Barriers to effective climate change mitigation: The case of senior government and business decision makers

Abstract

While the case for rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions is compelling, actions being taken by most senior decision makers (SDMs) in government and business compound the problem. Given the systemic reach of much senior decision making, including decisions that constrain their own actions, there is an urgent need to open up the SDM black box. Focused on Western governments and multinational corporations, this article examines a cross-disciplinary range of literature to ask: What are the key factors affecting the preparedness of SDMs-particularly those who accept the climate science-to take the decisive actions needed to drive rapid and significant emission reductions? The review brings..