Multinationale ondernemingen en internationaal klimaatbeleid

Over the past year, there have been substantial changes in international climate policy. The negotiations on the Kyoto treaty have coincided with firms shifting their positions, both individually and at the sector level. An increasing number of large firms now support climate measures. In particular, multinational enterprises in the car and oil industry, traditional opponents of climate policies, have become proponents. Examples include British Petroleum, Shell and General Motors. In these firms, a defensive or hesitant approach has given way to a proactive strategy. This article analyses the changes at the firm and sector levels, together with the background and implications. The more such environmental views fit into corporate strategies, and the larger and more international the firm, the greater its influence on other firms, within and outside the sector, and on governments.