I’ve travelled the world for the past ten years as a result of my reporting in order to document the climate change front-line incidents. I’ve visited Pacific Island settlements that have been abandoned due to sea level rise, observed how oil booms alter local landscapes, and personally witnessed last-minute arm-twisting at climate negotiations. These experiences have led to a variety of memorable TIME articles, essays, and cover stories.
I have seen numerous significant shifts in the climate movement during that time. I was present as nations ratified the Paris Agreement, spoke with representatives of the Trump Administration tasked with overturning U.S. climate policy, and observed energy CEOs deal with the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Few developments I’ve seen over the past ten years have been as significant assuch as the private sector’s expanding role in the effort to combat climate change.
When I first began writing about our planet’s warming, the majority of those working in the climate change field believed in a variation of one widely accepted theory of change: businesses should support government efforts to decarbonize the global economy by promoting those policies. Corporate executives are starting to realise that the energy transition offers a multi-trillion dollar potential for growth. Now that they are aware of the threat that climate change poses to their assets, financiers are in a position to drive the energy transition. Even the stringent climate policies implemented by governments in the United States, Europe, and other regions depend on the private sector to be successful. This piece develops from that fact. I will provide new perspective and insight on the most significant discussions taking place at the interface of climate change and business, finance, and markets every week. Each column will be unique. I occasionally analyse the most recent news, and other times, I include corporate executive interviews or field reports.
This article is based on the understanding that the private sector will be essential to the battle against climate change, but it won’t act as a promotional tool for specific businesses or the private sector as a whole. In addition to highlighting the achievements, I won’t be afraid to draw attention to the failures and blind spots as well. By doing this, I hope to clarify how the private sector operates. climatic change and its opposite.
The “comfort gap” that many corporate leaders experience when it comes to this subject, as investor Tom Steyer recently put it to me, will be somewhat lessened for some people as a result of this. The column will gradually familiarise readers with the crucial issues and arguments at the heart of business and climate, hopefully enabling them to participate.
But not just professionals should read this piece. Anyone concerned about global warming should pay closer attention to this subject, and I hope that each week’s readers will have a greater grasp of the opportunities and difficulties associated with the business sector’s engagement on climate change.
Last but not least, I hope that these columns will inspire discussions, thus I hope tohear from everyone. Please feel free to send me an email at [email protected] with any comments you may have regarding this newsletter or the climate in general. All OK, bye for now. I’m excited to write to you all once more the following week.
The goal of TIME is to chronicle the tales of the most significant people in the world and to honour their achievements to humankind. Working to tackle the climate disaster is possibly the most effective way to influence people today; this imperative has long driven TIME’s coverage of the issue.
In cooperation with TIME CO2, a platform for tackling climate change that was established last year, the magazine is now announcing the Earth Awards to honour those doing the most vital work.
Our original Earth Honorees of awards exhibit ideals that we believe are the cornerstones of a more sustainable future.
