Domestic government action and international diplomacies are both the biggest levers and the most difficult levers to enacting robust climate action policies. Governments and multinational institutions have the most power to make a change but reaching the consensus needed to sway change-makers in the same direction often proves difficult, especially with issues as politically charged as the climate crisis.
For decades, as the scientific consensus on climate change strengthened, the business community still chafed at the idea of sacrificing short-term profits in the name of sustainability. As economic parameters (such as energy prices) change and the perceived urgency of the crisis grows, that mindset is shifting. Companies now increasingly see climate change as an opportunity to do good - both for the planet and for their shareholders.

However, some companies are trying to exploit this corporate sustainability shift by talking the talk without walking the walk. They recognize the perceived benefits of being sustainable - namely a brand image boost and the benefits deriving from that, sometimes including share price growth - but misrepresent the nature of their sustainability efforts to the public. In essence, they want to have their cake and eat it too. They want public relations to boost from appearing to be sustainable without actually being sustainable.
As such, a discrepancy arises between how companies claim they are performing environmentally and how they are actually performing. This is called greenwashing, and as the business community steps up to the plate of climate action, it warrants a closer look.