Jasper Jung | June 21, 2011
Building the business case for energy efficiency has been a priority for Environmental Defense Fund's (EDF) Climate Corps program for a long time – working with leading companies across the United States to unearth significant cost and energy savings.
Identifying these energy opportunities and overcoming barriers that prevent companies from investing in energy efficiency would not be possible without the efforts of highly-qualified MBA students who have participated in EDF Climate Corps each summer since 2008.
EDF Climate Corps fellows are the heart of the program. They are trained by EDF and placed in leading companies to become champions of energy efficiency, analyzing energy-saving opportunities, and developing customized energy efficiency investment plans.
In just three years, these fellows have been responsible for developing hundreds of energy projects that could potentially save $439 million in net operational costs. To date, participating companies report that projects representing 86 percent of the energy savings identified by Climate Corps fellows are complete or underway – proof that the program is helping make "green" business the new business as usual.
With the program embarking on its fourth summer with 57 fellows working at 49 companies, EDF invited several alumni Climate Corps fellows to share their experiences with the program as part of the recent EDF Climate Corps training event at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Trish Kenlon, a New York University MBA graduate and 2009 fellow with TXU Energy; Ian Lavery, a MIT MBA graduate and 2009 fellow with EMC Corporation; and Eva Zlotnicka, a Yale MBA graduate and 2010 fellow with Genzyme discussed how they worked with their respective companies to build the business case for energy efficiency. Here are five key takeaways from their work:
- Talk in terms of financial benefits: Operational costs, payback periods and return on investments are all terms that business leaders understand and are the driving force behind any good business strategy. The most successful Climate Corps fellows are ones that are able to speak the business language and identify energy savings in terms of financial opportunities. After all, it's the strong financial backgrounds that tie this diverse group of students together. So tap into your financial vocabularies when making the business case for energy efficiency investments.
- Share what energy efficiency means for both business and the planet: While it's essential to understand the business benefits, for Climate Corps fellows, it's even more important to share why these opportunities make sense for the environment. Trish and Eva spent much of their time debating the impact of climate change and the role of companies on the issue. Although some of the employees they worked with didn't necessarily see eye to eye on all issues, the results of Trish and Eva's work were a vital proof point on how business and environmental leadership can go hand-in-hand.
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