Cultivating a learning community

by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE If there’s one thing that has been constant in the 14 years since EDGE’s founding, it’s perpetual and disruptive change.  The energy sector has faced one upheaval after another—from the fracking boom to industry contraction, changing geopolitics, workforce transition, project finance and fundraising […]

What makes a transformative educational experience?

by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE I’ve just returned from leading a new course on “Climate and Sustainability in the Nordic Countries” in Copenhagen, Denmark and in the Norwegian cities of Tromsø and Oslo. The 23 participating graduate students from Fuqua School of Business and Nicholas School of the […]

Diagnosing friction in renewable investment

by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE Until recently, I thought I understood the factors that were setting the pace of clean energy investment, at least in the U.S.  Before the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, I would have argued that the lack of government support […]

Show me the money: Decarbonization and investment

by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE Each year, the United Nations hosts the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) global summit, bringing together representatives from governments, civil society, the private sector, and the media to assess the current state of the climate. While I haven’t had the chance to […]

Reflecting on 10 years of teaching the EDGE Seminar

by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE This semester marks the 10-year anniversary of the EDGE Seminar course, one of the hallmarks of our Energy & Environment program here at Fuqua. After a decade of hosting conversations with some of industry’s most interesting speakers, I have learned a few things […]

Our stake in the future of the Arctic

by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE For most of us, the Arctic is a distant region of ice, polar bears, and scientific expeditions, but rarely a focus of our attention.  The extreme conditions and remoteness of the Arctic mean that few of us have any firsthand experience of the […]

Exploring sustainability connections in Scandinavia

by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE Greetings from Copenhagen!  This month, I am traveling in Denmark and Norway to build EDGE’s network and prepare curriculum for a new course to be offered at Fuqua next year, “Climate and Sustainability in the Nordic Countries.” Scandinavia has established a reputation for its […]

Collaboration and inspiration at the 2023 ClimateCAP Summit

by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE Last month, students, staff, and faculty from across the country gathered for the 4th ClimateCAP Summit in Austin, Texas.  The ClimateCAP Initiative was launched at Fuqua in 2016 in response to a growing need to help MBA students understand the connections between climate […]

Shifting our business mindsets: scarcity vs. abundance

by Dan Vermeer, Associate Professor of the Practice and Executive Director, EDGE I have been thinking a lot about scarcity and abundance recently.  Behind the news headlines about our various crises lurks a profound visceral sense of scarcity. People worry about inflation eroding their spending power, or broken supply chains that can’t deliver the goods […]

Video: Business Leadership in the Decisive Decade

What do converging sustainability issues mean for business leadership now and in the future? What skills can today’s business leaders employ to tackle wicked problems and contribute new solutions? Dan Vermeer, associate professor of the practice and EDGE executive director, shares insights and imperatives for business leadership in this decisive decade.