Corporations are focusing on climate change because it's a "great investment", but we're not going to profiteer our way out of the environmental crisis, argues architect Maria Smith in the aftermath of Cop26.

"There were more CEOs at Cop26 than at Davos" someone said to me up in Glasgow last week. It's not clear whether this is actually true or just cutting commentary, but it's a valid impression nevertheless.
Over 1,000 companies have committed to Science Based Targets' Business Ambition for 1.5 degrees Celsius, and you can't get past the About Us page on any company website without some statement about sustainability. I attended an event in Glasgow about regenerative agriculture where the keynote was the CEO of McDonald's. Big business is all over this. But why" And how should we feel about it" Countries most vulnerable to climate change are also least responsible
Some believe business attention on climate action to be cause for optimism, as evidence that the full spectrum of interests is united behind this common goal. To an extent this is true; we all know people working in businesses from design studios to international investment management companies trying to mobilise any agency they have in their personal, professional and political capacity to justly bring us within planetary limits. What I'm about to argue isn't to undermine these people ? after all, I'm one of them. But to answer the question about why corporations are making a pl...