Corporates search for license to operate

As shareholders and banks increasingly question their business models and activities, oil and gas companies need to strengthen their social license

Climate change is rising rapidly up the global political agenda. Across all regions, at least three-quarters of the population consider climate change a threat, while in Europe the figure is 93pc. In the US, a growing number of Americans, regardless of political persuasion, believe that climate change is happening now and therefore warrants action. Governments’ mixed responses on climate change are in turn causing widespread frustration. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are growing even as most countries fail to meet their commitments under the Paris climate accord. Consequently, activist organisations are turning their attention to companies. Increasingly, banks and equity investors are an im