Crazy isn't it ? Smurf teases out the political "reality". Business will only be interested in money. Politicians are only interested in being elected. All the other industry/trade/professional groups will only promote what is "good" for their interest.
It's a perspective that isn't how I'd like the world to be but it's how things are.
As a case in point, AGL.
The company is Australia's largest coal user, they also mine the stuff, and has total CO2 emissions more than twice as high as anyone else.
Now AGL do have a plan and that plan is to cease using coal completely by 2048. In doing this their plan is to close 25% of the company's coal-fired power generating capacity in 2022 rising to 66% by 2035 and the rest by 2048.
Given it's a for-profit listed company, overall I'd say it's not a bad response. They're supposed to be making money for shareholders not losing it and from an environmental perspective it's a major step forward.
Practical reality though is the whole thing has brought nothing but conflict.
On one hand there has been opposition from the sillier elements of the environmental movement to the company's plan to invest $200 million improving fuel efficiency and output at the Bayswater plant which they intend to operate through to 2035. Those opposed wanted a far more costly improvement which, given the intent is to close the plant 12 years after completion of the upgrade, just doesn't stack up as a business proposal.
On the other hand government has given the company one hell of a bashing publicly for doing too much to reduce their use of coal, threatening all manner of things going as far as forced sale of assets.
In view of all that, well it's not hard to see why there's a lot of sitting on hands and saying nothing going on across the industry. Someone "big" sticks their head up, announces a major plan funded entirely at private expense, and gets whacked by everyone from environmentalists to government for doing so.
My own view is quite simple really. If the biggest emitter in the country is saying they're going to get out of coal completely by a set date, and are going to do a quarter of it within 5 years, then I'll take that as being a big step forward and won't quibble on whatever imperfections I happen to notice about their plans. They're a business, they need to make money, and there's a lot of different aspects to balance in all of that and if those imperfections are how they're saving or making money then I'll live with them yes.
Ideology is what stops progress on all this. Ideology from a government that wants to burn coal for the sake of burning coal and ideology from supposed environmental groups who object to any plan that isn't 100% perfect rather than accepting real progress when it's offered.
Much the same could be said for plenty of other things. Ideas rejected because they don't suit whatever ideology despite being a big step forward. End result is not much gets achieved.