Climate
changes reduce co2 emissions
npower Business - Act on climate change now or face the consequences, businesses warned
Britain’s businesses are being warned that
the longer they wait to act on climate change, the more dramatic
the decarbonisation of the economy will have to be. This is the
conclusion of a new White Paper, Making Sense of The Low Carbon
Economy, from npower business and Forum for the Future,
published today.
The White Paper comes on the back of new research from npower
business which revealed that many businesses are confused by
what the Low Carbon Economy is. It is one of the first reports
published on the Low Carbon Economy in the UK and provides an
overview of the impact of human behaviour on climate change, and
the necessity of making the transition to a Low Carbon Economy
to avoid dangerous climate change.
The White Paper points to Government data on UK emission trends
– CO2 emissions have risen every year since 2002 – to underline
the gap between the current response to climate change and the
Government’s long-term target to reduce CO2 emissions by at
least 60% by 2050. Despite the fact that many businesses already
view the current climate change policy burden as oppressive, if
dangerous climate change is to be avoided, a more significant
response is imperative. The message for Britain’s businesses is
clear: forward thinking companies, no matter what size or
sector, need to prepare for the Low Carbon Economy now.
"Our aim in commissioning the White Paper is to provide an
insight into the scientific and governmental drivers behind the
Low Carbon Economy and the implications of the transition to
this new way of working. Few would now doubt that they must
begin to address climate change in their business operations,
but for many businesses it is still not a priority. Our hope is
that the White Paper will underline how important it is that
they act now if we are to avoid massive legislative changes to
dictate businesses’ environmental operations,” said Gordon
Parsons, managing director of npower business.
"With all three major parties in the UK agreeing that we need to
achieve reductions in CO2 of at least 60% by 2050, businesses in
the UK should expect a suite of new regulation to bring about a
Low Carbon Economy to be enacted in the near future. And when
this regulatory pressure is combined with the low carbon
expectations that leading businesses are starting to place on
their supply chains, it becomes obvious that all companies, no
matter what size or sector, will have to respond," Iain Watt,
principal sustainable advisor at Forum for the Future and author
of the report added.
In making the transition to a Low Carbon Economy, the White
Paper draws a simple conclusion: energy management remains the
best and most effective method of reducing carbon emissions.
This will be particularly important if the Low Carbon Economy
will involve some sort of premium on energy sources, as using
energy more efficiently will address cost as well as climate
risk.
The White Paper goes on to speculate what the Low Carbon Economy
might mean for UK business. It points out that leading companies
are already reducing emissions in response to a variety of
drivers. Institutional investors are starting to ask questions
about the risks and opportunities that climate change poses to
their investments, and the environmental commitments of firms
such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Marks & Spencer will soon begin
to be felt throughout their supply chains.
Email:
alister.foye@europe.mccann.com