We know their power and influence, but what will new Bloomberg and Tesla “re-sets” mean in the vast sustainability space?
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has just announced plans to return as CEO of financial data and media giant Bloomberg L.P. http://nyti.ms/1qiHUaS . Almost simultaneously, Elon Musk, chief executive officer of the eponymous Tesla Motors, revealed plans to build “the biggest in the world” factory for building electric batteries. http://nyti.ms/1puXB9C
Are these orbital adjustments, as the song goes, “the start of something big”?
Bloomberg L.P. is on the brink of major change. Already dominant in delivering a steady flow of critical business information on its near-ubiquitous terminals at financial organizations, it will soon launch a series of new websites and TV shows built around a variety of topics. Given Mr. Bloomberg’s demonstrated personal interests in addressing major social issues (the environment, health, etc.) it is not farfetched to conjecture that the new Bloomberg media offerings might well address — and influence — the business-in-society agenda.
Mr. Musk, in his role as electric car maestro (and his ventures into space technology) has often defied doubting critics and long odds. Now, with his new plans for construction of a sprawling Nevada “Gigafactory” — reportedly 20 times as large as the biggest battery factory in production — he seems ready to “catalyze the entry of the electric car into the heart of the American automobile market”, according to the New York Times.
Outcomes — short term and long term — remain to be seen. But certainly the ESG community will be watching.