Learning from the Navy: Climate Change Strategies for Corporations

Climate change is causing severe weather, dangerously elevated temperatures, and water shortages around the world. Meanwhile, firms are struggling to reduce their carbon emissions while adapting their operations to these new conditions. To address both challenges at once, Harvard Business School professors Forest Reinhardt and Michael Toffel have proposed an unconventional path forward: learning from the climate change strategies of the U.S. Navy. They argue that the Navy’s scientific and sober view of the world’s changing climate offers insight that can also apply to the private sector. In this episode, you’ll learn how to balance mitigation activities in the shorter term with long-term investments that will help your organization adapt to future changes. You’ll also learn how climate change could shift demand in your markets and reshape shipping routes and affect your supply chains.