Editorial
As a little boy, I visited a snow-covered Swiss ski resort, and it’s still etched in my memory like a fairyland. Fast forward to last January, and my return to one of these once-magical destinations left me grappling with a stark reality—climate change had cast a chilling shadow over the very essence of winter wonderlands.
I’ve seen climate trends shift over the years, but nothing prepared me for the sight of my favorite Swiss ski resort looking like it lost a snowball fight. The absence of that pristine white landscape hit me like a ton of bricks.
This isn’t just about my nostalgic feelings; it’s a wake-up call to the eco-imbalance we’re facing. The warming climate is messing with the seasons, putting our snowy havens and the culture and cash flow around them at risk. It’s time for a collective effort to save our winters and keep our planet in check.
So, in this edition of This Week in Consulting, we’re diving into the climate change challenge. We’re checking out how it messes with U.S. agriculture, stirring up trouble for crops. Plus, we’re talking about climate governance—boards need to get in on the conversation, especially at COP.
Then, we’re jetting off to China to see how El Niño is shaking things up and how they’re ditching fossil fuels. And India? Oh, they’re taking the stage at COP28 with initiatives like Mission LiFE and the Green Credit Initiative.
As we wade through this climate chaos, these articles shout out the need for teamwork. Read them, hit us up with your thoughts—we’re all ears and totally ready for a chat about saving our winters and our planet. Let’s do this!
Laurent THOMAS
Chairman Consulting Quest
This week’s must read
In this edition of This Week in Consulting, we’re diving deep and exploring today’s climate change challenges and more.
The article by LEK Consulting highlights climate shifts’ impact on U.S. agriculture, with changing temperature and precipitation affecting key crops. It emphasizes the need for strategic adaptation by agribusiness and food industries, including diversification and infrastructure investments, to address long-term climate-related risks and opportunities.
This week’s media
This video by The Boston Consulting Group discusses climate governance, emphasizing the role of boards in the climate change conversation. Sunita Rajakumar and Varad Pande underscore the importance of boardroom representation at COP.
Thought Leadership
In this Daxue Consulting article, El Niño’s impact on China is detailed, causing extreme weather events, damaging crops, and increasing electricity demand. China responds with a shift to non-fossil fuels. Consumer preferences reflect growing environmental awareness, and the insurance sector adapts to climate change challenges.
In the Future Sight with Capgemini Invent podcast episode, hosts Arielle Kouyoumdjian and Tyler Williams discuss the multifaceted challenge of climate change. They explore its impact on different generations, corporate sustainability challenges, and underrepresented areas in sustainable action, emphasizing the crucial role of personal responsibility.
In this article by PA Consulting, the urgency of addressing climate change is emphasized, urging leaders to avert a potential one billion climate refugees by 2050. The focus is on effective leadership traits, practical actions, and collaboration for impactful and sustainable changes within businesses.
This article by Grant Thornton highlights India’s pivotal role at COP28, emphasizing initiatives like Mission LiFE and the Green Credit Initiative. It notes achievements, outlines COP28 outcomes, and introduces India’s post-COP28 vision encapsulated in S.E.E.D.S for a sustainable future.
This week’s consulting news selection
Global leader Stantec is set to acquire engineering firm Morrison Hershfield, expanding their presence in Canadian and US markets, enhancing capabilities in key sectors.|
Accenture is set to acquire Navisite, a digital transformation and managed services provider, to enhance application and infrastructure services for North American clients aiming to modernize IT for the AI era.|
Alvarez & Marsal Tax, an affiliate of global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal, has brought on board Dr Kersten Honold as a Managing Director to build and lead its expansion into the Swiss market.|
PA Consulting achieves Google Cloud’s Security Specialization, solidifying its Premier Partner status for specialized services in infrastructure, analytics, app development, and security.|
Laurent is the Chairman and Co-founder of Consulting Quest. Focused on greater value creation, and being thoroughly familiar with Consulting, Laurent has sourced and sold millions of dollars worth of Consulting over the course of his career. Prior to joining Consulting Quest, Laurent was Executive Vice President Oil and Gas at Solvay and Senior Partner Transformation at Oliver Wyman.
