Wheeler Institute Climate Initiative

Business can make a difference

Climate change is upon us.  How can we adapt to it?  What can we do?  We in the Wheeler Institute believe in the power of business to help society ameliorate and adapt to climate change.  In our mission, we seek to understand, illuminate, and support the business community – individuals and systems – in understanding, responding and adapting to the challenges and opportunities that climate change presents.  Solutions and systems change demand innovation, commitment, and collaboration by governments, NGOs, business leaders, academics, corporates individuals, local ecosystems — everyone.  In the coming months, we will bring together some powerful ideas across our Wheeler network in a forum to communicate and exchange insights.

We are:

  • global in scope: we seek insights across geographic contexts, especially on implications and actions for those in developing countries  
  • business-focused: our perspective is that of the businessperson
  • externality sensitive:  we recognize the importance of macro-level policies and micro-level actions of governments, NGOs, and individual members of society
  • solutions-oriented:  we support the business community – individuals and systems – in understanding, responding to, and adapting to the challenges and opportunities that climate change presents

Through curated content and events, we will ensure that anyone interested in the impact of climate change can get access to, not only a scholarly view of relevant issues, but insights from business, corporates and local communities.

In the coming months we will explore numerous focal areas including:

  • The impact of climate change on micro regions and industries
  • How business can engage and be receptive to the values of stakeholders and shareholders
  • How public and private institutional investors can restructure capital offerings and risk management processes to reflect climate forces.
  • How to approach structuring capital markets with the aim to draw investment away from carbon intensive operations
  • Identifying scalable strategies and investment vehicles that can allow for the green transition
  • Designing mechanisms for business collaboration that are effective, that can be measured, and do not conflict with antitrust rules or lead to greater rent seeking behaviour.
  • Identifying elements of operations that are climate sensitive,  and constructing the business models to address these

Upcoming events: In conversation with Professor Reichlin

Our London Business School faculty have extensive expertise in addressing the climate mitigation and agenda issues. Lucrezia Reichlin, London Business School Professor of Economics and trustee of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation, is hosting our first set of webinars focused on how the business community – as regulators, consumers, corporates and investors – can play a role in making “Net Zero” a reality. 

We invite you to join Professor Reichlin and several high-profile corporate leaders in a series of conversations that will explore how public and private institutional investors can restructure capital offerings and risk management processes to reflect climate forces. The conversations will have a particular focus on the subject of disclosure, data and infrastructure related to climate risks.

The need for and impact of high quality globally comparable reporting

Mr Emmanuel Faber, Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)

Learn more
The new-challenge of being carbon neutral by 2050

Mr Frédéric Samama, Head of Strategic Development at Sustainability1, S&P

Learn more
The Impact Revolution – it is going to happen sooner than you think

Sir Ronald Cohen, Chairman of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment

Learn more
Incorporating climate risks and opportunities: Insights from a leading credit agency

Mr Richard Cantor, Chief Risk Officer for Moody’s Corporation (MCO) and Chief Credit Officer for Moody’s Investors Service (MIS).
Building global consensus on how to measure and manage impact

Ms Clara Barby, Senior Partner at Just Climate


Learn more

Moderators

Maggie Wieland, MBA 2022
Tess Van der Gaag, MBA 2023
Shivangi Kumra, MBA 2023
Stephanie Bandyk, MBA 2022

A Call to Action: Business Schools for Climate Leadership

We are proud of our involvement in and contribution to BS4CL.

BS4CL represents the beginnings of collective action across eight of Europe’s leading business schools.  As educators and researchers—as well as leading voices and stewards of powerful alumni bodies—we need to work together to incite, support, and mobilize our many stakeholders to protect humanity.  You might enjoy this HBR.org oped on why business schools have so much to contribute to the Climate Crisis conversations.

Leave Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *