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2010/2011  BA-HA_E103  ‘Green Innovation’ – The climate change opportunities

English Title
‘Green Innovation’ – The climate change opportunities

Course Information

Language English
Point 7,5 ECTS (225 SAT)
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Course Period Autumn . Spring
Pending schedule: Wed.: 14.25-17.00, week: 36-45 This course will also be offered in Spring 2012
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study Board
Study Board for BSc in Economics and Business Administration
Course Coordinator
  • Patricia Plackett - Department of Operations Management
Secretary Stephanie Jensen - sj.om@cbs.dk
Main Category of the Course
  • Business Ethics, value based management and CSR
  • Corporate and Business Strategy

Taught under Open University-Taught under open university.
Last updated on 29 maj 2012
Learning Objectives
This course provides students with an opportunity to gain insights based on concepts and theories as well as best practices for managing climate change risks drawing on a range of published materials that provide practical and actionable advice.
At the end of the course the student should be able to manage competently the following objectives:
Learning Objective 1 – Empirical examples: Be able to describe empirical examples illustrating various ways in which ‘green business’ opportunities are recognized and solutions created to respond to these opportunities.
Learning Objective 2 – Theoretical foundations: Be able to explain the theoretical foundations relevant to realizing ‘green business’ opportunities, including key concepts, theories, models and frameworks.
Learning Objective 3 – Practical application: Be able to apply the course content in recognizing climate change-related business opportunities and creating appropriate solutions.
To obtain a score of 12 in this course a student must master the three learning objectives to an exceptional level with lower scores awarded in accordance with reductions in the levels of mastery.
Prerequisite
Students should have had prior courses in one or more of the following: economics, management, strategy, innovation, entrepreneurship, marketing, international business, or CSR.
Examination
20 min oral presentation based on synopsis
Exam Period Winter Term and Summer Term

Examination
An oral exam (20 minutes) that uses a prepared synopsis as a starting point. The synopsis is to be produced individually (3–5 pages) or by groups of two or three students (5-8 pages).
Course Content

Few issues are likely to be of greater concern to businesses – and business school graduates – over the next few decades than climate change. It is widely acknowledged to be the most pressing problem that we will face in our lifetime.

Over the past 10 years or so discussions about ‘climate-friendly innovations’ would likely have raised comments about “fringe environmentalism” and “high costs for minimal returns.” However, there has recently been a very significant shift in perception with the growing recognition that strategies with positive benefits for the world can also have a significant positive impact on the bottom line. The vigorous international debate on climate change now in progress increasingly highlights the role that innovation must play in offsetting the steadily worsening impacts of global warming. It can be argued that companies are the largest single player involved in causing climate change and gradually they are becoming more interested in using their innovative capacity to mitigate climate change’s adverse consequences. This course focuses on a central question in the climate change debate at present: How can companies effectively respond to the ‘green innovation’ opportunities arising from climate change?

The Climate Change Challenge, a competition sponsored by The Financial Times which attracted nearly 300 entries this year from around the globe, provides an indication of the diversity of solutions that have ‘green business’ potential. The winning entry selected by a panel of experts was a solar-powered cardboard and acrylic cooker made in Kenya that sells for $5.The other four competition finalists were a truck wheel cover that reduces fuel consumption by 2%, a machine that converts waste into carbon-rich material for fertilizer instead of adding to CO2 emissions, a food additive that reduces the greenhouse gas-rich flatulence of cows and sheep and a ceiling tile that cools rooms in place of air conditioning. The goal of products such as these is commercial success based on material reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Teaching Methods
Classes will include a combination of mini-lectures, videos and in-class exercises as well as group discussions. A range of cases and examples will be examined to identify specific ways in which companies are creating value through ‘climate-friendly innovations.’ Students will be encouraged to actively share their viewpoints by drawing on their own experiences and information from other courses as well as the materials for this course.
Literature

Porter, Michael E. and Reinhardt, Forest L. (2007), A strategic approach to climate,” Harvard Business Review, October, pp. 22-24.

Rau, Alex, Toker, Rob and Howard, Joanne (2010), “Can technology really save us from climate change?” Harvard Business Review, January/February, pp. 21-23.

Hale, Stephen (2010), “The new politics of climate change: Why we are failing and how we will succeed,” Environmental Politics, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 255-275.

Hoffman, Andrew J. and Woody, John G. (2009), “Business implications of climate change,” pp. 5-23 in Climate change: What’s your business strategy? Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Sussman, Frances G. and Freed, J. Randall (2008), Adapting to climate change: A business approach. The Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

Luers, Amy Lynd and Moser, Susanne C. (2006), Preparing for the impacts of climate change in California: Opportunities and constraints for adaptation,A Report from California Climate Change Center.

Gabor, Andrea (2009), “The promise (and perils) of open collaboration,” Strategy + Business, Issue 56, Autumn, pp. 24-30.

Nidumolu, Ram, Prahalad, C.K. and Rangaswami, M.R. (2009), “Why sustainability is now the key driver of innovation,” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 87, No. 9, pp. 57-64.

Johnson, Mark W. and Suskewicz, Josh (2009), “How to jump start the cleantech economy,” Harvard Business Review, November, pp. 52-60.

Bonabeau, Eric, Bodick, Neil and Armstrong, Robert W. (2008), “A more rational approach to new-product development,” Harvard Business Review, Vol. 86, No. 3, pp. 96-102.

Fűller, Johann (2010), “Refining virtual co-creation from a consumer perspective,” California Management Review, Vol. 52, No. 2, pp. 98-122.

Henke, Jr., John W. and Zhang, Chun (2009), “Increasing supplier-driven innovation,” MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 41-46.

Simanis, Erik and Hart, Stuart (2009), “Innovation from the inside out,” MIT Sloan Management Review, Summer, pp. 77-86.

Amram, Martha and Kulatilaka, Nalin (2009), “The invisible green hand: How individual decisions and markets can reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” California Management Review, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 194-219.

Reinhardt, Forest L. (2007), “Place your bets on the future you want,” Harvard Business Review, October, pp. 42-44.