At the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), former President Barack Obama asked those gathered and tuning in to consider the question: “How do we close the gap between what’s necessary for our survival and what seems politically possible right now?” The solution, he added, will require collective action: “We are going to have to muster the will and the passion and the activism of citizens, pushing governments, companies, and everyone else to meet this challenge.”
How Leaders Can Move Beyond Greenwashing Toward Real Change
Five ways to take meaningful action against climate change.
January 25, 2022
Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images
Summary.
Businesses should be ready to defend what they’re doing about the climate crisis and how they’re taking meaningful action. If they don’t, they could face challenges from many directions, from the SEC to activists to litigators. This is more important than ever, especially when there’s a growing and justified anger directed at those who are “greenwashing”: saying all the right things but failing to deliver. How can business leaders step up to this moment to take action and ultimately build trust with the generation that is coming up quickly? How can they respond to youth activists who are demanding that they prove it? The authors present five “business activism” practices that can help leaders move beyond greenwashing and do their part to affect real change.