The planet is warming at a record pace. So why are many companies retreating from their climate targets?

12 comments

1. They were never real goals, just placating the masses until it’s too late. Gotta keep the economy growing

2. Because it’s not in their best financial interests to do so

3. It’$ a my$tery. Who can $ay?

4. “smunny” -donbot

5. Climate change is eating at business’s bottom dollar through things like property insurance increases, healthcare increases, increasing costs of inputs like materials and transportation. So they are going to make that money back up by making climate change worse, because that’s what our economic system tells them to do. It’s a vicious cycle.

6. OBVIOUSLY NOT BECAUSE OF CAPITALISM

7. 

   For profit capitalists be like

8. because we deserve to die

9. Because its about the self-interest of individuals, not about companies, which are only legal structures. Usually those near retirement are calling the shots and they want to get out before the pain really kicks in. I think the idea that companies have some sort of will to be successful, as opposed to individual actors seeking to maximize their gain (which sometimes results in companies being spectacularly successful), is one of the greatest fallacies I encounter online all the time. Why else would we see the continual builder-extractor cycle that guts companies after the founders leave? This is a matter of policy that needs to be addressed. (I am aware of fiduciary requirements, etc.; I am suggesting something entirely more drastic, especially with regard to climate impacts.)

10. They were never serious about those targets. It was just greenwashing.

11. Why? Because rightwing/extreme rightwing propaganda has been very successful and support for climate change policies has diminished in democracies and political parties are dependent on voters to stay in power and have any input on policy. 

     In Canada, conservative parties at both the provincial and federal level have done nothing but obstruct implementation of carbon pricing (provincial) and spew lies about carbon pricing. Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada has based his campaign on getting rid of carbon pricing, and even though everyone gets a rebate that benefits 80% of voters, and puts the cost on the big individual polluters (and industry), conservatives have managed to dupe voters into believing their lies, that it is carbon pricing is responsible for cost of living issues (apparently globally as well lol), and once he eliminates it then everyone will be flush with cash.  

     They are 20 points ahead of the current government in the polls, and their primary criticism of the government has been carbon pricing, which they (and now nearly everyone) calls a carbon tax, even though none of it goes into government revenue. They are even calling it a “carbon tax election.”

12. Brakes are gone, no point in steering. – B.McKenzie.