On the eve of the UN negotiations in Bali, business leaders of 150 global companies, including Coca-Cola, Dupont, Gap, GE, and Johnson and Johnson, have sent a communique to the 130 Environment Ministers that will be attending the Bali conference calling for a comprehensive, legally binding United Nations framework to tackle climate change.
The initiative is led by The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Groups on Climate Change.
The “Bali Communique” notes that “The scientific evidence is now overwhelming” and that “climate change presents very serious global social, environmental and economic risks and it demands an urgent global response.”
The 150 global companies go on to argue that a “sufficiently ambitious, international and comprehensive legally-binding United Nations agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will provide business with the certainty it needs to scale up global investment in low-carbon technologies.”
The business leaders argue that “the overall targets for emissions reduction must be guided primarily by science,” contrasting the argument that has previously been made by some parts of the business community that it is concerns over competitiveness and cost that should set the limit of emission cuts. The leaders note that evidence from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change already points to a reduction being required of “at least 50 percent by 2050″ and comment that the “greatest effort” will need to be made by those countries that have already industrialized.
U.S. based companies in support of the communiqué include Coca-Cola, Dupont, Gap, GE, Johnson and Johnson, News Corporation, Nike, Pacific Gas and Electric, Sun Microsystems and United Technologies. European based companies include Anglo-American, British Airways, F&C Asset Management, Ferrovial, Nestle, Nokia, Shell, Tesco, Virgin and Volkswagen while Australian based companies include Insurance Australia Group, Macquarie Global Property Advisors, National Australia Bank, and Westpac.
The communique has also been signed by a number of Chinese companies including Shanghai Electric, Zhufeng Technology and Suntech.
EBAY'S WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM PAYS FOR ITSELF
eBay saves water and energy with a program that'll achieve ROI within 18 months. How much could you save? Go to calculator>>
CLEAN ENERGY DOESN'T GET ANY COOLER THAN THIS
Hybrid Cooling Solutions from Ice Energy. There's no cooler way to improve your bottom line. Discover the power of Ice. >>
FINALLY! NEXT-GENERATION CARBON MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR BUSINESSES
Clear Standards environmental intelligence software helps businesses measure, analyze, and reduce their carbon footprint. No more spreadsheets! >>
The other day while out shopping for Energy Star rated household appliances with my wife, I got to wondering why we ... continue »
The EU cap-and-trade system has operated well and has had little or no negative impact on the overall EU economy, according to ...
click to view full size chart »
Political and business leaders are warning that Britain faces a sharp rise in its tax bill to fund the country's move to ...
Join the Discussion