McKinsey Quarterly is the business journal of McKinsey & Company.
JANUARY 2012
Over the next quarter century, the rise of three billion more middle-class consumers will strain natural resources. The race is on to boost resource supplies, overhaul their management, and change the game with new technologies.
Historian Niall Ferguson, the CEO of a water services company, and Boeing’s lead environmental executive reflect on the resource transition under way, where it could be headed, and what it means for leaders now.
Innovation in energy technology is taking place rapidly. Five technologies you may not have heard of could be ready to change the energy landscape by 2020.
OCTOBER 2011
More companies are managing sustainability to improve processes, pursue growth, and add value to their companies rather than focusing on reputation alone.
AUGUST 2010
As with climate change a few years ago, executives are now beginning to recognize the importance of biodiversity for their future strategies. Many are also discovering business opportunities, not just threats.
JANUARY 2011
A new index shows mixed results in the country’s push for sustainable urban development.
JUNE 2010
Africa’s climate already poses grave risks to the continent’s people and economies, and global warming promises to intensify the problem. A factual risk-management solution can help.
FEBRUARY 2010
With oil prices squeezed, now is the time for oil and gas companies to focus on operational excellence. What lessons can managers draw from world-class operators in the business?
Oil and natural gas companies play a central role in CO2 emissions. How can the industry meet the challenge from climate change regulations?
South Africa faces a growing gap between water supply and demand. The most effective solutions will cater to the specific agricultural, industrial, and domestic needs of the country’s different basins.
JANUARY 2010
There is great potential to reduce energy consumption and minimize its total cost by using existing technologies—and without changing the everyday habits of consumers.
SEPTEMBER 2009
Solar power is poised to grow into a reliable alternative energy source, promising lower carbon emissions and decreased dependence on fossil fuels. What technologies are currently jostling for leadership in the market?
AUGUST 2009
Only a collaboration between the two countries will create an environment where clean-energy technologies can thrive.
NOVEMBER 2011
It’s possible, though far from certain, that oil prices will spike in the years ahead. Here’s why—and how you can prepare.
Cheap resources underpinned economic growth for much of the 20th century. The 21st will be different.
FEBRUARY 2011
Large cities may be the ideal test track for the mass market. Catalyzing early adoption could take less than most auto executives and policy makers think.
NOVEMBER 2010
Shokri Ghanem explains his hopes to expand the role of the private sector and to separate the functions of regulator and operator.
APRIL 2010
Schlumberger’s CEO reflects on the future of oil, the importance of investing in R&D, and the lessons he’s learned about leading a borderless company.
MARCH 2010
Shell’s executive vice president and CIO talks about the company’s never-ending transformation process.
For more McKinsey research in this area, visit our Sustainability & Resource Productivity page.
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MAY 2011
High energy prices and the global economy’s eastward shift are changing the formula for success. Newcomers must build capabilities, and incumbents must sharpen value propositions.
Dow Corning’s Stephanie Burns and Gregg Zank talk about successful approaches to new-product and business-model innovation.
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