ABSTRACT
Chapter 5 is the first chapter in part two on environmental challenges. Climate change is briefly explained and its consequences explored. The business impact is unpacked in terms of the effect on business and business as a cause of climate change. The context of regulatory responses to this challenge is then laid out, looking at mitigation, adaptation and geoengineering, and what are possible policy instruments, climate stabilisation wedges and strategies. The focus of the chapter then shifts to how businesses can reduce their impact by internally managing their greenhouse gas emissions by first measuring and then reducing them across mainly energy use, transportation, buildings, operations and purchasing, as well as other areas such as adaptation, emissions trading and carbon offsets. The final part of the chapter looks at how businesses can use external opportunities with consumers and other companies to address climate change through clean technologies applied to buildings, transportation and energy efficiency as well as through geoengineering and lastly through contributing to behavioural change (e.g. in offering transport alternatives to flying and driving, and plant-based alternatives to meat). The transition movement is highlighted as an alternative model for a low-carbon world, building localised resilience of both society and business.
