Did take companies long to stop pretending like they care.

Of course they care, they care about what their customers think because that's where their money comes from. This is just how corporations work, and it would have the opposite outcome if their customer base wanted those goals of theirs.

If you want corporations to change then convince them that they'll make more money that way, by whatever means. Through customer preferences, regulations, etc. Don't expect a corporation to "do what's right because it's right," any more than you should expect a shark to "do what's right." It's not designed that way.