Where to locate a new headquarters, how to close a supply-chain loop, how to anticipate customer demands: These are all decisions that companies must wrestle with as they respond to increasing concerns about global warming. According to Timothy Juliani, a senior fellow at the Arlington, Va.-based Pew Center on Global Climate Change, global warming "involves everything. It's a function of how we live our lives, the way we use energy, how we manufacture and transport goods. In that sense, humanity has never faced something quite so systemic."
With so many moving parts, how do companies gather intelligence and know what steps to take in a new climate-conscious era? Should they prioritize upgrading their corporate headquarters to environmentally friendly standards, or rush a new product to market that appeals to green consumers? Wharton faculty and other experts note that companies have to rely on a combination of internal and external resources, often feeling their way forward, as they try not only to manage the risks of climate change, but also to gain a competitive edge.
Source: Knowledge at Wharton, http://www.knowledgeatwharton.com.cn