There’s some sunlight beyond the climate doom, and it's coming from business

We live in anxious times. That is understandable. But as all eyes look to Canberra for a solution to the pressing problem of climate change, it's important – and heartening – to remember a lot of work is already being done.

The Green Wattle fire in Orangeville, NSW on December 6.

Indeed, despite lacking a clear carbon price signal from government, corporate Australia has for some time now been factoring a "shadow" carbon price into long-term decision-making.

Why? Not because Canberra is telling it to, but because climate change is the new business reality.

It's a reality that will impose significant costs on business, including the direct costs of extreme weather events, the impact of shifting weather patterns on the agricultural sector, health and productivity impacts for workers and trade disruptions arising from other countries’ attempts to tackle climate change.

Read the opinion piece from The Age by Jessica Irvine - “There’s some sunlight beyond the climate doom, and it's coming from business.”

A Momentous Month for Tackling Climate Change

It has been a remarkable month for global resolve on tackling climate change.

The most conspicuous indicator has been the crescendo of corporate CEOs and global investors calling on President Donald Trump to support the Paris Climate Agreement. Dozens of iconic CEOs from Dow Chemical Company, General Electric, J.P. Morgan and Bank of America took out full-page ads in the Wall Street Journal urging strong support for keeping the U.S. in the Paris Agreement.

Just days before, more than 200 global investors, collectively managing $15 trillion in assets, sent a letter to the President and other G20 world leaders calling for the same action.

The growing number of high-profile voices is remarkable and heartening, to be sure, and we hope the President is listening.

Read Mindy Lubber’s story on Greentech -  “A Momentous Month for Tackling Climate Change.”