News & Announcements

A new study co-authored by researchers at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, and the University of Calgary provides the first comprehensive representation of changing water consumption patterns associated with fuel extraction and power generation.

Scientists from three universities demonstrate that buying a product made in China causes significantly higher carbon dioxide emissions than purchasing the same product made elsewhere.

Planting a forest to improve air quality may prove to be as cost-effective as expensive new pollution control equipment, according to preliminary results from a novel experiment at a Freeport, Texas chemical plant. Officials involved in the study say this innovative approach could become a test case before the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which has identified reforestation as a potential air quality improvement strategy.

Leaders of an unusual collaboration between The Nature Conservancy, the world's largest conservation group, and the Dow Chemical Company, a Fortune 100 corporation, told a Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) audience this week that they were encouraged by initial findings validating a dollars-and-cents approach to valuing nature that may help businesses with their bottom line while improving the environment in local communities.

The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University will present the 2013 Roy Family Award for Environmental Partnership on October 7 to The Dow Chemical Company and The Nature Conservancy for their groundbreaking collaborative work to incorporate the value of natural resources into the business bottom line.

To celebrate the award, leaders of Dow and TNC will take part in a panel discussion at Harvard Kennedy School Monday, October 7 at 5:00 pm to describe their development of tools and models to integrate the value of forests, watersheds, and biodiversity into more sustainable business and community decisions. The panel, “Valuing Nature: Saving Ecosystems is Good Business,” will also detail steps that other corporations and NGOs can take to protect our natural resources as businesses continue to grow.

The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University announced today that the Dow-TNC collaboration on valuing ecosystem services, a partnership between The Dow Chemical Company and The Nature Conservancy, is the winner of the 2013 Roy Family Award for Environmental Partnership. The innovative collaboration between the chemical company and environmental conservancy develops tools and models that incorporate the value of resources provided by nature into business decisions.

David Keith, Michael Levi, and Elana Schor discussed how the media influence public debate on the Keystone XL decision during a special seminar sponsored by the Environment and Natural Resources Program.