Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership

Behavioral science is an important tool for increasing the positive consequences of change.”

– Elke Weber

Danielle Fugere listens to Valerie C. Smith during a panel discussion on how investors and shareholders influence corporate climate action. (Photo by Bumper DeJesus)

2022 E-ffiliates Retreat: Behavioral Science Insights for Corporate Action

The Princeton E-ffiliates Partnership (E-ffiliates) ninth annual retreat was held on June 1. The focus was on how companies can harness insights from behavioral science to mitigate climate change.

The retreat drew panelists from industry, non-profit, academia, and government. Participants were treated to wide-ranging discussions that explored private sector behavior, decision-making, communications, and new behavioral science tools and techniques.

Elke Weber, the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and professor of psychology and public affairs, presented her research, including a report titled, “Behavioral science tools to strengthen energy and environmental policy.” Tools included providing timely feedback and reminders, using multiple communications to inform, and reaching people at transitions when they are most likely to make more sustainable decisions. She also noted that corporations can frame their thinking about the changes required to mitigate climate change as an opportunity rather than a liability.

Cheryl Ginyard-Jones, group director for growth and performance in the Americas at Worley, emphasized that having company commitments to address climate change is important, but transforming company culture and moving beyond the customervendor relationship to one of partnership are critical. Similarly, Erica J. Borggren, vice president of Customer Solutions at ComEd, an Exelon Company, said that reports comparing customer energy efficiency to their neighbors’ energy efficiency resulted in those customers acting to conserve energy.

Keynote speaker and partner of MCJ Collective, Jason Jacobs, talked about using his podcast to amplify diverse voices in the sphere of climate action and help broadcast lessons learned. Panelists shared more on company action related to climate change mitigation that yielded key best practices. Valerie C. Smith, chief sustainability officer and managing director at Citi, noted that a shareholder proposal to commit to net-zero pushed them to make that commitment sooner. She shared how Citi investors had been working with panelist Danielle Fugere, president of As You Sow, a non-profit that helps shareholders advocate for sustainable practices by companies in which they invest.

The gathering was organized by Chris Greig, who discussed how companies are thinking about their obligations and risks in responding to the call for net-zero emissions. He noted the retreat served as an important place to have conversations on making sustainable changes and learn how social and behavioral sciences will help companies make these transformations.

Top: Keynote speaker, Jason Jacobs, talks about using his podcast to amplify diverse voices in the sphere of climate action. (Photo by Bumper DeJesus)

Right:

Participants listen to a panel at the 2022 Retreat. (Photo by Kevin Birch)

Loïc De Weerdt, postdoctoral research associate at the Andlinger Center (Photo by Kevin Birch)

2022 E-ffiliates Retreat Poster Awards

Deloitte Postdoctoral Researcher Poster Award

Loïc De Weerdt, “Investment in Net-Zero Electricity Under Price Uncertainty” – Advised by Chris Greig and Eric Larson, senior research engineer at the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment

ExxonMobil Graduate Student Poster Award

Shannon Hoffman, “Sustainable Production of Animal Proteins Using Optogenetics in the Yeast Pichia pastoris” – Advised by José Avalos, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment

Worley Graduate Student Poster Award

Eric O’Neill, “An Agent-Based Network Optimization Framework for Supply Demand Matching in Production Systems” – Advised by Christos Maravelias, the Anderson Family Professor in Energy and the Environment and professor of chemical and biological engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment

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Investment is a key piece of commercializing and scaling new clean energy technologies. Unless there is the capital to actually fund the transition, decarbonization efforts will likely come up short.”

–Barry Rand

E-ffiliates Welcomes New Members

E-ffiliates promotes collaborations to advance innovative solutions in energy and the environment. Building on program success and expansion, goals for paced and strategic growth have been established and focus on attracting key companies needed to represent the entire energy sector.

ClearPath

ClearPath is a nonprofit that develops and advances policies to speed up innovations that reduce emissions in the energy and industrial sectors. The company intends to collaborate with Princeton faculty, researchers, and corporations that are focusing on scalable clean energy technologies.

Deloitte

Deloitte, the largest professional services firm, has advanced its membership and has increased involvement with Princeton faculty since they joined in 2021. They have engaged with researchers on emissions abatement in the chemical industry as well as the evolution of CO2 capture, use, and storage (CCUS) hubs. The company is also bringing together researchers and corporate representatives with a focus on decarbonizing the chemical industry.

ECP

ECP is a leading investor across energy transition, electrification, and decarbonization infrastructure assets based in New Jersey. The company’s investment and policy goals are closely aligned with the Andlinger Center’s research exemplified in the NetZero America study, and it intends to explore a deeper understanding of pathways to decarbonization.

GAF

GAF is a roofing and waterproofing manufacturer that joined E-ffiliates to develop innovative approaches to sustainability of their products. The company provides roofing for one in four homes in the United States and has 35 manufacturing facilities nationwide. With a strategic focus on developing products that promote a circular economy, such as sustainable building materials and incorporating renewable energy production in building products, the company intends to interact with faculty on products or systems that advance its mission around sustainability.

GE

GE is an equipment manufacturer with a broad portfolio of energy technologies, including on and offshore wind turbines, gas turbines, and advanced nuclear power. The company is also developing new technologies, such as hydrogen-fueled gas turbines, carbon capture solutions, offshore wind superconducting generators, and advanced nuclear with small modular reactors. Through these technologies, the company is looking to build collaborations across a range of topics, including securing the power grid.

NV5

NV5 is an infrastructure engineering firm that offers civil engineering services. The company works on infrastructure projects in the transportation, utilities, and building sectors. The work of NV5 and Princeton align in many areas, particularly in low-carbon and climate-resilient infrastructure. Shared interests include protecting natural resources and populations through utility fire mitigation and delivering energyefficient building systems and infrastructure.

Orion Industrial Innovation

Orion Industrial Innovation (OII) is a financial firm and part of the Orion Resource Partners Group, which specializes in institutional metals and mining investment strategies in the base and precious metals space. OII is establishing relationships with Princeton’s research groups to improve industrial processes in the energy and environment sector.

Siam Cement Group

Siam Cement Group (SCG) is a leader in sustainable advancement that is helping Southeast Asian countries reach net-zero emissions. Inspired by the Net-Zero America study, the company is working with university researchers to help Thailand establish and meet sustainability targets, focusing on how sustainable transportation fits within net-zero plans.

Siemens

Siemens is a global company focusing on electrification, automation, and digitalization that joined E-ffiliates in 2017. The newly advanced partnership builds on the company’s previous work as it intends to fund diverse research projects, including using computers to study the process of learning how to learn and the optimization of container packaging.