In Conversation with Paul Hamer
3 years, 11 months, 8 days, 21 hours
12 August 2025
Is capitalism helping or hindering the fight against climate change?
In this film I speak with Paul Hamer, a business leader I have known for years, who has had the experience of being the Chief Executive of both a privately-owned business, Sir Robert McAlpine, and a publicly-quoted business, WYG, both operating in the infrastructure and engineering sector.
Paul shares his perspective on the role of business in addressing the climate and socal challenges we face today. We discuss the urgent need for private capital to be invested in much greater quantity, and what businesses need in terms of clarity and consistency from government in order to make those commitments. Unfortunately in Paul’s experience, publicly-quoted businesses can be reluctant to invest if that impacts short-term returns.
What struck me most in our conversation was Paul’s quiet conviction that business leaders really do care, and want to lean in to solve the world’s problems. They are parents, and members of communities, just like all of us. But geopolitics and some of the constructs of our financial systems make it hard for individuals to do the right thing.
In the closing minute Paul shares how he feels about the state of the world he is bequeathing to his children and grandchildren. His words remind us that whilst tackling climate change is about politics and business, the impacts of it are deeply personal.