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Thomas Lyon

Dow Professor of Sustainable Science, Technology, and Commerce, Faculty Director of the Erb Institute 2020-2023
Sustainable Systems
Climate + Energy
Water
Cities + Mobility + Built Environment
tplyon@umich.edu
(734)-615-1639
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6366 Ross (701 Tappan St.)
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About

Tom Lyon is the Dow Professor of Sustainable Science, Technology and Commerce. His research and teaching interests include environmental information disclosure and greenwash; corporate environmental strategy; environmental NGOs; voluntary environmental agreements; government regulation of business; industrial organization; and energy and the environment.

 

Publications

  • “Leadership Forum on Organizations and Sustainability: Taking Stock, Looking Forward.” (with Tobias Hahn, Jennifer Howard-Grenville, Mike Russo, and Judith Walls), Organization & Environment. 2021; 34(1): 3-17.
  • “The Millennial `Meh’: Correlated Groups as Collective Agents in the Automobile Field,” (with A. Wren Montgomery and Kim Wolske), Journal of Management Studies, published online June 18, 2020.
  • “Merchants of Doubt: Corporate Political Influence when NGO Credibility is Uncertain,” (with Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline), Journal of Economics and Management Strategy, 2020, 29(2): 439-461.
  • “Introduction to the Special Issue on `Social Movements and Private Environmental Governance’,” Organization & Environment, 2020, 33(1):3-6.
  • “Understanding the Role of the Corporation in Sustainability Transitions,” (with Magali Delmas and John W. Maxwell), Organization & Environment, 2019, 32(2): 87-97.
  • “A Theory of Multi-Tier Ecolabel Competition,” (with Carolyn Fischer), Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, 6, no. 3 (May 2019): 461-501.
  • “Salience Games: Private Politics when Public Attention is Limited,” (with Anthony Heyes and Steve Martin), Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2018, 88: 396-410.
  • “Voluntary Cleanup Programs for Brownfield Sites: A Theoretical Analysis,” (with Allen Blackman, Kris Wernstedt and Haitao Yin), Environmental and Resource Economics, 2018, 70(2): 297-322.
  • “CSR Needs CPR: Corporate Sustainability and Politics,” (with Magali Delmas, John W. Maxwell, Tima Bansal, Mireille Chiroleu-Assouline, Patricia Crifo, Rodolphe Durand, Jean-Pascal Gond, Andrew King, Michael Lenox, Michael Toffel, David Vogel, and Frank Wijen), California Management Review, 2018, 60(4): 5-24.
  • “Optimizing Eco-Efficiency across the Procurement Portfolio,” (with Rylie E.O. Pelton, Mo Li, and Timothy M. Smith), Environmental Science & Technology, 2016, 50(11): 5908-5918.
  • “Greenwash vs. Brownwash: Exaggeration and Undue Modesty in Corporate Sustainability Disclosure,” (with Eun-Hee Kim), Organization Science, 2014, 26: 705-723.
  • “Environmental Disclosure: Evidence from Newsweek’s Green Companies Rankings,” (with Jay P. Shimshack), Business and Society, 2015, 54(5): 632-675.
  • “The Means and End of Greenwash,” (with A. Wren Montgomery), Organization and Environment, 2015, 28(2): 223–249.
  • “Optimizing Eco-Efficiency across the Procurement Portfolio,” (with Rylie E.O. Pelton, Mo Li, and Timothy M. Smith), Environmental Science & Technology, 2016, 50(11): 5908-5918.
  • “The Drivers and Impacts of Renewable Portfolio Standards,” Annual Review of Resource Economics, 2016, 8: 141-155.
  • “Voluntary Cleanup Programs for Brownfield Sites: A Theoretical Analysis,” (with Allen Blackman, Kris Wernstedt and Haitao Yin), Environmental and Resource Economics, forthcoming.
  • “The Millennial `Meh’: Correlated Groups as Collective Agents in the Automobile Field,” (with Montgomery, A. Wren and Kim Wolske) Journal of Management Studies, in press.
  • "Merchants of doubt: Corporate political action when NGO credibility is uncertain." (with Chiroleu‐Assouline and Mireille) Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, 2020, 29(2): 439-461. https://doi.org/10.1111/jems.12338.
  • “Introduction to the Special Issue on `Social Movements and Private Environmental Governance’," Organization & Environment, 2020, 33(1):3-6 https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1086026619853783
  • “Understanding the Role of the Corporation in Sustainability Transitions,” (with Delmas, Magali, and John W. Maxwell) Organization & Environment, 2019, 32(2): 87-97. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1086026619848255
  • “Non-profits and the Environment: Using Market Forces for Social Good,” in Walter W. Powell and Patricia Bromley, editors, (with Delmas, Magali, and Sean Jackson) The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook, Stanford University Press, 2020.

Read more publications here.

Research
  • 2016-2017: Sloan Foundation Grant, “What’s Driving Millennial Travel Behavior: An Exploratory Study,” $72,846.
  • 2015-2019: Environmental Protection Agency, “Engineering and Policy Studies of Transportation Impacts on Air Quality,” $1,002,927.
  • 2016: Albert and Elaine Borchard Foundation, “Corporate Sustainability 2.0: Leading Systemic Change,” 2016, $35,000.
Education

PhD, Stanford University (engineering, economic systems)

MS, Stanford University (engineering, economic systems)

BS, Princeton University (civil engineering)

In the News
Supreme Court limits EPA’s ability to regulate carbon emissions: U-M experts available
June 30, 2022

Supreme Court limits EPA’s ability to regulate carbon emissions: U-M experts available

EXPERTS ADVISORY The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate carbon emissions from power plants, dealing a blow...

How a sustainability index can keep Exxon but drop Tesla – and 3 ways to fix ESG ratings to meet investors’ expectations
May 24, 2022

How a sustainability index can keep Exxon but drop Tesla – and 3 ways to fix ESG ratings to meet investors’ expectations

Tom Lyon, University of Michigan A major stock index that tracks sustainable investments dropped electric vehicle-maker Tesla from its list in May 2022 – but it kept oil...

U-M expert: The next phase of business sustainability will require major change in attitudes, policies
December 3, 2021

U-M expert: The next phase of business sustainability will require major change in attitudes, policies

Recent years have seen the business community become more aware of and active in sustainability issues, but real progress remains elusive. Professor Tom Lyon—who holds a...

In the Media
12/14/2022
Thomas Lyon
What’s a “carbon border adjustment mechanism,” and what does it mean for U.S. exports? (Marketplace)
06/13/2022
Thomas Lyon
Forbes Global 2000 Firms Judged ‘Alarmingly Weak’ On Climate Plans (Forbes)
12/20/2021
Thomas Lyon
Walmart Appears To Be Greener Than Costco. But Is It Really? (Forbes)
11/14/2021
Michael R. Moore
Thomas Lyon
Commentary: There's a solution to reducing carbon that makes economic sense (Crain's Detroit Business)
10/26/2021
Thomas Lyon
“Look for actions” from companies, not just green pledges, experts say (Marketplace on NPR)
10/08/2021
Thomas Lyon
Inside the Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Tomorrow's Business Leaders (Time on MSN)
05/20/2021
Thomas Lyon
Why do we continue to believe companies that greenwash? (Grist)
04/10/2021
Thomas Lyon
Ready or not, the era of corporate political responsibility is upon us
04/01/2019
Thomas Lyon
Why business shouldn’t fear the Green New Deal
02/01/2019
Thomas Lyon
U-M faculty hit Capital hill to testify before congress on issues from infrastructure to solar storms
07/01/2018
Thomas Lyon
When corporations take credit for green deeds their lobbying may tell another story
05/01/2017
Thomas Lyon
A Test for Corporate Sustainability Leadership
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