"Now, when we face a problem like global warming, and you understand that the biggest impacts on global warming come from business and industry, I think business needs to take a leading role"
About this Quote
Greenfield’s line is a tidy piece of corporate-statecraft: it frames climate change not as an abstract tragedy but as a managerial problem with an identifiable culprit and an identifiable fixer. By naming “business and industry” as the biggest drivers, he avoids the soothing blame-diffusion of “we all share responsibility,” then pivots to a solution that conveniently keeps the steering wheel in corporate hands. The move is rhetorically smart because it turns guilt into authority: if business caused it, business must lead.
The subtext is two-sided. On one hand, it’s a moral claim dressed in pragmatic clothing: power should come with accountability, and the sector with the most leverage over emissions, supply chains, and innovation can’t outsource the hard work to individual consumers. On the other hand, “take a leading role” is also a soft bid for legitimacy and control over the terms of action. Leadership can mean genuine decarbonization; it can also mean shaping policy, timelines, and definitions of “progress” in ways that protect margins and avoid regulation with teeth.
Context matters because Greenfield isn’t a politician or a climate scientist; he’s a businessman whose brand (Ben & Jerry’s) has long traded on values. That makes the statement feel less like abstract virtue and more like a challenge to his peers: stop hiding behind PR and start acting like the dominant player you are. It works because it appeals to ego (leadership), responsibility (impacts), and self-interest (if you don’t lead, someone will lead you).
The subtext is two-sided. On one hand, it’s a moral claim dressed in pragmatic clothing: power should come with accountability, and the sector with the most leverage over emissions, supply chains, and innovation can’t outsource the hard work to individual consumers. On the other hand, “take a leading role” is also a soft bid for legitimacy and control over the terms of action. Leadership can mean genuine decarbonization; it can also mean shaping policy, timelines, and definitions of “progress” in ways that protect margins and avoid regulation with teeth.
Context matters because Greenfield isn’t a politician or a climate scientist; he’s a businessman whose brand (Ben & Jerry’s) has long traded on values. That makes the statement feel less like abstract virtue and more like a challenge to his peers: stop hiding behind PR and start acting like the dominant player you are. It works because it appeals to ego (leadership), responsibility (impacts), and self-interest (if you don’t lead, someone will lead you).
Quote Details
| Topic | Business |
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