Sustainability
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
