Climate Rising

The bonus episode of the Climate Rising features an episode of HBR’s Cold Call podcast featuring a discussion on ethanol, a biofuel with a complex history and an uncertain future. Host Brian Kenny is joined by Professor Gunnar Trumbull and Paula Kovarsky from Raízen. As Brazil's top producer of sugar and ethanol and the world's premier ethanol trader, Raízen is at the forefront of biofuel innovation. The conversation delves into Raízen’s cutting-edge work in biofuels, the strategic choices behind advancing second-generation ethanol, and how these efforts contribute to global decarbonization initiatives.

Guest/Host:

Brian Kenny, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Harvard Business School and host of Cold Call.

Gunnar Trumbull, Phillip Caldwell Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

Paula Kovarsky, Vice President of Strategy & Sustainability at Raízen

For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org

Episode specific link

This episode continues Climate Rising's hard-to-abate series, and features Shreya Dave, CEO and Co-founder of Via Separations. Shreya describes how her company is decarbonizing the industrial sector by using material science to create a much less energy intensive and cheaper approach to separate substances, a common step in many industrial processes. Shreya talks about her company's journey, the challenges of market adoption, and the strategic partnerships that have been pivotal. She also shares some career advice.

Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative

Guest: Shreya Dave, CEO and Co-Founder Via Separations

For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org.

This episode in our hard-to-abate series features aviation expert Robin Riedel, a Partner at McKinsey & Company who co-leads the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility. Robin describes five approaches to decarbonize aviation: upgrading aircraft, improving operational efficiency, sustainable aviation fuel, other novel fuels and aircraft configurations, and carbon credits. We also learn about some McKinsey engagements on aviation decarbonization, and conclude with Robin’s career advice.

Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative 

Guest:  Robin Riedel, Partner and co-head of the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility

For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org

This bonus episode of Climate Rising features an episode from the Harvard Chan School of Public Health's podcast "Better Off" that explores the intersection of decarbonization and public health. While decarbonization requires shifting away from fossil fuels, this episode emphasizes the equally crucial health reasons to do so – especially for natural gas stoves. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation led by Anna Fisher-Pinkert of the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and her guests Brady Seals, Drew Michanowicz, and Jon Kung.

Guest/Host:

Anna Fisher-Pinkert, Director of Digital Strategy at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Brady Seals, Manager of RMI’s Carbon-Free Buildings program

Drew Michanowicz, senior scientist, PSE Healthy Energy

Jon Kung, Chef

For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org

This bonus episode of Climate Rising features an episode of Harvard Business Review’s Cold Cast podcast with Brian Kenny interviewing HBS professor George Serafeim about his case on Northvolt, a Sweden-based start-up company producing batteries for Europe’s EV auto manufacturers. They'll discuss Northvolt’s efforts to build government partnerships, hire the right people, and attract financing in order to scale rapidly.

Guest/Host:

Brian Kenny, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Harvard Business School and host of Cold Call

George Serafeim, Charles M. Williams Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org.

The third in our series on hard-to-abate sectors, this episode features Jacob Susman, CEO and co-founder of Ambient Fuels, a developer of green hydrogen projects. He describes how green hydrogen can help decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors and which applications are especially promising for green hydrogen solutions. Jacob also describes Ambient’s role in green hydrogen project and infrastructure development, provides career advice, and shares tips to attract early-stage financing.

For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org  

Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative

Guest: Jacob Susman, CEO and Co-founder at Ambient Fuels

The second episode of our hard-to-abate series features Rahul Shendure, CEO and Director at CarbonBuilt. The company has developed and commercialized a Carbon XPRIZE-winning technology to produce what it calls “ultra low carbon” concrete. We start with the basics of how concrete is such a high-emitting product, then describe how CarbonBuilt’s technology is reducing product costs and emissions by replacing cement with a combination of industrial waste materials and CO2 – often captured directly from industrial sources. Rahul also shares advice for those looking to build careers in climate, particularly in the start-up world.

For transcripts and other resources, visit ​​climaterising.org 

Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative 

Guest: Rahul Shendure, CEO and Director at CarbonBuilt.

This first episode of our hard-to-abate series features Linnéa Kornehed Falck, Einride's Founder, Deputy CEO and Board Member. Einride is launching a fleet of battery electric autonomous trucks, orchestrated via route-optimization software. We discuss how its fleet-based freight capacity-as-a-service business model seeks to disrupt the cargo trucking industry, and better serve customers while decarbonizing the sector. Linnéa also shares some advice for purpose-driven entrepreneurs.

For transcripts and other resources, visit ​​climaterising.org 

Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative 

Guest:  Linnéa Kornehed Falck, Founder, Deputy CEO and Board Member, Einride.

This bonus episode of Climate Rising features Harvard Business Review’s Cold Cast podcast with Brian Kenny interviewing HBS professors Willy Shih and Mike Toffel about their teaching case about Kenya-based Sian Flowers. They discuss the company’s efforts to create a “low-carbon rose” by shipping them to their clients around the world by sea instead of by air without eroding their quality, and the effects this has on its production process. 

For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org

Guest/Host:

●      Brian Kenny, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Harvard Business School and host of Cold Call

●      Willy Shih, Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Management Practice in Business Administration

●      Mike Toffel, Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management

The final episode of our 2023 back-to-business school series features three Harvard Business School MBA students: Nabig Chaudhry, Mitch Hirai, and Kamya Jagadish. They describe how they spent the summer interning in climate-related businesses, from impact investing to a climate tech incubator and climate risk analytics. They also discuss what sparked their interest in the field and how they stay current on information and trends to explore career opportunities in business and climate change

For transcripts and other resources, visit climaterising.org

Climate Rising Host: Professor Mike Toffel, Faculty Chair, Business & Environment Initiative

Guests:

●      Nabig Chaudhry, HBS MBA Class of 2024

●      Mitch Hirai, HBS MBA Class of 2024

●      Kamya Jagadish, HBS MBA/Harvard Kennedy School MPP Class of 2024