Climate Risk and Business

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

   PDF

2. Climate Risk and Organizational Challenges

   • Anna Dowbiggin

   Pages 1-24

3. Cognitive Challenges

   • Anna Dowbiggin

   Pages 25-41

4. Resource Challenges

   • Anna Dowbiggin

   Pages 43-57

5. Informal Risk Systems Challenges

   • Anna Dowbiggin

   Pages 59-73

6. Formal Risk System Challenges

   • Anna Dowbiggin

   Pages 75-93

7. Response, Materiality, and Disclosure Challenges

   • Anna Dowbiggin

   Pages 95-108

8. Back Matter

   Pages 109-120

   PDF

Addressing the urgency of radical decarbonization as a mitigative response to climate risk, this book explores how business can respond to the challenges of climate risk, through various transformational processes. Those processes involve cognitive transformations, organizational changes, climate risk integration into risk management practices, shifts in corporate reporting and disclosure as well as futuristic scenario-based planning beyond normal business planning cycles.

Though much has already been written on corporate sustainability efforts, there is a greater need now for building mitigative capacity at the firm level, in alignment with shifting policy and regulatory regimes. Theoretical and empirical work on these areas is addressed in the novel thought experiment approach of this book.  A research agenda for future work is provided.

• Climate Risk
• Climate Mitigation
• Decarbonization
• Emissions
• Management Cognition
• Climate Risk Reporting
• Risk Management
• net zero emissions
• carbon management
• carbon accounting
• natural resource based view

“The risks that climate change has created – and will continue to create – are appearing on multiple fronts in business. Climate risk is no longer just about extreme weather events but about a spectrum of systemic risk impacts on business – and no business is immune.  Dowbiggin’s unique approach in Climate Risk and Business takes a much-needed risk-based view of how risk mitigation through decarbonization will transform business organizations in unprecedented ways. I applaud Dowbiggin’s foresight and approach to a very timely and important topic.”

—Blair Feltmate, Head, Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Canada

“The risks posed by climate change are becoming increasingly evident with the continuous flow of extreme weather events hitting people and businesses across the world. This important book is among the first to provide an in-depth look into the nature of climate risk for business and explores the various strategies for its mitigation. It critically examines how business will have to change and adapt to become more resilient to the physical and societal impacts of climate change. Dowbiggin’s book forms essential reading to get up to speed with this very important topic”.

—Jonatan Pinkse, Professor &, Executive Director, Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK

“The book “Climate Risk and Business: New Challenges for Organizations” by Anna Dowbiggin provides a timely account of the significant business challenges created by climate change. The book makes the case for the urgent need to decarbonize and offers insights into transformational processes to mitigate climate change and manage climate risks. A worthwhile read for academics and practitioners alike!”

—Martina Linnenluecke, Director, Centre for Corporate Sustainability and Environmental Finance, Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University, Australia

“This book translates the many challenges of climate change for business into one of the essential tasks of corporate decision making: the successful management of risks. Anna Dowbiggin develops a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted risks that climate change poses for business.”

—Dirk Matten, Associate Dean Research, Professor of Strategy, and Hewlett-Packard Chair in Corporate Social Responsibility, Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada 

“Climate Risk and Business is one of the few books that investigates the potential impacts of climate change from a business perspective. Only very recently have businesses switched from just speaking about the importance of climate change to doing actually something about it. With net-zero as a non-negotiable goal, this book promises to help them find a way to reach this goal in a timely manner.”

—Markus Biehl, Professor, Operations Management & Information Systems, Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada

“Anna Dowbiggin has tackled the key question that is – or should be – being asked by the leadership and stakeholders of every organization in the world. What climate risks do we face, and how will we mitigate them? Through a comprehensive review of the risks, and the practices that could mitigate them, and how all of this is reported, the author is making a meaningful contribution to what is now a very urgent debate. “ 

—Heather McGregor, CBE, FRSE, Executive Dean, Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, UK

“We are globally facing an existential climate crisis and yet governments, companies and citizens are struggling to move fast enough to avoid the worst impacts of global warming. Bringing scholarly research perspectives to understanding the physical and transitional risks that climate change poses for business will be essential to making progress. Dowbiggin’s new book is a welcome intervention in this conversation.” 

—Sarah Kaplan, Distinguished Professor, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Canada

• University of Guelph-Humber, Toronto, Canada

  Anna Dowbiggin

Dr. Anna Dowbiggin is a Professor in the School of Business at the University of Guelph-Humber, Canada.

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