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This is a pretty good writeup. It's from a firm that's focused on messaging and image control, so perhaps to be taken with a grain of salt, but I like that they're pushing C-suite types to connect the dots between "good for all" and "good for investors".

That said, I'm still a little leery, and here's why: Our system of incentives (that is, capitalism at large) is misaligned with properly resolving climate change. McKinsey's whole value proposition is that they will help your company achieve it's goals, whatever those goals may be. Even if working on climate change coincides with the direction of a company at some point in time, it's not the goal of the game. The goal of the game is "get more money", and that will be the thing that McKinsey should be focused on, as that is the product that they are selling: make your business more profitable.

With this in mind, it feels .... odd, that they were the first choice for a climate study. There are plenty of NGOs, non-profits, and associated orgs whose primary mission is fixing climate change. Even if McKinsey is totally on the level here (which I'm personally undecided on), it feels a little like calling the plumber to fix a blown transformer.

I suppose if I had to identify a singular, big reason that I'm leery, here, it's this: Renewables and other green tech is directly competitive with some of McKinsey's clients' goals. I make this assertion on the strength that they offer services to the oil & gas industries - as McKinsey does not publish their clients (another thing that garners my side-eye.)



I don't doubt they're incredibly adept at taking a client who wants good press and helping them craft a storyline around ESG and their business.

I'm beyond dubious that they might be driving any actual change based on their own ethical/moral/other positions.


With respect to other opinions in the dialogue, I think you and I are aligned on this.

Feels a little similar to discovering that Amazon probably hired the pinkertons[0]

[0] https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dp3yn/amazon-leaked-reports...




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