CBI urges for more action on climate change
Greenwise Staff
3rd December 2008
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called on the Government to speed up the pace of action on climate change and not be derailed by the global economic crisis.
At the same time, the business group has said UK companies should not see green as problem to be avoided during the economic downturn, but as an opportunity.
Speaking at the CBI’s Climate Change Summit in London yesterday, CBI director-general Richard Lambert called on the Government to show leadership by delivering a framework for investment in low-carbon technology. He said the worldwide economic crisis was not a reason for inaction on climate change.
“Now more than ever, we need to secure a binding EU climate change deal, or the opportunity to make the transition to a low-carbon economy will slip through our fingers,” he warned.
The Government’s commitment to reduce emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 was “very ambitious”, he said, but if it could deliver the right framework for investment then businesses would take the initiative and develop new green technologies.
“The sooner that happens, the closer we will be to creating significant numbers of green collar jobs, building future prosperity for the UK and meeting our climate change targets,” he said.
In particular, the CBI is calling on the Government to provide additional support for the expansion of carbon capture and storage technology and wants to see the approval of at least 300 new on and off-shore wind farms.
It says more also needs to be done to encourage the development of alternative fuels to reduce car emissions and further incentives are needed to encourage energy suppliers to insulate more homes.
Ben Verwaayen, chair of the CBI Climate Change Board and chief executive of Alcatel-Lucent, told businesses at the summit “being green, especially in these times, is not a luxury. It is a critical issue and an important opportunity for business and for creative thinking.
“Where the great depression was solved by building roads and bridges, what this economic crisis needs is green innovation in both energy and applications,” he said.
The CBI launched its Climate Change Tracker at the summit. The tracker rates the Government’s progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in four key areas: energy, buildings, transport and industry.