Pressuring Companies to Act on Climate Crisis: A How-To Guide
While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that human activities have contributed significantly to the climate crisis, climate experts argue that the responsibility for solving this issue should not solely rest on individuals' shoulders. Even as we do our part to reduce personal greenhouse gas emissions, these measures alone won't be enough to combat the crisis. Instead, we need a bold, global political action and corporate accountability.
The UN's climate report indicates that we require rapid, large-scale changes to avoid catastrophic consequences. As overwhelming as this may seem, individuals can still make a difference by putting pressure on corporations to take meaningful action on climate change.
Corporate Accountability and Climate Change
ExxonMobil recently experienced an unprecedented challenge from an activist hedge fund, Engine No. 1, which replaced three board members due to the company's poor financial results and delays in addressing climate-related issues. This major shakeup represents an important milestone in the fight against climate change, marking the beginning of a significant campaign focused on encouraging companies to transition away from fossil fuels.
The Climate Crisis: A Threat to ExxonMobil and the World
The climate crisis poses a significant threat to ExxonMobil, and, as a result, global climateactivists have criticized the company for not taking the issue seriously enough. For years, ExxonMobil has employed tactics similar to Big Tobacco, downplaying the severity of the crisis and shifting blame onto consumers while protecting its own interests .
A study from Harvard University used machine learning and algorithms to identify trends in more than 200 public and internal ExxonMobil documents from 1972 to 2019, revealing that the company has been engaged in misleading climate-change related propaganda .
In response to this revelation, ExxonMobil claimed support for the Paris Climate Agreement and efforts to reduce its own emissions, while working to promote emissions-reducing technologies and advocating for effective policy solutions .
Pressuring Companies: Strategies for Change
If you feel passionate about addressing climate change and want to hold corporations accountable, here are some strategies you can employ:
- Participate in political advocacy: Advocate for policies that encourage a shift away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy. This can mean voting for climate-focused politicians, supporting campaigns, and signing petitions that promote policies like carbon pricing and ending fossil fuel subsidies.
- Demand corporate transparency: Encourage companies to disclose their emissions and climate-related risks. This transparency can help build public trust and pressure companies to take more significant actions to reduce their carbon footprint.
- Opt for sustainable brands: Support companies that prioritize sustainability and renewable energy. By choosing sustainable products and services, you send a market signal that encourages companies to adopt more environmentally friendly practices.
- Leverage the power of divestment: Encourage public institutions, such as universities and churches, to divest from fossil fuel companies. This has already led to significant divestment efforts, with over 688 institutions and 58,000 individuals divesting from fossil fuels by 2016 .
- Get involved in community initiatives: Participate in local climate-focused groups, attend sustainability fairs, and engage in community initiatives like tree planting or clean-up drives. These collective actions can build momentum for systemic change.
- Contact your representatives: Directly contact your representatives to express concerns about companies' environmental practices. This can influence policymakers to implement stronger regulations and hold companies accountable for their emissions.
- Exercise consumer pressure: Organize boycotts of companies that do not meet climate standards or engage in practices that harm the environment. This action can be especially effective for companies that rely heavily on consumer loyalty.
- Advocate for policy changes: Use social media platforms to raise awareness about companies' environmental practices and mobilize public opinion against companies that are not taking sufficient action on climate change.
By employing these strategies, individuals can collectively pressure companies to adopt meaningful actions on climate change and drive systemic change beyond personal emission reductions.
Key takeaways
- Companies must be made accountable for their role in prolonging the climate crisis.
- Advocacy, consumer pressure, and community engagement are crucial strategies in pressuring companies to take meaningful action on climate change.
- Individuals have the power to drive change, both by holding corporations accountable and by supporting sustainable policies and brands.
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