strategy”, “MBA”, “fat pay check” and/or  “corporate jet”. Today, there is something  

else too: a “net zero” commitment, that sounds  credible to most people (if not Greta Thunberg).  

“What's that?” It refers to the idea that a  company, country or individual should not emit  

any more carbon emissions into the  atmosphere than they are removing.  

Lots of companies and countries are setting these  now. Some - like China - have pledged to hit net  

zero at a time when most of us will already  be dead (2060.) Others are aiming for 2050,  

or even 2030. xx and yy and xx (give examples.)  Either way, setting net zero targets has become  

a key tool to fight climate change, and a  crucial example of how ESG works in practice.  

Why does this matter? Imagine our environment  being like a bath tub that is about to overflow.  

As we all put carbon emissions into the  atmosphere, we adding to climate change  

which could be irreversible if the level of  global warming exceeds 2 degrees, or so,  

Scientists know roughly how much carbon will  start that irreversible process - just as we  

can tell when a bathtub will overflow if  the tap keep running. And, as with a bath,  

there are two ways to combat that process:  

slow or stop the taps (ie stop adding carbon) or  pull the plug (find a way to take carbon out.)  

Tech whizzkids like Elon Musk and Bill Gate  are pouring gazillions of dollars into the  

second activity - ie hunting for ways to remove  carbon. Maybe they will find that magic wand. But  

since the have not done so yet, we need to slow  the carbon flow now. Hence the net zero trend.  

Is this good enough? Greta Thunberg would say  “no!”. She thinks the carbon flow is still  

way too high and voluntary pledges will not work.  She has a point. But the good(ish) news is that as  

those net zero commitments tumble out, new digital  tools are emerging that should enable investors,  

employees and governments to track the carbon  flow - and how close disaster looms. Let us hope  

we all use these, to keep CEOs honest. And here is another point: when Greta  

first started talking about a “carbon budget” (or  

jargon that environmental bathtub) many middle age  executives ignored her - or scoffed. Today even  

elderly CEOs are being forced to find their inner  Greta; or at least make efforts to placate her.  

If nothing else, that shows that the world  can sometimes change in surprising ways,  

within the ESG complex. No guarantee that it  is enough. But begs a question: how much more  

will society change in the coming years  around that “E”, or environmental issues?  

After COVID-19, it seems that  nothing can be entirely ruled out.