And what are they doing that matters the most?
It’s interesting how frequently many climate activists criticize companies for wrongdoing, but how seldom they give credit for positive initiatives or highlight big accomplishments. Why is that?
Many of us — including me — are counting on private sector organizations to be important leaders in addressing the climate emergency. Specifically, we want the private sector to do what it does when it’s at its best — invest, innovate, and scale the most effective strategies.
The stakes are pretty high. If we’re sincere about wanting private sector climate efforts to succeed, I think we should acknowledge positive outcomes when they happen. That way we can highlight good examples for others to follow, and try to encourage more of them.
Time magazine recently did something along these lines. They ranked the World’s Most Sustainable Companies of 2024. I’m curious what you think of their list and the criteria they use to determine their selections.
I give them kudos on the initiative, but I think their list turned out a bit weird. The truth is most companies get some things right and others wrong (just like their human counterparts), so a definitive ranking is tricky to do. I think it might be more useful to identify the different kinds of activities that will likely make the biggest difference and highlight the leaders in each category.
My goal here is to get some discussion underway, so do let us know what you think. What in your view are the best private-sector climate activities?
To get the discussion started, I’ll note here three categories I think are important, some of the companies that do best in each area, and some implications for others who wish to follow suit.