BEST CASE AWARD 2024

Net Zero Climate Commitments: Realistic Goal or Branding Exercise?

We are pleased to announce that "Net Zero Climate Commitments: Realistic Goal or Branding Exercise?" by Andrew Isaacs and Natàlia Costa i Coromina is the winner of the 2024 Best Case Award.

The annual Best Case Award recognizes the case study published during the preceding year (2023) that has made the most important contribution to management education. This case was selected as a finalist based on its overall popularity and performance, and the final selection was made by the faculty and students of the Haas School of Business in April 2024. The winner will receive a cash prize of $2000.

In 2022, companies of all sizes and across multiple industries started to create and publicly announce Net Zero climate commitments. At the time, there was no generally accepted definition of 'Net Zero' and instead, each company defined what metrics were included in tracking their commitment. Further, there was no globally recognized third-party accountability mechanism that would assure that these promises were being fulfilled; leaving companies to report their own progress without outside, independent verification. As a result, many questions around the validity of these claims and their true impact on climate change were left unanswered.

This case underscores the slippery slope of making good headlines and making good on one's word. I appreciate the thoroughness of the examples and clarity of terms. The case makes clear the easy-to-create gap between intention and action. The case also makes clear the need for action-oriented legislative leadership and corporate accountability.

—Anonymous Feedback

Former Award Winners

Hope and Grit: How Human-Centered Product Design Enhanced Student Mental Health   (2023)
By Dave Rochlin

Theranos: How Did a $9 Billion Health Tech Startup End Up DOA?   (2022)
By Ernesto Dal Bó and Guo Xu

Enel X: Driving Digital Transformation in the Energy Sector   (2021)
By Henry W. Chesbrough

Patagonia: Closing the Loop on Packaging Pollution   (2020)
By Sara Beckman, Kate O'Neill, Seren Pendleton-Knoll, William Rosenzweig, and Robert Strand

Patagonia's Path to Carbon Neutrality by 2025   (2019)
By Daniel M. Kammen, Paul Hendricks, Seren Pendleton-Knoll, Vincent Stanley, and Robert Strand

Eliminating the Gender Pay Gap: Gap Inc. Leads the Way   (2018)
By Kellie McElhaney and Genevieve Smith

Patagonia: Driving Sustainable Innovation by Embracing Tensions   (2017)
By Dara O'Rourke and Robert Strand

Back to the Roots Ventures (BTTR)   (2016)
By Jorge Calderon and Nishant Bagadia

Castlight Health: Disrupting the Health Care Industry   (2015)
By Kristiana Raube

People Operations at Mozilla Corporation: Scaling a Peer-to-Peer Global Community   (2014)
By Homa Bahrami

Alphabet Energy   (2013)
By Beverly Alexander, Adam Boscoe, Mason Cabot, Philip Dawsey, Luc Emmanuel Barreau, and Russell Griffith