Carbon is an essential component of life on earth, but in recent years it has also come to encapsulate the looming environmental crisis caused by climate change. For many, it has become a kind of ‘short-hand’ for how society is dealing with environmental issues and how these are being integrated into economic, social and cultural systems. Whether it is in carbon trading, carbon neutral restaurants and banks, ‘carbon celebrities’, or carbon politics – the topic is increasingly influential in mainstream thinking and behaviour.

Whether it is leaders in the business community integrating carbon management into strategic planning, the growing bands of venture capitalists focused on the carbon agenda, or mainstream politicians such as the UK’s Conservative party, this latest issue of Radar takes a look at how integration is taking place, and who is leading.