Sustainability
Imagining Future-Ready Infrastructure
Our aging infrastructure isn’t ready for climate change. David Gilford ’07 explains how new resilient, technology-enabled infrastructure can help us thrive in an uncertain future.
What Can Other Companies Learn from Patagonia’s Model?
Patagonia “is in business to save our home planet.” We talked with Vincent Stanley, the company’s director of philosophy, about the lessons for Patagonia’s peers in its approach to doing business.
Creating a Culture of Sustainability in Homebuilding
Sustainably built homes cost more up front, but factor in resiliency, indoor air quality, and the costs to heat and cool, and the cost calculus looks quite different, says Aaron Smith ’16.
Green Investing Could Push Polluters to Emit More Greenhouse Gases
One common approach to sustainable investing is to provide capital for companies with low carbon emissions and withhold it for high-emissions firms. Research co-authored by Yale SOM’s Kelly Shue shows this approach can backfire.
The Decades-Long Effort to Account for the Value of Natural Resources
Yale School of the Environment economist Eli Fenichel helped develop a national strategy to integrate environmental and economic decision-making.
How the Tools of Impact Investing Can Undermine Resilience in the Global South
Impact investing advisor Clint Bartlett ’17 and Professor Todd Cort are working on innovative approaches in which businesses that create positive social outcomes get cheaper capital.
How Satellites Can Help Win the Climate Fight
Satellites can track methane leaks and other greenhouse gas emissions back to the source. We asked Karen Jones ’89, senior technology strategist in the Center for Space Policy and Strategy at The Aerospace Corporation, what it will take to act on the insights offered by space technology.
Will the Backlash from the Right Slow ESG Investing?
A string of Republican-led states have pulled funds from firms that use environmental, social, and governance criteria in making investments. We asked Yale SOM’s Todd Cort what the political backlash means for the future of ESG investing.
Your Packaging Is the Problem
Caroline James ’22 , director of sustainability at Atlantic Packaging, says the current plastics recycling system is broken. She explains how new efforts by businesses and governments could move us toward a more sustainable and circular economy.
Pakistan’s Long, Uncertain Recovery from Devastating Floods
Unprecedented floods have devastated Pakistan’s agricultural economy. Wasif Khan ’86 describes a human toll that will last for years.
Short-Term Earnings Goals Drive More Pollution, Especially for Green Companies
Yale SOM’s Frank Zhang and Jacob Thomas found that firms might increase their pollution when they’re struggling to meet earnings targets—and that firms with a history of environmental responsibility are most likely to engage in this pattern.
