In today’s rapidly shifting economy, driven in part by the escalating climate crisis, a new kind of business leader is emerging, one who views sustainability not as an afterthought but as central to strategy. At the forefront of preparing these leaders is ClimateCAP, a bold initiative launched by Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business that has grown from a single summit into a global, year-round leadership platform.
It began in 2018 with a simple idea: business schools weren’t doing enough to prepare MBA students for the climate-related challenges and opportunities awaiting them. Since then, ClimateCAP has evolved into a multifaceted effort to integrate climate literacy into every aspect of business education. Today, it encompasses an annual summit hosted by rotating top-tier business schools, a competitive yearlong fellowship program, a virtual MBA Academy, a global educator network, and student-led climate-focused communities.
Speakers didn’t shy away from the hard truths: climate change is a disruptor, but also a catalyst for innovation. As one attendee noted, “Climate risk is financial risk, and there’s money to be made, and saved, through smart, sustainable decision-making.” From breakout sessions to keynote talks, the event was designed to help students translate their passion for sustainability into professional impact. There was a sense of connection that echoed across the cohort of ClimateCAP Fellows, who had traveled from around the world to meet for the first time in person.
The ClimateCAP Fellowship, launched in 2023, selects 12 to 16 MBA students each year from partner schools across the U.S. and internationally. The fellows participate in expert-led workshops, conduct applied climate-business projects, and receive mentorship to help them lead change within their industries. Projects have ranged from hospital waste reduction initiatives to circular economy startups and blue-bond investment research. Fellows also act as campus ambassadors, bringing ClimateCAP’s insights back to their peers and professors.
Reflecting on her fellowship experience, former student Kelsey Niehoff, emphasized how the program helped shape her approach to environmental challenges, “The ClimateCAP workshops underscored the importance of adaptability when addressing environmental challenges in the workplace. Many sessions demonstrated how a problem may initially present one way, but as new insights emerge, the path to a sustainable solution often evolves. Remaining agile and open to iteration has allowed me to pursue more effective, best-fit solutions.” She also highlighted the real-world value of a personal ClimateCAP project saying she “honed the critical skill of raising awareness around a problem and advocating for a solution…This experience taught me that education and storytelling are powerful tools for building transparency and driving buy-in for change.”
Beyond the summit and the fellowship, ClimateCAP sustains momentum through its MBA Academy. This virtual speaker series covers topics such as net-zero strategies, the CFO’s role in climate, and climate entrepreneurship. Additionally, ClimateCAP supports momentum through ClimateCONNECT, informal meetups organized around interest areas including food and agriculture, climate finance, and public-private partnerships. These virtual and student-driven elements ensure that the conversation about climate in business isn’t limited to once a year, but continues in classrooms and clubs around the world.
Faculty are also a key part of ClimateCAP’s ecosystem. Nearly 50 business schools are now part of its educator network, which facilitates cross-school collaboration on climate curriculum. This collective helps business school faculty become aware of resources like Columbia’s Open Climate Curriculum and Harvard’s “Climate Rising” podcast. Educators regularly join virtual roundtables, sharing course materials, best practices, and case studies to accelerate climate integration across MBA programs.
This summer, ClimateCAP is launching yet another program, ClimateCATALYST. The free, three-day virtual bootcamp is open to incoming and current MBAs from any school, aiming to give students a head start on climate fluency before they even set foot in their first business class. Organizers expect more than 250 students to attend, creating new connections and insights that will enrich the broader ClimateCAP network.
And the network keeps growing. Over 2,000 students have attended summits since 2018, and the 2026 ClimateCAP Summit will be hosted at MIT Sloan, continuing the tradition of rotating among top institutions. For Katie Kross, Managing Director of Duke’s EDGE Center and co-founder of ClimateCAP, the momentum is only just beginning.
“We want to empower MBAs to see climate not as a niche career path, but as a lens through which they can lead in any function or industry,” she explained. “ClimateCAP is about creating leaders who understand that climate isn’t just about risk, it’s about opportunity, innovation, and long-term value.”
As one MBA attendee reflected after the 2025 summit, “Hope is a discipline.” Through ClimateCAP’s immersive programs and collaborative approach, today’s business students are cultivating that hope and turning it into action. Whether they’re working in consulting, finance, operations, or launching startups, the next generation of leaders isn’t just ready to adapt to a changing world—they’re prepared to lead it.
