What is your global warming strategy?
Well, just don’t do what ExxonMobil is doing. Actually, this case study provides an excellent example of how to think about global warming and how to prepare your business for it.
Is global warming real?
People can argue endlessly about the future (I believe that any talk about the future should be labeled as entertainment) but what we do know for sure from historical data is that the temperatures on the planet are rising at a steady rate. And if we use a common sense argument, that unless something different is done, that trend may very well continue – but nobody really knows.
How will it affect my business?
Global warming, if it is real, will affect every aspect of life on earth. Accordingly, some businesses will be affected more than others. To answer this question for your business, you must commission an impact assessment study for your situation.
What has ExxonMobil done wrong?
ExxonMobil (and many other companies that will be adversely affected by global warming and/or are contributing to global warming) has taken an approach to using junk science to argue that global warming is not happening. The reason I say so is that while companies like ExxonMobil (XOM) bury their heads in the sand, hoping that if they continue to deny it long enough, it will go away, others like BP are working hard to transform their business models. The company reportedly hired a PR firm (DCI Group) to make a spoof of Al Gore’s movie/presentation on global warming, and put it on YouTube, hoping that viral marketing will eliminate global warming fears. Both ExxonMobil and DCI Group have acted in an amateurish manner by playing games with something that could mean huge downside for them. It appears that the executives at these firms are more focused on highschool pranks rather than developing rock solid strategy. Please don’t be idiots like them. If you are not convinced about global warming (even from independently generated data), use some of your own research instead to arrive at a conclusion. Just because Al Gore happense be a Democrat or environmentalism happens to be a Democratic priority in the United States – it should mean nothing in your strategic planning. For some very unfortunate reasons, global warming has become as politicized as evolution, but I never heard a biotech company building a strategy around creationism.
How should you develop your global warming strategy?
Trust the facts and focus very narrowly on your business situation. Chances are that demographic changes will have more direct impact on you than rising temperatures themselves. Put a plan of action in place and implement it in small steps – for most businesses there is plenty of time to implement it, provided you start soon.
Should you fight hype about global warming?
If you are convinced that there is hype, no action is needed. I am surprised that companies like ExxonMobil or DCI Group will waste their time like this making a fool of themselves. And if you have rock solid scientific evidence in support of your arguement, present it at scientific seminars and approach it like professionals. YouTube is for fun and there is no place for companies like ExxonMobil and DCI Group to corrupt it.
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