Concluding Reflections: Creating a Corporate Governance Architecture for the Sustainable Transition

As the climate crisis accelerates, the need for a rapid, large-scale sustainable transition becomes urgent. This commentary engages seven papers exploring how corporate governance structures might be redesigned to align business with decarbonization goals. It examines the limitations of current governance models – particularly their devotion to shareholder value – and evaluates emerging approaches. While reforms show promise, the commentary argues that structural features like virtualized corporate domiciles present profound challenges to reform via corporate governance. Ultimately, effective climate action may require democratic control beyond what current corporate governance can deliver.