by Jessica Wingert, EDGE Associate Director and ClimateCAP Program Lead
Last month, we piloted a new summer program for incoming MBA students. Before classes at most schools began, participating students signed up to join us for 3 days of virtual workshops on climate and business, diving faculty into climate science, energy fundamentals, the policy landscape, and the financial implications of climate risks as part of a program we called ClimateCATALYST. Besides joining faculty lectures with professors from several different business schools, participants had opportunities hear from career experts and MBA alumni, and to network virtually.
The response was amazing. Over 550 students from 81 MBA programs registered to attend this program in its inaugural year. This level of interest demonstrated that MBA students are not deterred by fluctuating job markets or shifting policy headlines, but are more committed than ever to understanding the business implications of climate change.
ClimateCATALYST began with a lecture from Professor Andrew Isaacs of UC-Berkeley’s Haas School of Business giving students a deep dive into the essential fundamentals of climate science. He emphasized why every MBA should be able to interpret a climate map or emissions pathway graph. Over the course of the program, speakers from other top business schools painted a picture of the building blocks of climate risks and opportunities, covering topics from decarbonization and energy transitions to climate risk and policy influence. Here are four takeaways from ClimateCATALYST that MBA students can apply during their academic program.
1. Climate strategy is business strategy
Decarbonization isn’t just about reducing emissions; it’s about improving operations, reducing costs, and providing value to customers. Professor Mike Toffel of Harvard Business School grounded his session on decarbonization with a simple but powerful idea: it’s critical to link decarbonization to creating business value. Toffel encouraged MBAs to dig into the mechanics of how decarbonization happens, through product design, operations, supply chains, and systems change. He walked through real business case studies that demonstrated how companies apply strategic decarbonization to their business operations, with examples such as switching to low-carbon materials, redesigning logistics, and developing more energy-efficient products.
The takeaway: Learn to analyze business functions such as supply chains, logistics, and procurement through a decarbonization lens. When evaluating potential employers, ask yourself “Where does climate show up in their core business strategy?”
2. Energy is central to climate decisions
“Energy is a huge piece of the climate puzzle,” said Jonathan Silverthorne of Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. Silverthorne explained that understanding energy generation, delivery, and consumption is foundational for any climate-savvy business leader. He walked students through how emissions are embedded not just in fossil fuel production, but in industrial use, buildings, and transportation. The challenge that future business leaders will face is how to build a low-carbon system while energy demand continues to grow globally. Opportunities to invest in the energy transition are everywhere, from renewables and energy storage development to grid modernization and transmission optimization–areas primed for entrepreneurial MBAs.
The takeaway: Take a class on energy markets, policy, or infrastructure. Interested in the startup world? Explore internship opportunities with grid tech, battery, or clean energy startups.
3. Finance and metrics are the language of accountability
Phillip Bruner of the University of Washington challenged students to see climate not as a distant threat but as a present financial disruptor. “We can all observe that these weather-related events are becoming more frequent, more costly, and that the weather is becoming more difficult to predict,” Bruner shared. The financial impacts of storm and extreme weather risks are already present. Resilience is now a core business strategy.
During a session on climate metrics and measurement, Brian Noveck from Environ Energy reinterated the familiar mantra, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure,” noting that what gets measured is evolving with changing policy standards right now. Brad Sparks, executive director of Accounting for Sustainability (A4S), outlined how climate-related reporting has matured over the years to investor-grade disclosures.
The takeaway: Learn the basics of GHG accounting, physical and financial risk modeling, and join conversations on how financial systems must evolve for a warming world.
4. Policy isn’t just for policymakers
Bethany Patten, executive director of the MIT Climate Policy Center, delivered a clear message in her policy primer: Future business leaders must play an active, strategic role in shaping and influencing climate policy to protect their interests, create value, and advance sustainability goals. Patten outlined how policy influences markets through taxation, subsidies, regulation, and trade, and how businesses use lobbying to try to shape policies in their favor. She urged students to not just monitor policy but responsibly participate in shaping it. “As you are getting into your organizations or internships you’ll start to notice where policy is getting in the way of you progress… you’ll start to see where there are unique places to engage, whether it’s at the local, national, or international level,” Patten recommended.
The takeaway: Follow the changing national policies in the US and abroad, but don’t forget the importance of understanding local policy impacts, as well. Understand the trade associations that prospective employers are members of and how that aligns, or doesn’t, with their corporate sustainability goals.
Final thoughts: Lead while you learn
As Katie Kross, co-founder of ClimateCAP shared in the ClimateCATALYST closing session, “You don’t need to wait until graduation to make an impact. Bring climate into your classroom discussions. Join a case competition. Help your career club green its events.”
MBAs are not just preparing for climate careers; they’re shaping what business and climate leadership will look like in the decades ahead. Based on the enthusiasm during our inaugural ClimateCATALYST event, their interest is here to stay.
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