ABSTRACT
Climate change and its attendant risks will manifest themselves primarily at the local and regional levels, and in ways that may diverge substantially from 'the average'. An obvious question for business observers is just how sure scientists are about climate change and the existence of physical climate risks. In interpreting the continuing scientific debates over these aspects of climate change, we have to remember that there is virtually nothing that scientists agree upon universally. Some observers would argue that the business community has a greater obligation to help address climate change than might appear to be suggested. The chapter notes that it is not realistic to suggest that the private sector should or can substitute for the world's governments in managing societal climate risks. If the business community can't directly address climate change, and society doesn't, then the business community has to anticipate greater levels of climate risk.
