There is a reason for that and its entirely cynical. They don't care unless their customers and their investors care. Have a look at ESG and how they are trying to force companies to act in the way they want or they will essentially be cut off from investment.
If these companies cared they would pay their workers fairly, they wouldn't exploit poor countries and workers, they wouldn't try to pay as little tax as possible, they wouldn't put profits above pretty much everything else.
This idea of sustainable goes completely against the idea of capitalism as well. Capitalism relies on infinite growth. Companies are expected to grow every year. If they are not then they will have to make cutbacks to increase profits again. Usually the first port of call is to cull some minions.
Big business should be terrified of governments but they haven't been for years because they own the governments.
Like I said I'm not going to convince you you already have your mind made up clearly
What if I told you my global business is audited by another global business, and most of the things you talk about are that audit, things like making sure we restrict our overtime, is our pay market rate or above, do we source products ethically etc etc etc
Tax I partly agree, but being a director literally one of your duties is to max shareholder wealth so whilst we do lots of things as ethically as possible and are getting to net zero faster than any country will, your legally bound as part of duties to fulfil other roles.
If countries cant keep p and have tax law fit for purpose (and they dont) thats not the companies fault.
Capitalism doesn't require infinite growth. They don't HAVE to make cut backs to increase profits again.
Capitalism relies on efficiency to improve profits more than growth, better, cheaper, faster etc etc
Business shouldn't terrified of government, its a symbiotic relationship and in some places like the US the companies under Trump were going much further and basically saying they would stick to Paris agreements etc even if the government scraped it as a requirement
Companies saying they will support, even pay for staff to have abortions in other states to get round legislation.
Its not a simple good bad relationship, nothing ever is that simple.
Guy 3 doors up from me was growing weed in the spare room of his family home and western power rolled up and dug his garden up to check he hadnt bypassed the supply underground.
