Business leaders issue 2 degree C Challenge Communiqué
December 05, 2011
Climate Change
December 05 2011
by CCB Team
Comment peice by Yohan Hill for October/November CCB 120
Business leaders issue 2 degree C Challenge Communiqué
A coalition of global businesses including Shell, Unilever, John Lewis and Lloyds are among the 175 companies endorsing the 2C Challenge Communiqué calling on governments to agree a ‘robust, equitable and effective agreement’ on climate change at the United Nations’ meeting in Durban in December. Governments risk serious damage to their reputation if they fail to act, according the coalition of businesses and they argue that they will have insufficient clarity or certainty for action to invest to their full potential. The companies are also urging governments to take increasing action at a national level to tackle climate change.
Carbon Trust launches new service to verify company carbon footprints
The Carbon Trust has launched a new Footprint Verification service to enable companies and organisations with independent verification of their corporate carbon footprints. The verified carbon footprint will be compliant with both the GHG Protocol and the Carbon Disclosure Project and will allow companies to communicate that they have received independent verification through displaying the Footprint Verification logo on websites or reports. The Verification service performs a gap analysis of the data to assess whether there are inconsistencies in the data the company needs to address. These can then be dealt with before the final data is submitted and the final footprint data is then verified by the Carbon trust.
As part of its commitment to spend up to $40 billion on carbon reduction Chevrolet is helping support 16 projects across America. Chevrolet has contracts to help support programs that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years through energy savings, renewable energy and conservation. Beyond Chevrolet’s carbon-reduction goal, it is partnering with the National Forest Foundation and the San Juan National Forest in Colorado to replant trees in a portion of the forest severely damaged by a fire. Videos of the 16 projects will be released on www.chevycarbonreduction.com every two weeks during the next two months. Chevrolet also will launch an application enabling consumers to showcase their eco-consciousness by planting virtual trees on their Facebook walls. For each one, Chevrolet, in partnership with the National Forest Foundation, will plant a real tree in a US forest next year.
New Greenhouse Gas Standards unveiled for corporate value chain and products
Two new standards have been launched by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol that will empower businesses to better measure, manage, and report their greenhouse gas emissions. The Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) and Product Life Cycle Standards have been developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and will enable companies to save money, reduce risks, and gain competitive advantages. The new standards were created in response to businesses that want to better understand and measure their climate impacts. The Corporate Value Chain Standard will enable companies to look strategically at greenhouse gas emissions across their value chain, showing them where to focus limited resources to have the biggest impacts. The Product Life Cycle Standard enables companies to measure the greenhouse gas emissions of an individual product.
Word’s largest investors call for urgent policy action on climate change
In a recent statement, 285 investors representing more than $20 trillion in assets stressed the urgent need for policy action which stimulates private sector investment into climate change solutions, crates jobs and is essential for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the world economy. The statement coordinated by the US based Network on Climate Risk, the European Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change and the Investors Group on Climate Change In Australia and New Zealand, is supported by the findings of a recent report by the three groups and UNEP FI which highlights the importance of investment-grade policies which will enable institutional investors to allocate capital towards climate change solutions. This is the largest ever grouping by signatories and assets under management to call fro action on climate change.
North America will lead the carbon management market by 2013
According to a new report, Carbon management Software and Services, from Pike research, the market for carbon management software and services in North America will become the largest in the world in 2013, reaching just over 41% of the global market at $1.1 billion. The Us has no national climate or energy bill but ‘it is becoming increasingly clear that US corporations are taking the lead in shaping environmental an sustainability agenda for the country and today an overwhelming majority of Fortune 500 companies are voluntarily measuring, managing and reporting on their carbon emissions” said senior analyst Marianne Hedin. The report examined global and regional carbon management software and service trends and forecasted market size growth prospects by region from 2010 to 2017.
New research reveals pathways for action on climate change
A new paper published by the World Resources Institute and the United Nations Environment Programme has found that the current world effort on climate mitigation is not in line with the science and that current country commitments are insufficient to address climate change. The report reviews over 130 proposals put forward by governments and NGOs and finds that more options than promoted exist to help combat climate change. The report puts forward various options for national governments to help governments tackle climate change and highlights the need to mobilise public and private sector actors ant international and national level to contribute to climate governance, emissions reduction and adaption investment.
Shipping industry present plans for sustainable future
The Sustainable Shipping Initiative, comprised of global shipping companies and NGOs have recently presented their Vision for 2040 which sets out their future vision for sustainability in the shipping industry. The Vision, coordinated by Forum for the Future, has been signed by all 17 of the Initiative’s members and has five key objectives covering the following areas: communities, employment, energy and environment, governance and innovation. The initiative will begin in March 2012 and will report publically on a biannual basis.
According to a new report by Ecodesk, the 2011 Sustainability and Finance Report carbon-neutral banks aren’t greener. The report analyses 30 of the world’s major banks and ranks them via three sustainability metrics (carbon emissions, energy usage and water usage). Each bank is also profiled with details on sustainability strategy, employment engagement and sustainability record. The report also features detailed sustainability strategy for each of the 30 institutions which include ANZ, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and RBS.
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