Climate

Policy

Should I Feel Guilty about Using AI?

While AI queries have a modest carbon footprint, power-hungry data centers need more transparency and regulation.

Researchers: Matthew Roling

Social Impact

To Align Purpose and Profit, Company Culture Matters

An Italian energy firm’s climate campaign illustrates how to tackle social problems without sacrificing the bottom line.

Researchers: Brayden King, Marco Clemente and Amy Klopfenstein

Economics

The Cold, Cold History of Political Conflict

Sustained temperature shifts during the “Little Ice Age” led to wars, mass migration, and instability. What does this mean for our current moment?

Researchers: Murat Iyigun, Joris Mueller and Nancy Qian

Finance & Accounting

Half of All Species Might Face Extinction. Could Biodiversity Bonds Help?

Maybe. But don’t expect investors to cut governments a break.

Researchers: Fukang Chen, Minhao Chen, Lin William Cong, Haoyu Gao and Jacopo Ponticelli

Organizations

Why Firms Should Lean into Sustainability

“If companies don’t change, then they won’t exist in the future.”

Researchers: Brayden King and Klaus Weber

Social Impact

Take 5: Doing Business in a Warming Climate

What should leaders understand about sustainability? A collection of the latest research and ideas from Kellogg faculty.

Researchers: Jacopo Ponticelli, Aaron Yoon, Brayden King, Adam Waytz and Meghan Busse

Organizations

The Unlikely Partners Growing the Market for Green Energy

The relationship between environmental activists and “dirty” energy companies can be contentious, but it can also benefit both sides.

Researchers: Ion Bogdan Vasi and Brayden King

Policy

People Want to Know Sustainable Policies Can Work. So Show Them.

Success stories about policies from other countries make people more likely to support similar policies in the U.S., new research finds.

Researchers: Matejas Mackin, Trevor Spelman and Adam Waytz

Leadership

Leaders, Do You Have a “Climate Capable” Mindset?

“We are going to have to be as transformative as the Industrial Revolution, but we have thirty years to do it rather than 150.”

Researchers: Meghan Busse

Finance & Accounting

ESG Risks Can Lurk in Supply Chains, Too

Most companies know little of their suppliers’ ESG practices. But negative incidents can sway stock prices—and investors should take note.

Researchers: Xuanpu Lin, Guoman She, Aaron Yoon and Haoran Zhu

Economics

Podcast: How Last Fall’s Climate Bill Is Creating Opportunities for Businesses

With major incentives starting to kick in, here’s how the legislation is poised to affect the economy.

Researchers: David A. Besanko

Who Does a Better Job with ESG ratings, Global or Local Research Firms?

Sometimes, global raters miss important nuances about a firm’s environmental, social, and governmental activities.

Researchers: Jeff Chen, Zengquan Li, Ting Mao and Aaron Yoon

Finance & Accounting

5 Takeaways on the State of ESG Investing

ESG investing is hot. But what does it actually deliver for society and for shareholders?

Researchers: Aaron Yoon

Finance & Accounting

Investors Are Eager for Accurate ESG Information. Can Financial Analysts Provide It?

Analysts aren’t traditionally steeped in ESG, but they do have deep knowledge of the companies they cover.

Researchers: Min Pak, Aaron Yoon and Tzachi Zach

Policy

What the New Climate Bill Means for the U.S.—and the World

The Inflation Reduction Act won’t reverse inflation or halt climate change, but it’s still a big deal.

Researchers: David A. Besanko

Social Impact

How to Build a More Diverse Environmental Movement

People of color will disproportionately suffer from climate change, yet there is a striking lack of diversity in mainstream environmental organizations. Broadening what counts as an environmental issue could build a larger, more inclusive coalition.

Researchers: Neil A. Lewis, Dorainne J. Green, Ajua Duker and Ivuoma Ngozi Onyeador

Policy

How Climate Disasters Ripple Through the Labor Market

Environmental crises are increasingly leading workers to migrate. What happens next?

Researchers: Albert Christoph, Paula Bustos and Jacopo Ponticelli

Finance & Accounting

Take 5: What Good Does It Do a Company to Do Good?

Kellogg faculty look at how ESG initiatives are received by investors, customers, and employees.

Researchers: Aaron Yoon, Ravi Jagannathan, Jacob D. Teeny, Alexander Chernev, Brayden King and and coauthors

Leadership

Podcast: Businesses Can Slow Climate Change. Here’s How.

Individual actions won’t be enough to slow global warming. On this episode of The Insightful Leader, learn how companies—and the people who lead them—need to get involved.

Researchers: Meghan Busse

Organizations

What Businesses Must Do to Curtail Climate Change

We need to dramatically reduce carbon emissions. This will require a new system of incentives.

Researchers: Meghan Busse

Finance & Accounting

Does Positive ESG News Help a Company’s Stock Price?

A comprehensive new study finds that investors reward some—but not all—efforts.

Researchers: George Serafeim and Aaron Yoon

Marketing

Are Customers Skeptical of Eco-friendly Products?

New research pushes back on the idea that consumers reflexively distrust the performance of these products.

Researchers: Alexander Chernev and Sean Blair

Finance & Accounting

How Green Are Green Bonds?

Large companies issuing green bonds may have more to do with interest rates than altruism.

Researchers: Efraim Benmelech

Finance & Accounting

How Useful Are ESG Ratings for Sustainable Investors?

These ratings are proliferating. Now there may be a better way to assess them.

Researchers: George Serafeim and Aaron Yoon

Finance & Accounting

Understanding the Rapidly Evolving World of Sustainable Finance

It’s no longer a niche investment strategy—and it has the potential to deliver strong returns.

Researchers: Ravi Jagannathan, David Chen, Brian Bruce and Lloyd Kurtz

Organizations

Climate Change Is Transforming the Economy. How Will Your Company Adapt?

“Until organizations learn to internalize the threat, they’re in danger of falling behind.”

Researchers: Klaus Weber

Social Impact

Does It Pay Off to Invest in Companies That Engage in Sustainable Practices?

New research helps to quantify the value of “ESG” initiatives.

Researchers: Mozaffar Khan, George Serafeim and Aaron Yoon

Social Impact

The Case for Investing in Green Companies

Sustainably minded firms are more likely to withstand industry shake-ups.

Researchers: Ravi Jagannathan, Ashwin Ravikumar and Marco Sammon