951: Business Innovation as a Force for Good in a Time of Climate Change (19234)

Sunday, August 11, 2024

15:00 – 16:30 CT (GMT-5/UTC-5)

Location: Marriott: Wrigleyville

Session Number: 951
Symposium (panel)
Orientation: Theme
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/WypXDg

Organizer(s)

CL

Chris Laszlo

Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve U., United States

Panelist(s)

SW

Sandra A. Waddock

Boston College, United States
AM

Anita Mendiratta

Keshav Mahavidyalaya, U. of Delhi, India
MA

Mekobe Ajebe

PhD Candidate at Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve U.
JL

Ju Young Lee

Ivey Business School, Canada

This symposium considers the business innovation implications of COP 28 to address rising global challenges such as climate change while avoiding actions that may be perceived as greenwashing. The topic of business innovation as a force for good is imperative at a time when incremental changes and only doing less harm are proving insufficient. Chris Laszlo will discuss the problem of closing the gap between Sustainability and ESG-driven business innovation goals and the capacity of a company to deliver against those goals. Sandra Waddock will suggest that the business case has not worked and that systemic change needs to be and can be catalyzed to transform businesses. Anita Mendiratta will discuss the implications of non-value-creating business innovations, which aim to gain stakeholder approval but fail to offer meaningful solutions to the climate crisis. Mekobe Ajebe will examine how business innovation in the energy sector, positioned as a force for good, can address COP 28 commitments and facilitate a broader transformation. Ju Young Lee will discuss the importance of incorporating systems thinking into corporate innovation processes.