But there is now a growing trend of some CEOs actively lobbying for more ambitious government action and regulation on a whole range of social and environmental issues. Nowhere is this more clear than on climate change, where dire predictions are galvanizing action in the private sector. Ultimately, long-term legitimacy, reputation and license to operate are at stake.
And CEOs are realizing that private, voluntary actions will not be enough to solve the major problems we face. The scale of today’s social and environmental challenges needs government action, too.Global carbon emissions need to be reduced to net zero by 2050 to have a good chance of holding global average temperature rises to no more than 1.