Announcing Grant Recipients from UBC Sauder's Centre for Climate and Business Solutions 2025

Announcing the 2025 Research Grant Recipients!

The Centre for Climate and Business Solutions is proud to support six groundbreaking research projects aimed at tackling climate risks, promoting sustainable business practices, and leveraging behavioral insights to drive meaningful change. These projects will contribute valuable knowledge to help businesses and policymakers navigate the complexities of a changing climate.
 

This Year’s Research Focuses on Three Key Themes:

1. Climate Risks & Supply Chain Resilience

Climate disruptions create cascading effects across industries, impacting operations, profitability, and resilience. How can businesses adapt to these challenges?

• Climate Risk Propagation and Supply Chain Diversification – This study explores how climate risks spread through supply chains using AI-driven analytics. Researchers will assess whether firms diversify their suppliers in response to increasing climate threats. (Yi Qian, Jiong Sun & Leyao Tan, Marketing and Behavioural Science Division)
• Climate Risks and Supply Chain Transparency – This project investigates how a lack of supplier transparency heightens climate risks and exacerbates financial losses for businesses. (Muskan Chawla, Operations and Logistics Division)

2. Sustainable Business & Decarbonization

From IT investments to surgical innovations, businesses have significant opportunities to reduce emissions while maintaining efficiency and profitability.

• Greener with Technology? – This research evaluates whether IT investments truly reduce CO₂ emissions or merely shift them elsewhere in the value chain, offering a clearer picture of technology’s role in corporate sustainability. (Xin Zheng, Accounting and Information Systems Division)
• Claving, Anesthesia, and Reuse in High-Volume Surgeries – This project explores how optimizing surgical sterilization processes and material reuse can significantly cut emissions without compromising patient safety and outcomes. (Mahesh Nagarajan, Operations and Logistics Division)

3. Behavioral Science & Climate Communication

Public perceptions and corporate storytelling play a critical role in shaping climate action. How can we influence behavior effectively and ethically?

• Rethinking ‘Best-Before’ Dates – This study investigates whether changing food labels from ‘Best-Before’ to duration-based formats can reduce unnecessary food waste and shift consumer behavior. (Deepak Sirwani, Marketing and Behavioural Insights Division)
• From Fear to Hope: Ethical Climate Storytelling – This research develops frameworks for climate communicators to balance urgency and hope, avoiding fear-mongering and greenwashing while inspiring meaningful action. (Darren Dahl & Larissa Maxwell, Marketing and Behavioural Insights Division)
   

Advancing Climate and Business Solutions

These research initiatives align with the Centre’s mission to equip businesses with the knowledge and strategies necessary to navigate climate-related challenges. By funding innovative projects that merge climate science with business expertise, we are fostering a sustainable, resilient, and forward-thinking economy.