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Sustainability

Settling the Debate on Whether Green Investing Pays ‌‌

In a new study, Yale SOM’s Theis Jensen and his co-authors find that the return from green investments relative to brown ones is slightly negative—which is actually good news for the planet.

A scale weighing climate-friendly investments against polluting ones
  • A Loan Program Can Help Close the Green-Building Gap

    In a new study, Prof. Cameron LaPoint and his co-authors weigh the positives and negatives of a lending program that puts climate resiliency upgrades within reach of financially constrained homeowners.

    Punta Gorda, Florida, on September 28, 2022, during Hurricane Ian
  • To Make Greener Buildings, Try Innovating around the Edges

    The building industry is slow to change. But three Yale alumni are finding ways to make changes on the margins and in the process offer solutions that aren’t easy to ignore.

    A aerial photo of a 20th-century building retrofitted with solar panels.
  • What Does It Take to Build a Zero-Emission Hotel?

    When real-estate developer Bruce Becker ’85 set out to convert New Haven’s historic, Marcel Breuer-designed Pirelli Building into the boutique Hotel Marcel, he realized that exclusively using renewable sources of energy would make the project more financially sustainable.

    The Hotel Marcel in New Haven, Connecticut
  • Are U.S. Cities Preparing for the Flooding to Come?

    A new study co-authored by Yale SOM’s Anya Nakhmurina uses a novel method to track local efforts to prepare for climate change, and shows that many of the U.S. cities most at risk are behind in adopting adaptation measures.

    A person walking through a flooded street
  • Our Most-Read Stories of 2023

    This year, Yale SOM research examined sustainable investing, the dynamics of social media, the role of race in school discipline, and the complexities of airline pricing. And faculty offered expertise on issues in the news, including the changing workplace, noncompete agreements, the politics of ESG investing, the effectiveness of masks, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and the Barbie movie phenomenon.

    A collage of illustrations and photographs
  • When Companies Reverse Their Climate Commitments

    Companies announce climate goals with great fanfare—but all too often, they eventually scale back or fail to implement those pledges. We asked Yale SOM’s Todd Cort how significant these reversals are and what should be done to encourage companies to keep making progress.

    Climate protesters outside AIG headquarters in Manhattan in 2021.
  • 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.

    A photo illustration showing highways overlaid with electronic readouts
  • 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.

    A woman using a machine in front of a Patagonia sign, with a reflection in a nearby window
  • 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.

    A model net zero home
  • 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.

    An illustration of a person in a brown suit trying to move a lever toward green.