Think climate change is an esoteric topic that most CFOs need not ponder often? Think again. This fall, Clorox tied the compensation of its CEO, CFO, and other executives to meeting environmental, social, and governance goals. At the same time, nearly half of companies are falling short of sustainability targets, a Bain study found. Brush up on your climate change knowledge with the quiz below.
1. What percentage of greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans is a result of deforestation?
A. 5%
B. 4%
C. 10%
D. 20%
2. Which of these actions has NOT been taken by the Trump administration?
A. Revoked an Obama executive order that set a goal of cutting the federal government’s greenhouse gas emissions over 10 years
B. Revised and partially repealed an Obama-era rule limiting methane emissions on public lands
C. Scrapped a proposed rule that would have required mining companies to prove they could pay to clean up future pollution
D. Proposed repealing the Endangered Species Act and leaving protection of near-extinct species to the states
3. The Paris Climate Agreement, which the United States has informed the United Nations it is pulling out of, would have required reducing harmful emissions by what percentage (below 2005 levels) in the next 6 years?
A. 10%-12%
B. 40%-42%
C. 26%-28%
D. 50%-52%
4. Methane plays a major role in the greenhouse effect and has an impact substantially greater than CO2. Which of the below is a source of methane?
A. Charcoal combustion
B. Livestock production systems
C. Anaerobic decomposition in natural wetlands
D. All of the above
5. Which was the warmest year on record, measured by Earth’s average surface temperature?
A. 2018
B. 2016
C. 2001
D. 2014
6. Which country has the largest installed wind energy capacity?
A. United States
B. Norway
C. China
D. Ireland
7. Government and corporate R&D money allocated to renewable energy globally rose 10% in 2018. What was the dollar amount?
A. $300 million
B. $13 billion
C. $4 billion
D. $100 million
Answers: 1-C; 2-D; 3-C; 4-D; 5-B; 6-C; 7-B
Sources: Conservation International, The New York Times, NASA, United Nations, International Institute for Sustainable Development
