According to scientists' estimates, humanity still has a chance to save the environment. Reducing the levels of greenhouse gasses and even reducing their emissions is still possible. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, decisive action is needed. Below we will outline ways to effectively contribute to sustainable change.

When the conversation comes down to climate change it is very often conducted in a negative tone. The worst possible scenario is assumed in advance, as if it were something inevitable, which misses the truth. A much better attitude is to focus on what positive actions can be taken at this time to enjoy a better future. In this context, the activities of companies are of great importance. Through business models, innovating their services or products, they can effectively contribute to making sustainable changes for the benefit of society and mother earth. Examples of such activities include ethical banking, actively supporting initiatives focused on nature conservation, or lending support to the development of circular supply chains.

All indications are that for the next few years society will be mainly focused on decarbonizing the economy and strengthening resilience to the climate changes that are occurring. There is no doubt that billions of dollars will have to be allocated for this purpose. Part of the spending will also go to support the financing of entrepreneurial innovation. Achieving sustainable development is possible by ensuring the flow of capital to small and medium-sized enterprises. They often remain in the shadow of huge corporations, so that activities on a regional and local scale are sometimes completely forgotten. It is small and medium-sized enterprises that have the potential to popularize climate innovation through ingenuity and a personal approach to local customers.

Companies focused on maximizing short-term financial gains are contributing to weakening systemic resilience. Trends focusing on achieving the greatest possible economies of scale are devastating to the environment. This is mainly the domain of huge companies. Things are quite different for smaller, locally-operated companies, which pay more attention to ecology. For this reason, corporations are urged to increase their participation in local ecosystems of sustainable innovation. This will help companies achieve the goals they have set and also work for the general good.

Increased interest in social and environmental issues is viewed positively by business owners. Entrepreneurs understand the need to address environmental matters and are eager to implement activities focused on ecology. However, from time to time one can hear negative voices, according to which preventing a climate catastrophe is impossible and attempts to counteract it are unnecessary. Companies expect environmental decision-makers to take into account the greater impact that businesses have on climate change, making it much easier to combat skepticism about environmentalism. This would make it easier for the public to see that the planet's climate is directly linked to the viability of social and also economic systems.

The key to success is for more entrepreneurs to be aware of how much the pursuit of the highest financial return, the blurring of the lines between speculation and investment and short-term profit maximization affect sustainability. Investors need to change their priorities so that their investments are primarily focused on the real economy. They must reevaluate their companies' activities in such a way that sustainability is among their most important goals. Corporations should look at the current situation from a larger perspective, taking into account the overall good. It will be difficult to make any beneficial changes if companies do not embrace a holistic strategy. Environmental, social and cultural benefits must become an important priority for any investment.

Many companies make the important point that climate action and adjusting long-term strategies to this end would be much easier if state bodies supported businesses in doing so. Creating the right conditions for the introduction of sustainable innovations would certainly encourage most corporations to address this issue on a serious note. This includes not only the implementation of regulations that would curb undesirable corporate behavior, but also special rewards for those entities that demonstrate above-average care for the environment in their operations. An example of a change that could be made by state authorities is to shift taxation of renewable resources to the consumption of non-renewable resources. This could contribute to supporting regional circular economies and weaken linear global economies.

Reality is not black and white. Very often we consider certain issues at the extremes where we have commercial investment on one side and philanthropic capital on the other. One cannot make a hasty judgment because the fact is that, depending on the stage of development in which a given enterprise is currently in, completely different forms of capital may be needed. Changing a corporation's long-term strategies to a more holistic one will certainly help, however this is not the only thing needed to deal with the problem. Mixed financing is necessary to see environmental and social impacts as soon as possible. In practice, this means developing financial instruments and public-private partnerships focused on developing innovations that support sustainability.