Global Warming and business

One of my standard questions for this chapter is whether businesses should be concerned about global warming? The answer is: No! They should not. No company with any good thinking cares about global warming. Why not? What must they care about, instead? This is a complex question, but it gets to the root of the problems businesses face with issues that involve the commons--the resources we share as humanity. It turns out businesses can do very little about the crises of the commons. These must be protected by the combined force of national governments working together. Currently burning coal for electrical generation is the single worst global CO2 emitter. How can businesses change that? If they cannot change it, why should they care about it? Until national governments intervene, especially the USA and China, there is no point in worrying about it. So what does that suggest?

Thinking about sustainability and change, what might be the real problems that businesses should worry about? How would you recommend a business plan for a warmer world? What would be a thoughtful, realistic, and sound approach to change? Think carefully and come up with at least one sustainability problem with a recommendation for responsible change.