With a growing number of CEOs publicly committing their companies to taking action on climate change, what difference can their pronouncements make? Can they persuade others to follow suit, or encourage governments to legislate?
Or is there still too much scepticism about the honesty of business? As Richard Branson has discovered, speaking out but not following through on commitments can bring its own reputational risk. He has been criticised for failing to deliver on a $3bn climate pledge made back in 2006.
There may also be justifiable doubts about whether one leader or CEO on his own can change the long-term course of his or her company. A speech, press release or strategy document does not necessarily translate into business behaviour five, ten or twenty years down the line.
Join the discussion
On Wednesday 5 August, 1-2:30pm BST a group of experts will join us on a live blog page to discuss this theme and what more we can hope or expect business leaders to do on social and environmental issues, including climate change.
The panel
Anne Kelly, director of public policy, Ceres
Andy Rowell, director, Spinwatch
Clare Hierons, director, ShareAction
Andrew Crane, Professor of Business Ethics, Schulich School of Business
Edward Cameron, managing director for partnership development and research, BSR
Veronica Lie, head of communications and strategy, Xynteo
Ben Kellard, head of sustainable business, Forum for the Future
Eliot Whittington, deputy director of policy, Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change (CLG)
Leave a question now
You can submit questions for the panel in advance using the form below or tweeting them to @GuardianSustBiz using #askGSB.
