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Boston—Harvard Business School announced today a group of five visiting scholars at the Institute for the Study of Global Society (BGS) who will focus exclusively on climate.
“We are excited to welcome the second cohort of BiGS Visiting Fellows to advance the global conversation about how business can help mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change,” said HBS Professor Deborah Spear, who directs the institute. “From Kathmandu to London to Atlanta, these scholars are working on projects that have the real potential to prevent further climate change or reduce its deadly consequences.”
These five majors will advance research projects ranging from exploring how the United States can best take an inclusive approach to building electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure to exploring climate change resilience in vulnerable developing countries.
Slated to arrive on campus in July, the institute’s 2023 fellows will collaborate with faculty and researchers across several schools, initiatives and departments at Harvard. Students from the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Oxford, the University of Michigan, the University of California, Berkeley, and Duke University will be temporarily transferred to HBS.
“I am thrilled that BGS has committed to bringing five distinguished scholars to campus who will drive innovative research and impact, and I have every confidence that they will advance the work being done at Harvard,” said HBS Professor Mike Toffle. Business and environment initiatives. “It is especially timely this year, given the need for system-level changes to address climate change.”
A new collection of BiGS colleagues
Each year, the institute invites leading scholars to come to Harvard Business School for research related to business and social issues, including climate change and inequality. The institute’s inaugural team consists of five scholars who focus on examining issues of race, diversity, inclusion, and equality. The visiting faculty comes from Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Virginia Tech.
The incoming group of BiGS fellows includes:
Omar Asensio: Using AI to ensure fair distribution of AV infrastructure
As the United States plans to build an EV infrastructure that will make highway travel easier than traditional vehicles, Asensio will explore how current policies and incentives may be leaving some communities behind. It uses big data and machine learning to show the performance of the largest electric vehicle charging infrastructure worldwide – including information such as location, pricing, charging speed and consumer reviews – and strategies for sustainable growth.
Asensio is an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy and director of the Data Science and Policy Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He co-wrote the Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Policy Guide for COP26 and the Glasgow Climate Agreement.
Conor Hickey: Examining the Financial and Organizational Impacts of Delayed Climate Action on Corporations
With extensive experience researching corporate zero-zero strategies, Hickey plans to examine the late effects of climate change on corporations. Delayed climate action can take different forms, such as over-reliance on speculative technologies that are not yet at scale, or strategies that prioritize short-term solutions over long-term climate benefits. These approaches could hinder progress towards net zero emissions and exacerbate the negative effects of climate change. In particular, it focuses on sectors such as aviation, which currently have limited downsizing potential. Hickey believes that corporations can further support effective regulation by demonstrating the financial impact of delayed action.
Hickey is a PhD researcher in finance in the climate studies program at the University of Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute.
Andrew Hoffman: A System Level View of Climate Change
After nearly 30 years of researching the intersection of business and the environment, Hoffman plans to view climate change as a system breakdown rather than an environmental issue. Integrating physical, social and political science into business decision making, Hoffman plans to conduct a systematic examination of how business and business schools can improve their approach to combating climate change.
Hoffman is a professor at the University of Michigan, with joint appointments in the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the School of Environment and Sustainability.
Jonas Meckling: The Political Economy of Decarbonization
Focusing on studying the politics of the clean energy transition and examining why some economies are moving faster than others, Meckling plans to examine the recent surge in green industry policies currently shaping the market for low-carbon technologies. It examines what an effective green industrial policy might look like, as well as issues such as global conflict to drive effective business investments to help create and grow markets for low-carbon technologies. Meckling is an associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and holds a PhD in international political economy.
Robin Meeks: A study of climate change resilience in developing countries
With 20 years of experience researching water and energy technologies, Meeks plans to investigate how the resilience of electrification technology—especially mini-grids—in rural and remote communities in developing countries can increase the disproportionate impact of climate change. Her project in Nepal explores how technology, government, and power utilities in rural, marginalized communities—and their citizens and businesses—can increase the resilience of their economies as extreme weather events become more frequent. Meeks is an assistant professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and holds a PhD at the intersection of public policy and research in environmental and development economics.
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