Corporate Climate Strategies and the Future of Green Capitalism
摘要
The accelerating urgency of climate change has pushed corporations to the forefront of global sustainability debates, positioning them simultaneously as major contributors to environmental degradation and indispensable actors in achieving climate solutions. This chapter critically examines the evolution of corporate climate strategies, the forces shaping business responses, the persistent structural barriers to meaningful action, and the future pathways for green transformation in the private sector. Corporate engagement has progressed from symbolic philanthropic initiatives to integrated sustainability reporting, science-based targets, and net-zero commitments, signaling a profound shift in how firms interpret their role within climate governance. Key drivers, including regulatory tightening, investor pressure, technological innovation, reputational expectations, and risk exposure, continue to shape corporate behavior. Strategic approaches now span decarbonization, climate adaptation, circular economy models, carbon offsetting, and multi-stakeholder partnerships, increasingly anchored in measurable accountability frameworks. Despite this momentum, significant challenges remain. Greenwashing, unequal capacities between large and small corporations, financial and technological constraints, and entrenched global inequities all complicate the translation of commitments into transformative outcomes. At the same time, emerging trends—such as regenerative business models, digital transparency tools, mandatory climate risk disclosure, and the rise of climate litigation—are reshaping corporate responsibilities and competitive landscapes. These developments highlight that the future of green capitalism requires not token sustainability gestures but systemic change rooted in justice, corporate accountability, and policy coherence. For corporations to serve as credible agents of climate action, climate governance must integrate robust regulatory harmonization, subsidy reform, equity safeguards, and deeper collaboration between governments, firms, and civil society. In this context, the green transition is not just a strategic requirement but also a fundamental restructuring of how businesses create value in a warming world.