About 70% of global executives within all industries
consider climate change an important consideration in protecting
their reputation and brand, but far fewer CEOs are taking it
seriously, according to a Mckinsey global survey.
Green issues are well and truly on the IT agenda, but 44% of
CEOs interviewed said climate change is not a significant item on
their agendas, in the research company's
How Companies Think About Climate Change report.
IT departments are leading the way in developing
strategies to reduce green-house gases with virtualisation, a
move to thin client computing, and even the use of hydrogen
fuel-cell technologies in datacentres.
"Relatively few companies, however, currently appear to be
translating the importance they place on climate change into
corporate action. Fully 44% of CEOs, for example, note that climate
change is not a significant item on their agendas," said the
report.
"Further, many respondents report their companies consider
climate change only occasionally at best when managing corporate
reputation and brands, developing new products, or even managing
environmental issues. And more than one-third of global executives
say their companies seldom or never factor climate change into
their companies' overall strategy."