Can US business rise to Obama’s climate change challenge?

A little bit of sanity has returned to the US. With the presidency safely back in his grasp, Barack Obama finally felt able to mention what has been the elephant in the room during the entire election campaign: climate change. And how important a single sentence can be. As Obama said in his acceptance speech: “We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened up by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.” Environmentalists jumped on his words and will be holding him to account. The Sierra Club and 350.org, in an open letter, wrote: “In the wake of hurricane Sandy, as the warmest year in American history draws to a close, as the disastrous drought lingers on in the midwest, everyone is looking for ways to make a real difference in the fight to slow climate change.” So what contribution can US business make to combating global warming and other key associated sustainability challenges? What is beyond doubt is that corporates need to step up their game. The perceived wisdom on both sides of the Atlantic is that while there are a handful of American businesses that could be considered world leaders in the area of sustainability, such as Nike, GE and Patagonia, in general companies are between two and five years behind the UK, depending on whom you talk to. More…

News selected by Covalence | Country: USA | Company: Nike, General Electric, Patagonia  | Source: The Guardian