I was most surprised by was the lukewarm attitude that corporations harbored towards reducing climate degradation in Professor Goodman's discussion with HBS Professor Rebecca Henderson. While companies acknowledge the negative impact of climate change, they are locked in a paradox of inaction due to having to consistently secure short-term financial gain. It is concerning to me that corporation are aware of their devastating contributions to climate change, but struggle to integrate sustainability into their long-term strategy without maintaining operational needs. Until businesses can resist the allure short-term gains, or government policy is instituted that requires stronger action, we are unlikely to see a full commitment from the corporate world to mitigate climate change. And given the omnipresent impact of these companies in our day-to-day lives, even this seems improbable. Check out this article that reveals that just 90 companies cause two-thirds of man-made global warming emissions. The graph below illustrates these top 100 culprits of global emissions in detail:
On a slightly more positive note, Henderson points out that once businesses are truly motivated, they can move at lightning speeds. Let's just hope that a pivotal moment is right around the corner to spur this transformation.