Climate and Solutions

Columbia Business School Faculty Provide Insights into Vital Topics that Can Transform Outcomes for our Planet

In another session devoted to climate change, host Professor Ray Horton talks about an unconventional way of halting global warming — known as solar geo-engineering — with Professor Gernot Wagner, faculty director of the Climate Knowledge Initiative at the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise and senior lecturer at Columbia Business School.

During a recent workshop at Columbia Business School, experts addressed the challenge of soaring emissions, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive transformation across the industry.Explore the Full "Decarbonizing Steel" Deck (PDF)Explore the Full "Decarbonizing Steel" Deck (PPT)Average Reading Time: 11 minutes

Lise Strickler ’86 and Mark Gallogly ’86 are the co-founders of Three Cairns Group, a mission-driven investment and philanthropic firm focused on the climate crisis.

In this episode, host Professor Ray Horton speaks with Professor Bruce Usher on how we have the technological ability to solve the problem of climate change, but that the political will is lacking in the United States and internationally. Usher says that business, then, is going to have to take the lead.

For many years, steelmaking has followed a consistent, two-step process: First, iron ore is mined and mixed with coal, as well as other substances, to make molten iron. This process most often happens using highly polluting blast furnaces. Some 90% of steel-related emissions come from this first iron-producing step.

“I think we need a green steel definition,” noted Marie Jaroni, senior vice president of decarbonization and ESG at Germany’s ThyssenKrupp. “Everyone is doing their own thing. It would help our clients and our customers to have one green steel definition, and I think that’s very crucial for all of us.”

Steel is an infamously hard-to-abate sector. For one thing, steel production assets have long lifespans before they are due for expensive upgrades. For another, the sector’s energy requirements are massive and will likely tax emerging clean energy systems. Some of these roadblocks can be circumvented — at least for the time being — with an embrace of transitional, “messy middle” technologies and processes, which can represent decarbonization potentials of between 10% and 50% (though they still carry significant green price premiums).

Host Professor Ray Horton speaks with Professor Geoffrey Heal, an economist and conservationist whose teaching and research on climate change have left an indelible mark on the School. 

In this episode of Columbia Bizcast, listen to a recording of a recent CBS event featuring Brian Deese, MIT innovation fellow and former director of the National Economic Action Council at the White House.