Today’s MBA students will soon find themselves in a business-world marked by pressing environmental concerns: impending water scarcity, high energy costs, and, of course, global warming. Companies that try to stay ahead of the curve on climate change, such as Toyota, DuPont, and GE, seem to be able to transform the issue from one of risk management to top-line growth and business opportunity. Within the past decade climate change has moved from the environmental to the financial realm, as far as business is concerned. Firms must juggle many climate change-related issues, including the prospect of future regulation, insurance liabilities, investor pressure, and consumer relations. Climate change is even becoming a human resources issue. Interestingly, BP found that employee satisfaction rises when the company demonstrates effort on the climate change front...
