The US Environmental Protection Agency's review of its “endangerment finding,” which declares that climate change is real and caused by human activity, could provide cover for a massive retreat from climate action at the federal level.
The treaty, signed in 1996, expires next year, and there are unresolved issues with regards to water sharing arrangements. Both Bangladesh and India will need to negotiate a more thorough, equitable and climate-resilient deal.
Even though the global economy depends on a stable climate and reliable ecosystem services, businesses and financial institutions are not required or incentivised to invest in nature. Central banks and supervisors could change that trajectory simply by fulfilling their financial-stability mandate.
The rise of 'greenhushing' – when companies downplay environmental risks for financial or political reasons – reflects not just changing communications strategies, but rising tensions between competing priorities.