Jacquelyn Pless, a Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management, joined the Kenan Scholars in a fireside chat to discuss her research in implementing ESG investments to promote environmentalism in business. This small-group discussion preceded her talk, “To Starve or To Stoke? Understanding Whether Divestment vs. Investment Can Drive the Green Transition,” to a larger audience of faculty, staff and students at the Kenan Institute the following day.
At MIT, Professor Pless researches the economics of innovation, energy and environmental economics, and public economics with an emphasis on the drivers of innovation on social progress. Rather than change consumer behavior to be more environmentally friendly, a less efficient undertaking that is harder to implement, she proposes business investors and innovators look towards funding the development of new technologies to mitigate environmental consequences in production.
The visit by Professor Pless concluded the Kenan Institute’s series on stakeholder capitalism and ESG investing. Her expertise focuses on the environmentalism component of ESG and exposed Kenan Scholars to the most pressing issues, along with their potential solutions, facing the business world today. Following the discussion, scholars were given the opportunity to ask Professor Pless any questions about her research. They discussed the complexities of achieving carbon neutrality and the importance of communication when addressing politically divisive environmental subjects, amongst other topics. The fireside chat concluded with a networking social for all scholars. Dr. Pless provided scholars another great opportunity to explore the impacts of ESG investing and we are grateful for her time and insights!
