How the climate crisis is transforming the meaning of ‘sustainability’ in business

Abstract

Companies have been slow to commit to reducing their emissions to zero no later than mid-century, a target that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change considers necessary to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius – roughly 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit – and avoid the worst effects of climate change. Why corporate climate pledges of ‘net-zero’ emissions should trigger a healthy dose of skepticism ------------ How to transform business sustainability Companies have tried to rebrand their efforts in ways that sound more sophisticated, moving from terms like “corporate social responsibility (CSR)” to “environmental, social and governance (ESG),” “purposeful companies” and “carbon-neutral products.” Public relations and advertising employees called out their own industry in a report exposing 90 agencies working with fossil fuel companies.