The McKinsey Quarterly

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MAY 2009

China’s green opportunity

China can and must achieve sustainable growth. Although the country has already charted an ambitious course to improve its energy efficiency and environment, a McKinsey study finds opportunities to do even more.

MARCH 2009

Prospects for a global deal on climate change: Three European views

Will governments negotiate an agreement on reducing carbon emissions at the December 2009 UN Climate Change Conference?

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MARCH 2009

Connecting climate change and economic recovery

Economist Nicholas Stern discusses the downturn and its effect on the climate change agenda.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

Warming to the opportunities of climate change

Businesses are beginning to embrace the economics of carbon reduction. Here's how.

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MAY 2007

Betting on biofuels

The industry is still in its infancy but evolving rapidly. Companies that hope to compete must devise their entry strategy now.
MARCH 2007

Positioning Brazil for biofuels success

The country now produces ethanol more cheaply than anywhere else on Earth, but that may not be true for long.

JANUARY 2009

What is carbon capture and storage?

Executives and public-policy makers should familiarize themselves with the technologies involved in carbon capture and storage (CCS) as they work toward reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

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OCTOBER 2008

How IT can cut carbon emissions

Information and communications technologies will become a major source of greenhouse gas emissions but can abate far more of them.

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JUNE 2008

The economics of solar power

Don’t be fooled by technological uncertainty and the continued importance of regulation; solar will become more economically attractive.

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JULY 2008

Cleaner energy for China: An interview with the chairman of ENN Group

In a country with a major pollution problem, Wang Yusuo is trying to build a part of the solution.

FEBRUARY 2009

Valuing corporate social responsibility: McKinsey Global Survey Results

Environmental, social, and governance programs create shareholder value, most executives believe, but neither CFOs nor professional investors fully include that when evaluating business projects or companies.
FEBRUARY 2008

How companies think about climate change: A McKinsey Global Survey

A McKinsey Quarterly survey finds that most executives think climate change matters for their companies. Although few have taken action, they are optimistic about the possibilities.
NOVEMBER 2007

Assessing the impact of societal issues: A McKinsey Global Survey

Executives place the environment and climate change in a class of their own when evaluating the impact of societal issues on shareholder value. They also indicate that companies are getting a little better at managing sociopolitical issues and understanding what the public wants.

OCTOBER 2008

Helping ‘green’ products grow

When customers reach the cash register, they often forget their eco-friendly attitudes. Businesses can do a lot more to help would-be “green” consumers walk their talk.
MARCH 2008

Addressing consumer concerns about climate change

Businesses must act on global warming and other issues to narrow a general trust gap between them and the public.

FEBRUARY 2009

Promoting energy efficiency in the developing world

Developing economies have a huge opportunity to strengthen their economic prospects by boosting their energy productivity.
JULY 2008

How the world should invest in energy efficiency

A program that targets cost-effective opportunities in energy productivity could halve the growth in energy demand, cut emissions of greenhouse gases, and generate attractive returns.
JULY 2007

Curbing the growth of global energy demand

The opportunities for improvement are huge, but market forces alone won’t realize them.

NOVEMBER 2008

Data centers: How to cut carbon emissions and costs

The demand for data center capacity worldwide has led to a sharp rise in IT costs and a steady increase in carbon emissions. A new efficiency metric provides companies with a clear yardstick for measuring progress.
APRIL 2008

Business strategies for climate change

Huge value is at stake. The winners will be companies that reposition themselves to seize the opportunities of a low-carbon future.
JULY 2008

Climate change and supply chain management

Top companies regard climate change as an opportunity to get closer to suppliers—effectively reducing both costs and carbon in their supply chains.
APRIL 2008

What countries can do about cutting carbon emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions can be cut significantly—and, surprisingly, without huge disruption.

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FEBRUARY 2007

A cost curve for greenhouse gas reduction

A global study of the size and cost of measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions yields important insights for businesses and policy makers.

DECEMBER 2008

Banking on carbon assets

A new regulatory environment for greenhouse gas emissions could hold good news for banks.
OCTOBER 2008

How climate change could affect corporate valuations

Efforts to reduce climate change can profoundly affect the valuations of many companies, but executives so far seem largely unaware.

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Andy Grove's Electric Crusade

In this McKinsey Publishing exclusive, the legendary former CEO of Intel explains why he has become a passionate advocate for retrofitting America's car fleet to go electric—and for rebuilding the domestic battery industry. Readers told us what they think. Now Andy Grove has responded to their letters. Read the comments and let us know what you think.

DECEMBER 2008

An electric plan for energy resilience

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See readers' responses.

The current economic crisis could slow momentum for investing in clean energy, but it doesn't need to. Research by the McKinsey Global Institute and McKinsey's Climate Change Special Initiative shows how to shift to a clean energy economy while continuing to grow. Read more in this commentary in Newsweek.

[CEOs] should think of energy and resource efficiency as a key source of competitive advantage. – Amory Lovins

JULY 2008

Using energy more efficiently: An interview with the Rocky Mountain Institute’s Amory Lovins

Amory Lovins argues that market forces, not regulation, will play the key role in promoting more efficient energy consumption.
MAY 2007

Investing in sustainability: An interview with Al Gore and David Blood

The former vice president and his partner in an investment-management firm argue that sustainability investing is essential to creating long-term shareholder value.