On Friday we kicked off the Crikey list of climate concerned CEOs and asked subscribers to submit further names.

One of Crikey’s core philosophies has always been the more the merrier. So let’s start another list. Let’s start a list of who turns a quid from climate change – or who has an interest in doing a Chicken Little.

Back in April, yours truly had this to say about the Business Roundtable Report on Climate Change:

The release of the report by the self titled Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change… should been seen as nothing more as PR. It is green garb for a collection of companies with various but direct interests in promoting an expensive switch in energy policy in Australia…

This is not corporate leadership on climate change. It is unctuous spin. Or what’s sometimes called hot air.

The zealots of our new green religion called for me to be burned at the stake for heresy – so long as there were adequate carbon offsets for the fire, naturally.

Their zealotry is frightening business. It’s threatening their bottom line. But business being business, it’s also creating potential new markets – or marketing opportunities, anyway.

The Crikey list contains insurance and energy execs and a prominent banker. Let’s have a look at what they do.

Oil companies are anxious to deflect criticism of their key activities. Shell, for example, has got out of coal worldwide. Insurance firms are ever anxious to sell products that nobody can collect on.

Energy companies are keen to develop to sell us – especially ones we already pay for in our taxes and through regulatory requirements put on us. Visy ruthlessly pursues environmental subsidies here and in the US. And will Westpac’s David Morgan stop lending for developments that aren’t greenhouse friendly?

These people are charged with delivering profits for their shareholders – and have realised that if they’re going to do their job, they have to accommodate these zealots.

The hysteria has become such that few firms feel able to stand aside and
say it’s nonsense – even if they feel that way.

While we wait for the data to come in that will give us a clear, full idea of the causes and effects of climate change – and if we’re even undergoing climate change – business has decided it better hedge its bets because of some noisy zealots. And – being business – they’ve thought it would be a bright idea to turn a quid out of it.

So who profits from being “climate concerned”, whatever that means? Who should we list? Business, NGOs, academics, scientists, lobbyists, whoever. Who is making a quid from this all?

Nominations, please, to christian@crikey.com.au