Book Description

There is a growing global interest in the climate change phenomenon and the challenges entailed in transitioning to low-carbon economies. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one method that elite corporate figures are embracing to drive these transitions. These pathways tend to be dominated by carbon concerns and in the New Zealand context, a number of climate change initiatives are emerging. The Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) is one such initiative that aims to promote business leadership on climate change. A key challenge that emerges from these initiatives is understanding what climate clubs contribute in a context where they are often accused of greenwashing. This thesis seeks to establish what signatories of the CLC are doing to achieve their climate change mitigation targets and asks whether the Coalition is playing a constructive role in encouraging genuine "greening' and transitioning toward a low-carbon economy. The research is structured on three explicit objectives: to document what CLC members are doing to transition their business practices to become more sustainable; to examine the nature and effects of the work of the collective; and assess the extent to which the CLC is promoting genuine "greening' in the New Zealand context. These aims are achieved through document analysis and key informant interviews with representatives from eight signatory firms. Central findings from this research show that individual firms bind themselves in different ways to the various coalitions, groups and CSR related programs with which they engage. The thesis argues that the CLC helps to encourage and shape the CSR of its members and promote constructive climate change response more broadly. It is adding momentum to the work of individual firms. The commitments of firms to climate change initiatives largely depend on the nature of the industry that the company represents and the firm's wider CSR stance. The CLC provides an opportunity to extend firm commitments and present a cooperative environment for driving forward.