Climate Rising

Matthew Scullin, CEO of MycoWorks, is attempting to reduce the carbon impact of the fashion industry by producing leather made from mushrooms as an alternative to leather made from cow hides or plastic. His product is called Reishi, and unlike conventional leathers it produces very little greenhouse gases. And because it’s grown in a laboratory to precise product specifications, it produces far less waste as well.

David Crane tried to lead the NRG utility to transition from fossil fuel energy sources, but was ousted in 2015. He shares his lessons learned, reflects on what’s changed since then, and describes his newest venture raising funds for a climate-tech SPAC.

Nancy Pfund is founder and managing partner of DBL Partners, one of the first and largest impact investing venture capital firms in the world. DBL seeks to achieve “Double Bottom Line” results for its investors: top tier financial returns as well as meaningful social and environmental impact. It currently holds over $400 million in assets under management. Through her early stage investments in Tesla and support for companies in sectors from fashion to agriculture, Nancy has shaped the field of impact investing and demonstrated the power of venture capital to address climate change. In this episode, she describes the how she identifies double-bottom-line opportunities and some of the companies she's excited to be investing in now.

Explore different approaches to modeling and managing climate risk from the vantage points of industry leaders Robert Litterman, a seasoned risk management expert; Nushin Kormi, a specialist in sustainable finance; and Kevin Stiroh, a financial regulator. The discussion, moderated by Professor Ramana Nanda, focuses on the concept of transition risk—the potential consequences if climate regulations are imposed gradually or suddenly—and investment strategies to prepare for and mitigate this risk. This is one of 4 new episodes this summer based on live content from the Harvard Business School Climate Risk conference held earlier in 2020.

How do managers within the different sectors of financial services identify and value climate risk? Professor George Serafeim talks with an asset manager, an insurer, a hedge fund manager, and an investment banker about their approaches to identifying and valuing climate risk. The discussion highlights both the bridges and the gaps between ESG metrics and climate risk management. This is one of 4 new episodes this summer based on live content from the Harvard Business School Climate Risk conference held earlier in 2020.

Hiro Mizuno, former head of the Japanese Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), and Professor Vikram Gandhi discuss the steps GPIF has taken to incorporate climate risk in its investment process. Mizuno highlights the need to address the entire investment universe and challenges of his approach. This is one of 4 new episodes this summer based on live content from the Harvard Business School Climate Risk conference held earlier in 2020.

State Street Chairman & CEO Ron O’Hanley describes leading one of the world’s largest financial institutions in the era of climate change. In a discussion moderated by Professor George Serafeim, he describes the roles of asset managers, shareholders, and asset owners with a focus on the concept of values vs. value in approaches to investment decisions. This is one of 4 new episodes this summer based on live content from the Harvard Business School Climate Risk conference held earlier in 2020.

The real estate industry faces climate change challenges like difficult financing in coastal cities, more stringent regulations on where and how to build, and the need to retrofit existing properties to reduce emissions. Bryan Koop of Boston Properties, one of the largest commercial real estate development companies in the country, and Professor Arthur Segel discuss the climate change challenges confronting the real estate industry.

How will a warming climate affect a company’s bottom line? How can groups like Ceres help persuade shareholders, CEOs, and their boards to use their influence to address climate change? Mindy Lubber of Ceres and Professor Rebecca Henderson at Harvard discuss the difficult changes businesses must make now—taking a systems approach, setting long-term goals, and including sustainability metrics in their compensation systems—in order to mitigate the risks of climate change.

Wind power has more than tripled in the United States over the past decade. It's now the largest source of renewable energy in the country, accounting for more than 6% of the nation's electricity. The wind industry faces potential hurdles, however, with federal tax credits scheduled to start phasing out and delays in building major offshore wind farms. Francis Slingsby of Orsted, a global leader in offshore wind, discusses how the U.S. and the world is developing the wind industry and what the future looks like.