about a radical kind of change at the personal, organizational, and societal level: a shift from scarcity to sustainable abundance. LaRoche offers seven principles to guide readers on a transformational journey of... View Details

February 1995
Case

Catalan Leather Industry, The

Antoni Subira, the Minister of Industry in Catalonia, Spain, must decide whether to impose strict European Union environmental guidelines on the local leather industry. Failure to impose new regulations would result in substantial fines. Imposition, on the other hand,... View Details

Keywords: Competition; Industry Structures; Environmental Sustainability; Spain

September 2010 (Revised September 2013)
Supplement

Aspen Skiing Company (C)

By: Michael W. Toffel and Stephanie van Sice

Having begun improving the environmental performance of its own operations, Aspen Skiing Company is considering "greening" its supply chain and lobbying for greenhouse gas regulations. A world renowned ski resort vulnerable to global climate change, Aspen's activities... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Supply Chain; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Sports Industry; Aspen