Climate Rising

By Harvard Business School Business & Environment InitiativeBusiness Science Management Natural Sciences

Climate Rising episodes

October 28 The Evolution of Corporate Climate Reduction Targets
Are companies following through on their climate commitments—and how can we tell?
In this bonus episode of Climate Rising, we feature a conversation originally published by CleanLaw, a podcast from Harvard Law School's Environmental and Energy Law Program. Harvard Law School Professor
Jody Freeman speaks with Harvard Business School Professor Mike Toffel and Harvard Kennedy School Professor Joe Aldy about their collaborative research on corporate climate commitments and the newly developed Salata Institute Corporate Climate Targets Database.
The database tracks climate-related targets announced by Russell 3000 companies between 2000 and 2024, providing a comprehensive picture
of how corporate commitments have evolved over 25 years. The researchers discuss several early findings, including the rise and recent decline of corporate climate targets, how frequently companies revise their commitments, and emerging evidence that companies with climate targets reduce emissions intensity faster than comparable companies without targets.
The conversation also examines how shifting federal policies, state and international disclosure requirements, and investor pressure influence corporate climate action. As companies navigate an increasingly uncertain regulatory environment, the researchers explain how this publicly accessible database can help policymakers, investors, and researchers
better understand the relationship between voluntary commitments and actual emissions reductions.
This episode was originally produced and published by CleanLaw, a podcast of the Environmental and Energy Law Program at Harvard Law
School, and is shared as a special Climate Rising bonus episode.
54 min
October 14 Danone & EDF’s Partnership to Reduce Methane in Dairy Supply Chains
Large corporations play a critical role in addressing climate change—but transforming complex global supply chains is no small task.
This episode, originally from the Invested in Climate podcast hosted by Jason Rissman, features a conversation with Katie Anderson of the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Chris Adamo of Danone. It explores how a major food company and a nonprofit partner are working together to reduce methane emissions in dairy supply chains.
The discussion examines why methane has become a priority in
agricultural climate strategies, how Danone became the first food company to set a methane-specific target, and what it takes to implement change across thousands of farms globally. The episode also highlights the role of financing, public policy, and cross-sector collaboration in scaling regenerative agriculture practices.
More broadly, the conversation offers a real-world look at how climate action is increasingly tied to business continuity, supply chain resilience, and long-term value creation.
54 min
September 30 Powering AI and the Energy Transition: Why Permitting Reform Matters
Permitting reform has become one of the most consequential—and controversial—topics in U.S. climate and energy policy. As electricity demand rises due to AI, data centers, electrification, and economic growth, many argue that the country’s permitting, transmission, and
interconnection processes are too slow to support the clean energy transition.
In this special crossover episode jointly produced by the Climate
Rising and CleanLaw podcasts, Mike Toffel and Harvard Law School Professor Jody Freeman speak with Nat Keohane, President of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES). They discuss why permitting reform has emerged as a rare area of bipartisan interest, the challenges of modernizing America’s electric grid, and the tradeoffs between accelerating infrastructure development and maintaining environmental safeguards.
The conversation examines how permitting, transmission planning, utility incentives, AI-driven electricity demand, and federal-state governance intersect—and why solving these challenges may be essential to both climate progress and American competitiveness.
1 hr 10 min
September 16 Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly Program: Can Sustainability Labels Change How Consumers Shop?
How can companies make sustainability information useful to
consumers at the moment they make a purchase?
Justine Mahler and Cameron Westfall of Amazon join Climate Rising to discuss Climate Pledge Friendly, Amazon’s sustainable shopping program. They explain how Amazon uses third-party certifications to identify products with sustainability attributes, how the company evaluates which
certifications qualify, and how it translates complex standards into
information consumers can quickly understand.
The conversation also explores what Amazon has learned about consumer behavior since launching the program in 2020. Cameron shares research
showing a sales lift for products after joining Climate Pledge Friendly, while Justine explains why the environmental impacts that matter most differ across product categories. They also discuss how customer feedback, experimentation, and evolving sustainability science continue to shape the program.
41 min
September 02 How Companies Tell Climate Stories: Lessons from New Belgium, Allbirds, and Microsoft
Climate action requires more than technology, policy, and capital. It also requires communication.
In this special curated episode of Climate Rising, we revisit three past conversations to explore how companies communicate about climate change to different audiences.
The episode features excerpts from Mike Toffel’s conversations with leaders of New Belgium Brewing, Allbirds, and Microsoft that illustrate
distinct approaches to climate storytelling. New Belgium used products and campaigns to engage consumers directly. Allbirds embedded sustainability into product design and customer experience. Microsoft focused internally, translating climate ambition into governance structures and decision-making processes.
Taken together, these leaders highlight how climate communication can influence customers, employees, policymakers, and business leaders—and why storytelling remains an essential part of accelerating climate
action.
24 min
August 19 Carbon Trust: How Carbon Labeling Shapes Climate Communication and Consumer Choice
Carbon labeling has become one of the most visible ways climate actions enter everyday consumer decisions.
In this episode of Climate Rising, Julia Nicoara, Marketing and Communications Director at the Carbon Trust, explains how carbon labeling systems, certification standards, and corporate partnerships are helping organizations measure, reduce, and communicate their climate impact.
The conversation explores how carbon labels evolved from early experimental initiatives into widely adopted transparency tools, how companies balance credibility and communication in sustainability claims, and how regulation is shaping the future of green marketing
30 min
August 05 Potential Energy Coalition: Why Climate Messaging Fails - and How to Fix It
Addressing climate change isn’t just a technology or policy challenge - it’s a communication challenge.
John Marshall, founder of Potential Energy Coalition, joins Climate Rising to discuss how marketing techniques can accelerate climate action. Drawing on decades of experience advising major corporations, John
explains how his team uses behavioral science, focus groups, large-scale
experimentation, and data-driven messaging to shift public perception on climate and energy.
The conversation explores why traditional climate messaging often fails, how concepts like “net zero” and “climate crisis” can backfire, and why trust, identity, and local relevance matter more than abstract global narratives. John also discusses the role of AI in reshaping marketing and the risks and opportunities it presents for climate communication
47 min
July 22 Good Power: How Climate Communication Can Accelerate the Energy Transition
Transforming the energy system isn’t just a technical
challenge - it’s a communication challenge.
Leah Qusba, CEO of Good Power, joins Climate Rising to discuss how public perception, political engagement, and storytelling are shaping the pace of the clean energy transition. Good Power operates at the intersection of behavioral science, data, and campaigning, working to
accelerate renewable energy adoption and counter misinformation.
The conversation explores how permitting bottlenecks, disinformation campaigns, and community resistance are slowing renewable energy
deployment—and how targeted communication strategies can overcome these barriers. Leah also discusses the role of peer-to-peer storytelling, the importance of trusted messengers, and how digital media ecosystems influence climate outcomes.
The episode also examines Good Power’s expansion into regenerative agriculture, the role of demand creation in scaling sustainable food systems, and how emerging technologies like AI are reshaping climate communication.
46 min
July 08 McKinsey on Climate Adaptation: The Global Resilience Gap
Climate adaptation is emerging as one of the most critical—and least understood—challenges in the climate transition. Mekala Krishnan, Partner at the McKinsey Global Institute, joins Climate Rising to discuss McKinsey’s new research assessing adaptation needs, costs, and gaps around the world.
The conversation explores why the world is already
underinvesting in resilience, and how climate risks are distributed unevenly across geographies and income levels. Mekala explains the concept of the “resiliency gap,” highlighting that billions of people remain under-protected despite the existence of cost-effective solutions.
The episode also examines how climate risks will evolve in the coming decades, why adaptation spending needs could rise to over $1 trillion annually, and what barriers—beyond finance—are preventing action. The
discussion concludes with insights into how businesses, governments, and
financial institutions are beginning to respond, and what it will take to scale adaptation globally.
47 min
June 24 Rain: Using Autonomous Aircraft to Stop Wildfires Before They Start
Wildfires are becoming larger, more destructive, and more expensive every year. But what if the most effective intervention happens not after a fire grows, but within the first few minutes after ignition?
Max Brodie, co-founder and CEO of Rain, joins Climate Rising to discuss how autonomous aircraft could transform wildfire response. Rain is developing AI-powered wildfire suppression systems that upgrade helicopters with autonomous capabilities, enabling faster response times and more effective intervention during the critical first minutes of a fire.
The conversation explores the economics of wildfire prevention, the role of autonomy in aerial firefighting, the challenges of balancing suppression with ecological fire management, and the growing relationship between wildfire risk and climate change. Max also discusses the broader implications of autonomy, public-private partnerships, and how emerging technologies can accelerate climate adaptation and mitigation.
40 min

About Climate Rising

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Climate Rising is about the impact of climate change on business. It brings business and policy leaders and Harvard Business School faculty together to share insights about what businesses are doing,…