'Greenwashing' or genuine?: Behind big business' climate promises

Hurricane Delta causes damage to Louisiana's Gulf Coast. Out of 1,300 companies surveyed by the Boston Consulting Group, only 11% said they had reached their carbon emission targets over the last five years, and just 9% accurately measured their emissions. Photo: AFP

As warnings have intensified about the massive damage that climate change will have on the world in the coming decades, big business has started to make commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

But are these companies making a genuine attempt to fight global warming, or simply "greenwashing" their brands to try to divert criticism while still reaping huge profits from their carbon-based industries?