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This case was developed from secondary sources. The secondary sources included news reports, industry reports, company websites, annual reports and company websites.

The case discusses the comprehensive renewable energy transition strategy that Lynn J. Good (Good), CEO and President of Duke Energy and the Chairman of its Board, was undertaking. In September 2019, Good revealed a new climate plan aimed at achieving net-zero carbon emissions with zero methane emissions from natural gas operations by 2030 and zero carbon emissions from electricity generation by 2050. Duke Energy is a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and one of the major energy generation companies in the USA with two reportable business segments – Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I) and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). Good targeted interim carbon emission reduction targets of at least 50% from electric generation by 2030, 50% for Scope 2 and some Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by 2035 and 80% from electric generation by 2040. To achieve this, she invested in large electric grid upgrades and energy storage, as well as in research on zero-emission power generation technologies including hydrogen and advanced nuclear technologies. She helped update the grid system and improved customer experience. As part of the revamped climate strategy, Good invested in crucial energy infrastructure and improved affordability of electricity for customers, especially in the North Carolina region. Despite her efforts at curbing emissions, Good faced criticism from various quarters. This included criticism of Duke’s carbon-cutting plans in 2022 in its core North and South Carolina service zones. The company also faced charges of environmental pollution. Its 2024 strategy, which aimed to address a projected increase in demand for electricity using natural gas plants capable of running on hydrogen, was also met with skepticism by industry groups, advocates, activists and local governments.

Good had to face the conflict between environmental ambitions and technological realities that highlighted the difficulties in transitioning to a cleaner energy future. It remained to be seen whether she would be able to successfully navigate the various hurdles and help Duke Energy reach its 2030 emission targets.

This case was written for use in teaching graduate and postgraduate management courses in entrepreneurship and economics, politics and business environment.

The purpose of this study is to present a systematic review of the effects of COVID-19 on the conventional textile production subsector. The emergence of the COVID-19 virus in 2019 has subsequently caused many problems, such as unemployment, business closures, economic instability and high volatility in the global capital markets amongst others within the wider manufacturing industry including textile production.

Relevant secondary data are obtained from the Scopus database and Statista. Based on the data analysis of 21 seed articles, three research themes are identified: challenges in the textile industry, new material innovations or solutions and the textile industry performance.

The results reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the textile industry, disrupted the supply chains of this industry, affected profit margins, stopped employment and impacted the retail of products to customers. Aside from the negative repercussions, there are also good sides to the pandemic which, for instance, range from advanced material innovations to textiles with anti-microbial, self-cleaning and anti-bacterial properties that would limit the transfer of the virus.

Findings reinforced the need for effective strategies and investments in the research and development departments of the various firms in the textile industry to innovate operations and novel materials for the next global pandemic.

Many companies have adopted novel strategies and practices that are helping them to survive the pandemic. This study, therefore, recommends further investigation into material innovations and reimagining strategies by companies and the supply chain within the textile industry so that it is protected against future crises.