Michel Frédeau
Managing Director & Senior Partner
Paris
From the air we breathe to the food we eat, nature and well-functioning ecosystems bring critical services that are essential for human livelihood and well-being.
Our ability to provide food, energy, and other resources to more people around the world has come at the expense of our future. Climate change, unsustainable land and natural-resource use, pollution, and other factors are all major threats to the critical ecosystem services that we rely on.
Taking action is a business issue. Organizations that embed sustainability and strategies to fight climate change into their business models and governance processes will drive lasting competitive advantage.
Fighting global climate change is one of today’s most urgent challenges. No matter the industry or region, now is the time to prioritize and proactively invest in transformational action that will limit global warming and set organizations on a path to success in a decarbonized world. With innovative approaches to climate change, companies can ensure that the planet’s needs—as well as humanity’s—are met.
Global temperature has increased by about 1°C above preindustrial levels, a change that is correlated with an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Even if warming is contained to 2°C—as prescribed by the Paris climate agreement—increasingly destructive events, such as fires, droughts, hurricanes, rising seas, and forced migration, will likely materialize. Current policies and pledges are not enough to get the world on track. We need to act now in order to reverse emissions and ensure we are on a clear downward trend in the coming decade.
It’s not going to be easy, but the good news is that we can use existing technology to achieve most of the required transition to a low-carbon economy in energy, industry, transportation, land use, and infrastructure—and we can do so in an economically viable way.
Climate change compounds many other environmental challenges. Our oceans, for example, are threatened by rising temperatures, acidification, and the increasing damage associated with storms and high tides. But there’s also the overexploitation of resources like fish stocks; the erosion of critical habitats, including coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangroves; and damage from pollution and single-use plastics.
Corporate leaders are becoming increasingly aware of the business and societal value of strategies that reuse and recycle resources and are thus moving toward what’s known as a circular economy. This approach rethinks the traditional take-make-dispose economic model and envisions a new one that is regenerative by design.
We have to view the relationship between business and the environment from a fresh perspective. Those that do so will be in the best position to combat the impact of climate change and ecosystem degradation while also capturing valuable new business opportunities.
The Center for Climate Action
We partner with clients across the public, private, and social sectors to align their strategy, operations, and stakeholder engagement with a low-carbon world. Our work is supported by BCG’s range of consulting experience across all industries and capabilities, as well as by our expanding reach of brands.
Learn more about our climate action center
Lead the Circular Economy with CIRCelligence by BCG
To avoid economic and environmental collapse, companies must abandon take-make-waste business practices and move from value chains to value cycles.
Learn more about CIRCelligence by BCG
A User-Friendly Tool for Ocean-Friendly Business
The ocean—our planet’s respiratory system and a vital economic resource—is deteriorating rapidly. A new tool developed in a collaboration among BCG, France’s Fondation de la Mer, and the French government’s Ministry of Ecological and Societal Transition offers companies worldwide a user-friendly way to measure their impact on the ocean, set objectives for mitigating it, and report on their progress.
Learn about the Ocean Dashboard
Biodiversity in Agriculture Makes Gains in the Boardroom
Big companies are working together to foster regenerative practices, revive high-value ecosystems, and increase the diversity of raw materials in their product portfolios.
Plastic Revolution to Reality
In Australia alone, 130,000 tonnes of plastic leak into the marine environment annually. The plastics problem requires a revolution in the way we produce, consume, and dispose of plastic.
For Machinery Makers, Green Tech Creates Green Business
Machinery manufacturers provide the technology and equipment needed to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of global warming—a €10 trillion greentech opportunity through 2050.
Why Climate Change Is No Prisoner’s Dilemma
Ours is the last generation that can prevent a global disaster. Unilateral action may be the answer.
The Staggering Value of Forests—and How to Save Them
Global forests are worth as much as $150 trillion—nearly double the value of global stock markets. Six actions can stop their destruction and help limit climate change.
Thinking Globally About Local Water Crises
Fresh water is in crisis around the world. Assessing the risks and mitigating the impacts require systematic thinking and collaborative action.
There’s Too Much Plastic Waste—and Too Few Solutions
Pyrolysis presents a new piece of the solution to plastic waste.
Fighting Deforestation to Prevent Pandemics
COVID-19 is a necessary wake-up call to rethink humanity's relationship with nature, and build a more resilient future.
A Quantum Advantage in Fighting Climate Change
In the coming decade, quantum computing could improve existing zero-emission technologies and contribute to the creation of new ones.
Ten Steps Toward the Circular Economy
The circular economy rethinks the traditional take-make-dispose economic model and envisions a new approach that is regenerative by design.
BCG’s consultants and industry experts focusing on climate and the environment partner with businesses, governments, and social-sector organizations to deliver solutions for environmental sustainability. These are some of our experts on this topic.
Principal
San Francisco - Bay Area
