The following is an excerpt from Issue 31 of the Corporate Citizen.

“Small steps will no longer do. The biggest steps need to be taken by those with the biggest boots.”
– Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland

Extreme weather… rising temperatures and sea levels… increased numbers of drought and wildfire events. It is easy to feel discour­aged by the challenges ahead. What adaptations are required for us to reverse the negative effects on our climate?

There is reason for hope as leaders from across sectors and industries come forward with solutions for climate action. I am especially encour­aged as companies (the big boots) with the resources and influence to achieve significant change are making commitments to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In the forthcoming 2020 State of Corporate Citizenship study, nearly 70% of executive respondents report that their companies have made commitments to reduce emissions, including signing the “We Are Still In” declaration to meet the Paris Agreement. Nearly 75% of executive respon­dents report also that their companies have either established or are working to establish quantitative goals to reduce GHG emissions.

We just published the first issue of The Corporate Citizen of the new decade, which shares the stories of companies that are striving to deliver impact on a global scale on issues ranging from implementing environmentally friendly innovations, to working across departments to elevate climate change action as an organizational priority. Also featured are companies who are facing extreme weather events head on with robust plans for disaster preparedness, relief, and resilience.

Even the smallest and most local of companies among us are well-advised to consider the global context. We all participate in the global economy. Whether through our suppliers, access to capital, customers, employees, and other exter­nalities—we are one world and ultimately, one economy. Delivering Global Impact is the theme of our International Corporate Citizenship Conference this year in San Francisco on March 30 – April 1, 2020. With our convening sponsor FedEx, I look forward to seeing you there, and hearing how all of the members of our commu­nity—at every scale and in every region—are working to address our world’s challenges.