In this Business Green article, Rupert discusses the urgency required by business leaders to lobby for a proper science-based policy and regulatory environment in order to fully tackle climate change, especially in the wake of another wasted CoP. He argues:
- The Cop system has shown us once again the challenges which nations face to meet the urgent needs of the planet. In the UK, we’ve seen our own government (and opposition) wind back on net zero policies, and decrease the leadership in climate which has been built over time.
- It’s evident that business and finance must pick up the pace and press governments hard to break away from broken systems and help build a new way that can drive for the urgent transitions we require. As Bill McKibben has said, “winning slowly on climate is the same as losing…”
- To date, businesses have tried to do the right thing within the constraints of the market. But the constraints are tight; bad actors can drive out ethical actors by undercutting them on price, unless there were policies and rules that prevent them from doing so…
- Businesses must go beyond cleaning up their own act; they need to stop simply communicating about the great things they’re doing and instead, look at the issue at a systemic level; leaders must collaborate and demand with the full weight of their trade associations, political contributions and more, that governments move to further regulate the business world and economy at large.
- Until a proper ‘science-based policy & regulatory environment’ exists, business and finance can never be truly climate/nature compatible.
Read more here.
A fuller, un-paywalled article written by Rupert & Helena will appear in other channels shortly. Also, watch this space for future opinion pieces with Business Green – from Helena as the biz campaign develops further…