Fossil fuel bosses' soaring pay may spell trouble for the climate – and their firms

It may be time for oil and gas firms to take a hard look at their compensation practices, whether to save the environment or themselves

Anyone who watched the shenanigans on Wall Street in the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis couldn't have been left with much doubt: poorly designed compensation policies that encouraged greed and discouraged fear were partly responsible for the near-collapse of the entire financial system.

Can similar compensation policies in the oil and gas sector be held responsible for climate change? It's a provocative question, especially as Barack Obama wraps up his three-day trip to Alaska.