A great piece in The Guardian talks about how companies are – and are planning on – capitalizing climate change.
For example, the pharmaceutical industry can really benefit from our awful future. Merck noted climate change may lead to “expanded markets for products for tropical and weather-related diseases including water-borne illness”.
AbbVie says “immunology product line could see an increase in sales” as a result of more extreme conditions. And Eli Lilly talked about research showing climate change may increase the risk of diabetes by “curtailing physical activity, disrupting traditional food supplies, and increasing food insecurity”.
In tech Apple thinks that “as people begin to experience severe weather events with greater frequency” they will become increasingly glued to their mobile phones. It notes that, as well as helping you check in with your loved ones, your iPhone can “serve as a flashlight” and that if it is “successful in creating products attractive to people whose purchasing habits are changing due to concerns about climate change” it could raise annual net sales by $2.3bn.
Honda noted that “the Katrina disaster was followed by a 27% increase in unit sales of generators”.
We’d rather these companies focus on reducing their footprint, and on the wellbeing of the world and their customers, drastically.