Climate change is anthropogenic—the product of billions of acts of daily consumption. That solutions need to be anthropogenic too is well accepted. Yet, suggested solutions are normally cast in the realms of finance and technology, often neglecting the primal root of the problem: individual behavior. An emerging body of  social-psychology scholarship has examined the barriers and drivers of individual behavior in relation to both adaptation and mitigation. This paper reviews some of its conclusions, and suggests policy areas that should be considered. This is a Policy Research working paper and has been writen by Andrea Liverani on behalf of the World Bank.

Business leader Ray Anderson asks: when you meet your Maker, what will you talk about?Will you proudly discuss your rate of return? Or how you enhanced shareholder value?What will your legacy be?The way most companies do business, most communities operate, and most of us live will leave a legacy of an environmentally and financially impoverished planet. We can, we must do better. This paper will describe how climate protection is good for business.  The market can solve the climate crisis not at a cost but as an investment in a far better future for all of the world’s people.  It will describe how this future is already emerging remarkably rapidly despite restrictions at every turn.  

 This Briefing Document, by Tomorrow's Company, summarises the steps taken by Interface, a global carpet manufacturing company, to eliminate its environmental impact on the planet by the year 2020. This project, ‘Mission Zero’ is amongst the most ambitious of its kind. Ray Anderson, chairman of Interface and ex-Chief Executive, set Interface on this path to becoming fully sustainable and since his ‘epiphany’ in 1994, Interface have led the way in sustainable business, achieving superb environmental results as a consequence. The Tomorrow's Company Briefing Documents are intended to provide the reader with a comprehensive introduction to a particular topic. You can find the full list of Briefing Documents on forceforgood.com here.

Bonds are a set of financial products ideally suited to both the financing of long-payback period energy projects and to providing institutional investors with security of returns over the longer term. Climate Bonds are intended to unlock ‘patient capital’: taking savings which require secure returns over long periods of time, such as those held by pension funds, and investing them in low-carbon projects that have high up-front costs but good payback rates over the long term. Climate Bonds need not differ greatly from existing government and corporate bonds, save for their central purpose: the funds they attract are underpinned by real and verifiable energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that in some certifiable manner contribute to the mitigation of climate change. At a minimum this has marketing benefits, allowing investors to report to their members on how their secure investments are also making a contribution to addressing climate change. At a maximum, investors...

The conference explored how companies can inspire themselves by and through nature, by developing and implementing 'natural business strategies' into their business models. This helps businesses become both sustainable and successful in an increasingly challenging and uncertain global climate. Keynote addresses and contributions from: L. Hunter Lovins - founder and president of Natural CapitalismDianne Dillon-Ridgley - director of InterfaceMichael Bremans - chairman of Ecover InternationalAndy Wood - CEO of AdnamsJane Davidson - director of InspireGiles Hutchins - global director of sustainability of AtosDiane Gilpin - director of B9 ShippingJo Fox - director of 'bigger picture' BSkyBMelissa Sterry - futurologist and Earth 2.0Denise DeLuca - founder of BCIAndy Middleton - founder of TYFNigel Stansfield - senior and vice president of product and innovation at InferfaceFLORAnthony Hilton - financial editor of the London Evening Standard You can download the slide deck from the day...