World business leaders say that climate change and environmental issues could wreak costly economic and social havoc, reshaping global finance. The World Economic Forum cited climate-related issues as dominant among the top-five likely risks over the next decade. In his annual letter to CEOs, BlackRock chief Larry Fink said: “Climate change has become a defining…
Outdoor company Patagonia is matching donations to grassroots environmental organizations through its Action Works platform as a unique way to fight climate change. Through December 31, the brand is matching donations up to $10,000 per individual, per transaction, and up to $10 million overall. Lunchtime Conversations: Patagonia has been working to impact the planet positively for four decades….
The devastating effects of climate change are undeniable. The United Nations panel on climate change warned the world of irreversible climate impact as early as 2030. Here are 16 companies, multinationals, and startups that are taking actions to mitigate climate change. What are other examples of how companies can take climate action? What can political leaders learn…
Some shale drilling companies want consumers to know that their natural gas was sustainably fracked. Many of companies behind the US shale boom are moving to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, toxic wastewater and other environmental impacts tied to fracking, amid mounting investor pressure over climate change. Lunchtime Conversations: How can energy companies validate their claims of…
A new initiative hopes to standardize how companies measure and report their progress on achieving environmental benchmarks. Called the Accountability Framework initiative (AFi), the program was designed by a broad set of partner organizations including the Rainforest Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, Verité, the World Resources Institute, and the World Wildlife Foundation. Lunchtime Conversations: In 2016, the…
Several candidates in the 2020 Democratic primary are pushing the idea of expanding national service. The idea is to encourage people, especially younger adults, to work on projects that benefit the country in various ways. The first federally funded service corps was created by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s and expanded by John Kennedy, Lyndon…
Since Tuesday, over 5,000 Amazon employees have signed a letter urging Jeff Bezos to create a comprehensive climate change plan for the company. Published online and addressed to the CEO and Amazon’s board of directors, it called for a company-wide plan backed by six principles; including “a complete transition away from fossil fuels rather than relying…
Storyline: Activist investors are exerting more pressure than ever before on corporations to disclose their exposure to climate-change risks and what actions they plan to take. Large Investors such as BlackRock Inc. and Vanguard Group now support climate resolutions signaling the end of Wall Street’s skepticism of climate science. In Harvard Law School’s 2019 Institutional Investor Survey, 85%…
Storyline: Liberal Democrats and activists are pushing the party to back a four-part plan to rapidly wean the U.S. economy off fossil fuels and position climate change as a central issue in the 2020 election. The resolution called the “New Green Deal” was released on Thursday and its branding harkens back to the days of…
Storyline: Seattle is experiencing the effects of climate change first hand. It’s a contributing factor in the increasing number of forest fires that blanket the city in smoke. It has damaged oyster farms in nearby Puget Sound by altering the acidity of the Pacific Ocean. And the declining snowpack and earlier snowmelt in the mountains are…
Sign up to receive the weekly Activators™ Newsheet!
Stay current on issues business leaders are facing and challenge yourself in what you would do in these situations. Sign up today.