This morning came news that managers are regularly working an average of 1.25 hours extra each day, just for the love of it.
If that is true, how can it be that so few senior executives have taken time to recognise the seriousness of climate change and how it will affect their businesses?
The Financial Times reports that a survey for the accountants KPMG found that those in charge have rarely put in place plans to deal with climate change. Few knew of the government’s target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60 per cent by 2050. Presumably, fewer still realise that that figure should be 80 per cent if temperature rise this century is to be kept in reasonable check.
Governments should take the lead in initiating measures and taking action on climate change but business, especially the corporations for which the UK is a major base, must follow close behind.
Charities like the RSPB, WWF and Friends of the Earth can do their campaigning bit but that is small fry compared to the multinational muscle of companies like Shell, Barclays and Volkswagen.
Several times recently firms like these have called on politicians to take the lead, give them a framework within which to cut their emissions while maintaining and increasing their profits.
It will take a great deal of action to make any sort of dent in these companies' shareholder incomes. Excuses won’t do. Shareholders have grandchildren too.
Click here for the FT's KPMG report
And here for how we can cut greenhouse gas emissions