There was a backlash from some business and political leaders when Greta Thunberg admonished the leaders at the New York UN Summit in 2019, saying, ‘How dare you!’ The old ways of business and politics have been to get on with building the economy and not listen to the views of children. While a new generation of leaders acclaimed Thunberg for speaking up on the important global issue of addressing climate change, the old guard expressed that the teenager gave her message rudely, and perhaps need not have said it at all. There is a business perspective on environmental management that sees natural resources as precious, or at least a cost-centre needing scrutiny. This means that business and economics is very interested in being less wasteful, less consumptive, cleaner and more protective of natural resources. Some suggest it is through new businesses and new technologies, properly commercialised, that the world has its best hope of clean-up. There is a counterpoint from the more left-wing organisations of the world that business seeks profit endlessly and will thus exploit resources to that end without regulations or controls.
Question
Whether capitalist or socialist in their values, the older generation might at least share the values of being parents. Changing the way things operate frequently falls to the next generation, so maybe Thunberg was right to speak up and perhaps the elders should just get on with funding and implementing organisational changes to help the environment. What is your view?