Business leaders from around the world say governments must agree climate deal

The launch of ‘The Copenhagen Communiqué’ is timed to coincide with the UN Summit on Climate Change taking place at the UN in New York later today, as part of Climate Week NY°C. 

A copy of communiqué – which calls on world leaders to agree “an ambitious, robust and equitable global deal on climate change that responds credibly to the scale and urgency of the crisis facing the world today” – will be handed to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. 

It will also be distributed to more than 100 heads of state and governments attending the summit.

Commenting on the initiative, Richard Branson said: “Creating a low carbon economy requires strong leadership from business and political leaders with commitment for citizens around the world. 

“As a business leader I can only achieve my ambition if my actions are underpinned by the foundation of political intent and robust law. The bolder the political ambition, the bolder I can be.”  

In the two page document, the more than 500 business leaders, representing companies based in more than 50 countries, argue that it is critical that “we exit this recession in a way that lays the foundation for low-carbon growth and avoids locking us into a high carbon future.”

The signatories recognise that to limit global average temperature rises to less than 2°C compared with pre-industrial levels, it will be necessary for global emissions to peak and begin to decline rapidly within the next decade and reduce by 50 to 85 per cent by 2050.

They call for developed countries to take on “immediate and deep emission reduction commitments” and provide the necessary financial and technological assistance to developing countries.

On one of the major stumbling-blocks to a deal in Copenhagen – the issue of financing for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries –  the communiqué is almost dismissive .

While recognising that estimates put the annual costs of helping developing countries reduce their emissions and adapt to climate change at between (US dollars) $100 and $200 billion by 2030, the business leaders argue that “the costs of transition are manageable, even in the current economic climate”.

Throwing down the gauntlet to the world leaders and climate negotiators meeting in New York this week, the communiqué ends by stating “The more ambitious the framework, the more business will deliver” but that “delay is not an option”.

Craig Bennett, co-director of The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, which initiated the communiqué, commented: “It has been extraordinary to see the level of support that has come in from the international business community for The Copenhagen Communiqué – from companies in the developed and developing world, across all sectors, ranging from the world’s largest companies and best-known brands, to small and medium sized enterprises. 

“If it is possible for such a variety of companies to agree on the basic shape of an ambitious, robust and equitable global deal on climate change – surely it should now be possible for the world’s  governments to do the same?”

Yesterday, the UK Government wrote to the country’s top business leaders and media personalities, calling on them to put their weight behind the worldwide ‘tck tck tck’ climate change campaign. The tck tck tck campaign, which is supported by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, is one of the partners backing the 60 or so climate meetings and events taking place at Climate Week NY°C.