last updated 29th September 05
by 4ecotips.com

Key players from around the world lend weight

Former US President Bill Clinton has set up the Clinton Global Initiative and held its first three-day conference in New York. In his own words he said, "this is nonpartisan" and will concentrate a "diverse and select group" of current and former heads of state, business leaders, noteworthy academicians, and key NGO representatives "to identify immediate and pragmatic solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems."

Workshops focused on how to reduce poverty; use religion as a force for reconciliation and conflict resolution; implement new business strategies and technologies to combat climate change; and strengthen governance.

He suggested: "We have an opportunity we can not afford to pass up--in just three days, we can begin to make a world of difference

"Human beings are changing the Earth's climate. Around the world, heat-trapping gases from human activities are raising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and altering the length of seasons. These alarming trends threaten livelihoods and long-established ways of life in every nation."

The conference was told that this summer, in what has become a disturbingly predictable pattern, many parts of the United States experienced record high temperatures. In July, parts of India experienced record rainfall, killing more than 1,000 people. In June, eleven national academies of science from around the world issued a joint statement declaring that "the scientific understanding of climate change is now sufficiently clear to justify nations taking strong action."

Global warming will be felt in all nations, but nowhere more acutely than in the developing world. These countries are most vulnerable because their economies depend on agriculture and other sectors tied to the climate, and because they simply have less money to spend on expensive adaptation measures. An African environmentalist once said that "for us, the problem of global warming is like the problem of secondhand smoke. We don't create these gases, but they blow over us, causing no end of problems."

As the threat posed by global warming becomes more apparent, governments and businesses have started to turn their attention to solutions. In recent years dozens of companies around the world have significantly cut emissions while saving money. Dozens of cities have done the same. This growing record of success raises questions about longstanding assumptions concerning the costs of reducing emissions and the dire warnings that this could only be done at significant economic cost.

For the private sector, climate change presents both a daunting challenge and an exciting opportunity. Demand for clean energy is exploding around the world.

Markets for wind and solar power are doubling every 2-3 years. Europe plans to generate 22% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010; India plans to generate 10% of its electricity from renewables by 2012. Wind power already provides more than 17% of Denmark's electricity; more than 6,000 solar electric systems are being installed in the next several years in Nicaragua alone.

Meanwhile, clean coal technologies such as integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) have efficiencies at least 25% greater than traditional coal-fired power plants. Investments in energy efficiency are especially powerful, helping to save energy and reduce costs.

Many large and small companies are positioning themselves to capture portions of these markets. Emissions trading offers companies the opportunity to capture extra profits from efficient production processes. In developing countries in particular, new sources of financing may be available for business ventures that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Companies that show leadership on this issue may be able to win customer loyalty, attract investment and build a positive brand.