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Pew report calls for intensified action on corporate global warming strategies
E&E TV
With lawmakers from both parties discussing options for a national climate change policy, many businesses are emerging as leaders in climate change strategy creation. During today’s E&ETV Event Coverage, a panel at the National Press Club discusses the Pew Center on Global Climate Change’s new report, “Getting Ahead of the Curve: Corporate Strategies that Address Climate Change.” Representatives from Alcoa, Duke Energy, DuPont, Shell, Swiss Re, and Whirlpool Corp. discuss their companies’ approaches to addressing climate change. Panelists also discuss the future of climate change policy in the United States.
(19 Oct 2006)
Vattenfall Proposes Global 100-Year Climate Stabilization Framework
Jack Rosebro, Green Car Congress
Speaking in Stockholm today at “Pathways to Sustainable European Energy Systems,” the inaugural project conference of the Alliance for Global Sustainability, Vattenfall CEO Lars Josefsson proposed a worldwide, adaptive carbon reduction burden-sharing framework to be implemented over the next 100 years, as part of a path towards a low carbon emitting society.
The Swedish energy company estimates that the framework has a 50-50 chance of stabilizing atmospheric CO2 levels at 550 ppm, accompanied by an estimated average global temperature increase of 2º C. Josefsson bluntly stated that “in the collective world, we have totally underestimated the problem” of climate change.
“Most people spend their time telling us that there is a problem,” he said. “We need to spend more time solving the problem.” Vattenfall chose to develop and present this framework because, in Josefsson’s words, “we couldn’t find anyone else [in the business community] interested in this work.” Political solutions to long-term problems such as climate change are not practical, he remarked, because “the four-year perspective is a political reality.”
He acknowledged, however, that this own industry also presents obstacles to societal transformation. “The energy system has a great deal of inertia,” Josefsson admitted, “and it will be difficult to change the picture. We speak of a very, very large system.”
A discussion of the framework, entitled Curbing Climate Change can be downloaded from Vattenfall’s website.
(18 Oct 2006)
Germany Puts Global Warming Prevention Plan in Gear
Deutesche Welle (DW)
German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel has warned of the unexpectedly fast pace of global warming and said the country needs to follow a unified plan to protect itself from increasing environment change.
At a conference on the topic in Berlin, Gabriel and the head of Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Andreas Troge, presented a national concept for adapting to climate change that would create a “competency center” on the issue.
The center will coordinate more efficient use of energy and a greater use of renewable energy sources, and also for improved flood protection and early-warning systems.
Presenters at the conference said it is clear global warming is taking place more quickly than expected, with glaciers melting faster, and a higher than expected incidence of hurricanes and drought. Gabriel said the country needed to start applying the brakes on global warming now.
(18 Oct 2006)
Blair warns of energy ‘catastrophe’
Stephen Castle, The Independent
Tony Blair gave fellow EU leaders a doomsday warning on climate change yesterday, on the eve of a summit meeting with Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, to discuss Europe’s energy needs.
In a joint letter with the Dutch premier, Jan Peter Balkenende, Mr Blair said Europe had “only 10-15 years” to avoid “catastrophic tipping points”.
Mr Blair’s intervention coincided with the launch of a European Commission blueprint on curbing energy use. It called for reductions in consumption to 14 per cent below current levels by 2020.
(20 Oct 2006)
