HBS Institute for Business in Global Society

???$877 Billion and counting: How business can?leverage?public-private partnerships?to unlock impact and opportunity ? With major federal investments flowing into #climate, #infrastructure, and #manufacturing, businesses have a unique opportunity to drive transformative change. Yet, while the #BipartisanInfrastructureLaw, #CHIPSAct, and #InflationReductionAct have catalyzed?more than?$877 billion in private investment,?funding?alone won't close the gap. ? So how what can business do to maximize?the impact of?these opportunities? ? The secret lies in forging strategic partnerships with state/local governments, unions, and workforce systems, according to a guest column by?Kate Swain Smith, who co-founded The Geoeconomics Group at Harvard Business School. Research shows that by building bridges with others, businesses can unlock funding, accelerate projects, and deliver tangible benefits to communities. Click for a deeper look:?https://lnkd.in/egU63fUp As Dustin Tingley, Harvard University professor of public policy, shared with us: "It's incumbent on private capital to signal that they are embedding themselves in the communities they work in." ?? Tips to drive progress and avoid obstacles: - Build trust - Make sure you’re clear on roles and responsibilities - Understand incentives Strategic public-private collaboration?may be?the path forward. Are you seizing this moment to rethink how business partners with government and communities? #PublicPrivatePartnerships #InfrastructureInvestment #ClimateAction #ManufacturingTransformation #ClimateFinance?#Implementation

Excited to share our new work in the SSIR. How effective climate alliances can advance climate goals. The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability at Harvard University , HBS Institute for Business in Global Society , HBS Business and Environment Initiative ,

In this week's Ideas and Insights: ?? Learn about the psychological issues when facing the decision to retire with research from Professor Teresa Amabile ?? Dive into research offering suggestions for stemming misinformation on social media from Professors Scott Kominers and Jesse Shapiro ?? Get to know the third cohort of the HBS Institute for Business in Global Society Fellows

Exciting news from Harvard Business School: We’re welcoming a new cohort of fellows dedicated to researching the role business can play in tackling societal issues. The HBS Institute for Business in Global Society (BiGS) welcomes its third cohort of brilliant fellows, continuing its tradition of groundbreaking research at the intersection of business and society. These scholars are true change-makers: ??Jonas Meckling: Returning to decode the politics of clean energy transitions and green industrial policy. ??Matteo Gasparini: Exploring the financial economics of sustainability and climate change. ??Ivy Onyeador: Investigating how people judge and respond to group-based disparities and discrimination. ??@Victor Ray: Advancing research on effective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies in today's divided nation. As Debora Spar,?senior associate dean?and professor leading the institute, puts it: "As the world confronts unprecedented challenges and CEOs consider them, it's essential that we rethink how we approach and understand capitalism, scholarly research, and business education." From #decarbonization to #DEI, BiGS fellows are making a real difference.? ?? Check out the full story:?https://lnkd.in/d3wvGpGB More?on #climate?fellows, past and present:?https://lnkd.in/dFh9N44y More?on #racial #equity?fellows, past and present:?https://lnkd.in/duAzi8jw University of Oxford Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management Northwestern University University of Iowa HBS Business and Environment Initiative HBS Race, Gender & Equity Initiative University of California, Berkeley The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Yale University #HBS #HarvardBusinessSchool #BiGS #Climate #ClimateAction #DEI #Diversity #Research #Impact #BusinessInSociety #Research #Climate?#Lobbying #Politics

???Climate Change and the 2024 U.S. elections: Billions of dollars at stake??? ? July marked the 14th consecutive month of record-high global temperatures, yet climate change hasn’t taken center stage in the 2024 U.S. elections. Instead, economic and culture war issues appear to be topping voters' lists. ? The stakes, however, couldn’t be higher for the planet and for businesses that want to take advantage of the Biden Administration’s landmark climate policy, according to our recent BiGS Fix article headlined, “Billions in clean energy tax breaks, federal expenditures in play during 2024 elections.” ? For a deep dive with research-based insights, click here:?https://lnkd.in/dQKeVVkp ? Short on time? Here’s a takeaway from Jonas Meckling, one of BiGS’ climate fellows, who examines the politics of #climatepolicy. He believes that the administration’s climate policy — the Inflation Reduction Act — has a chance of surviving regardless of who wins the White House and Congress. ?? “It's a story of using public investment to shift the interests of key players,” says Meckling, noting that Obamacare survived electoral and political turbulence. “(But) does the IRA mobilize enough actors who are willing to fight for maintaining it?” ? BiGS Community: Are you actively or contemplating taking steps to fight for maintaining the IRA? We want to hear from you. Email us at: [email protected] ? #EnergyTransition #Politics #USPolitics #Cleanenergy #Decarbonization #Investment #BidenAdministration #Sustainability #Investment #Impact #TaxCredits #CoalitionBuilding #WhiteHouse The White House

At the 2024 BiGS Global Leadership Roundtable in Washington D.C., #CEOs and senior executives from ESS, Inc., General Motors, and Southwire Company discussed the critical intersection of industrial policy, #sustainability, and economic growth. Gain valuable insights on how businesses are driving the conversation on climate policy and economic development. Highlights from the conversation include: companies must be a part of conversations that lead to public policy solutions, policies must lead to economic growth, job growth, and wage growth, and everyone has to come together to work on changing climate policy. The conversation features: Eric Dresselhuys, CEO at ESS, Inc. Omar Vargas, VP, global head of public policy at General Motors Burt Fealing, EVP, general counsel and chief sustainability officer at Southwire Company Stay connected with #BiGS for more curated conversations with senior leaders from the BiGS Global Leadership Roundtable in Washington, D.C., series. ? Up next: CEOs and senior leaders speak about the role of #DEI in business and how it is a strategic imperative for business. Learn more on #climatechange and #industrialpolicy on the BiGS Knowledge Hub: https://lnkd.in/duZykADm #IndustrialPolicy #CleanEnergy #EconomicGrowth #Leadership #Roundtable #DC #PublicPolicy #Decarbonization #climatepolicy #thoughtleadership #environmentalpolicy #economicdevelopment

In the past two months, six major companies have scaled back several #DEI policies. But which groups are being targeted by these anti-DEI campaigns, and what are the companies promising to change? I analyzed 86 posts on X by a leading anti-DEI activist and the responses from these companies. Here's what I found: 1?? Who is most targeted? The #LGBTQ community—by far. 49% of the accusations focused on corporate support for LGBTQ employees and the broader community, while racial minorities—the second most targeted group—were targeted in just 9% of accusations. 2?? Which corporate actions are under fire? Surprisingly, internal actions, such as employee-focused events, training, and communications, draw the most scrutiny (58% of accusations). Externally, criticism centers on corporate support for LGBTQ organizations and events. 3?? What are companies changing? The six companies announced 29 changes they are making in total. 66% of these dilute DEI commitments, like removing representation targets and internal trainings. 31% specifically target the LGBTQ community by withdrawing support for LGBTQ organizations and initiatives, especially the the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. 4?? Why does this matter? It is an interesting example of the raging debate on the role of business in society. The anti-DEI proponents suggest that business should purely focus on making and selling products and services, even if its actions indirectly exacerbate existing inequalities. "Let stores be stores again," as their leading voice said in a tweet. The alternative view is that business has a responsibility to build an inclusive society. Business is so embedded in American society that it must play a role in delivering society's values and norms, including respecting the dignity of all and creating equality of opportunity. This is the narrative that I think will win out in the long-run, but this is an interesting test.

Whether you're a #CEO, #CCO, #PublicAffairs leader or a #BusinessOwner who cares about #democracy, it's not too late for you to stand up for democracy. Wonder how to do it? Our latest article on HBS Institute for Business in Global Society's go-to digital news platform shares a few ideas on how to make it easier for employees to vote in the November elections. After all, a healthy #economy depends on a healthy #democracy! The CEO of retailer Patagonia is a believer. “To save our planet from the climate and nature crisis, we have to elect leaders who share our sense of urgency,” Ryan Gellert told The BiGS Fix. “That’s why Patagonia does everything it can to support our employees and the larger community’s ability to vote and volunteer. These activities lay the foundation for progress on the issues we care about the most.” #business #capitalism #community #vote #leadership #civicengagement #civilrights #democracy #disinformation #politics #rights #humanrights #polls #USelections #respect #elections #timeTOvote PayPal Bank of America Levi Strauss & Co. Visa Qualcomm

The private sector is showing tremendous interest and investment in U.S. industrial policies, says Aaron "Ronnie" Chatterji, former White House advisor on the #CHIPS and Science Act, and Duke University business professor. We recently convened senior leaders from business, #government, and nonprofits to discuss the early impacts of new U.S. industrial policies. In our conversation with Chatterji, he discusses the CHIPS Act and its impact on industry and the environment. The CHIPS Act represents a shift towards government support for critical domestic industries. Chatterji notes that business leaders are energized by this renewed investment in American capabilities. Stay tuned for more curated conversations with senior leaders from the #BiGS Global Leadership Roundtable in Washington, D.C. series. ? Up next: Yusuf George, cohead of engagement and active ownership at TCW discusses investor-company alignment and active ownership. Check out more articles on #climatechange and #industrialpolicy on the BiGS Knowledge Hub: https://lnkd.in/duZykADm #CHIPSAct #EconomicGrowth #economicdevelopment #DC #CorporateCitizen #HBS #Leadership #PublicPolicy #climatepolicy #environmentalpolicy #labor The White House #Americaneconomy Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business Harvard Business School HBS Business and Environment Initiative #impactinvestment

Rent a vacuum cleaner? Buy a used Apple iPhone? Select a famous beauty brand’s $70 lipstick in recycled plastic over one packaged in virgin plastic? These are the choices consumers want to make but don’t necessarily have. But increasingly #investors and #entrepreneurs are taking action to bring these options to life. According to Harvard Business School research, the shift to a circular economy from a linear one may be a multi-trillion-dollar business opportunity. Dive deeper into HBS's latest #research on the #circulareconomy: https://lnkd.in/gRDrjNHC Short on time? A few takeaways, whether you’re a #CEO or #CSO, a product designer or investor, or a board member: - Circular economy #startups are disrupting the "take-make-waste" model, and venture capital firms are taking notice. - "Nobody likes waste," says Michael Smith of Regeneration.VC. His firm, with Leonardo DiCaprio as advisor, is betting big on circularity. - Innovative business models are emerging. - HBS prof. George Serafeim estimates this shift could be worth trillions. Yael Shemer, co-founder of TULU, tells BiGS that consumers want choices. "We need the infrastructure to follow suit. I advise other entrepreneurs to view circularity as a framework rather than just a goal." Cruz Foam CEO John Felts says major change is needed: "The era of businesses depending on oil-based materials for packaging is coming to a screeching halt." With only 7% of materials currently reused globally, the potential for growth is staggering. What circular innovations are you seeing in your industry? How might this shift affect your business strategy? #HBSResearch #CircularEconomy #BusinessInnovation #Sustainability #ConsumerGoods #circularity #innovation #climate #climatetransformation