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Post-COP15 Business Environment - 20 01 2010 Debate

This roundtable debate in January 2010, explored how companies are - and should - adapt to the post COP15 business environment. This is part of a CSR / sustainability roundtable debate series co-hosted by Ethical Corporation and the London Centre for Corporate Governance and Ethics, Birkbeck School of Management.

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Pamela Muckosy
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78 views10 pages

Post-COP15 Business Environment - 20 01 2010 Debate

This roundtable debate in January 2010, explored how companies are - and should - adapt to the post COP15 business environment. This is part of a CSR / sustainability roundtable debate series co-hosted by Ethical Corporation and the London Centre for Corporate Governance and Ethics, Birkbeck School of Management.

Uploaded by

Pamela Muckosy
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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LCCGE & Ethical Corporation

Roundtable Debate

Adapting to the
Post-COP15
Business Environment

20 January 2010
Pam Muckosy
[email protected]
Dire COP15 Outcome

The Copenhagen Accord:

• Target: limit global warming to a max 2°C over pre-industrial times


• No established emissions reduction target
• A thin 12-paragraph document sets no goal for concluding a binding
international treaty, thus weakening the Kyoto Protocol and
undercutting the European Union’s nascent emissions trading scheme
• Environmentalists, policymakers and the business community all
expressed disappointment at the outcome
• Included developed and developing countries
• Active negotiations to occur between the 30 top emitting countries
• Negotiations deferred to the next round of climate talks scheduled
for November in Mexico
Business Opportunities

“This could be the largest emerging market (in carbon) the world has ever
seen. 40 trillion USD until 2050. You can be invigorated and excited about
this.”
Dan Delurey, Executive Director, Demand Response and Advanced
Metering Coalition
“What is most damaging to innovation is incrementalism. It encourages
you more and more to invest in yesterday technologies because you are
not being encouraged to leap ahead. If 20% is on the table, don’t say
30% say 50% because that is going to lead the change and game-altering
investments.”
Yvo De Boer, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC
“We were the first state in the country to set a target for jobs created
through clean energy. Our original target was 25,000 clean tech jobs by
2020, we have already reached 47,000 as of 2008.”
Chris Gregoire, Governer of Washington State and
a leader of the Western US Climate Initiative
Business Opportunities

Gain market share by portraying your company as a


premium environmental leader.

Be a first mover in markets for climate change


related goods and services.

Take advantage of the growing pool of green capital


investment.

Lower costs through energy and efficiency


savings.
Business Risks due to Climate Change

Regulatory patchwork / weak institutions

National legislation and global standards

Engaging consumers and suppliers

Unpredictable operational disruptions


Companies Identify which Key
External Indicators will be Monitored
Nick Robins of the HSBC Climate Change Centre of Excellence
compares addressing emerging sustainability challenges in
energy, climate and water to the industrial revolution and the
IT revolution in its potential to invigorate business growth.
The core opportunity lies in the recent reframing of climate change
focusing on green jobs and low carbon growth.
Evidence for this reframing and its opportunities:
1) The ambitious South Korean Green Growth Plan
2) Germany’s leadership in green technology development &
their strong Public Private Partnerships in green tech
investment
3) US policy - the cap and trade bill is a jobs bill and his
significant multibillion dollar commitment to driving the
development of clean technology and renewables in the United
States
Companies Identify which Key
External Indicators will be Monitored
Keep an eye on:

• The price of carbon


• US climate legislation
• New technologies in energy
• Growing investment opportunities and support
• Competition from emerging markets
• Establishment of national cap-and-trade systems
• Resource management processes
• Outcome of November 2010 meeting in Mexico
Notable Changes in 2009

• 13% companies focused on CSR stated a major cut in CSR


budgets (Ethical Corporation)
• UN PRI increased to 500 companies; US$18 trillion of assets
• Greater integration of ESG criteria into mainstream investing
(BSR)
• More Equator Principles signatories: 66 financial institutions in
26 countries; 71% of new project finance debt in emerging
markets.
• > 3,000 companies in ’07 reported on environmental and social
performance (Bloomberg)
• 1/3 UK companies do nothing to reduce environmental impact;
1/5 say climate change is not on the agenda (May Day Report;
1695 UK workers surveyed in May, 2009)
• Heightened interest in resource stewardship. I.e. water.
Also Expect Greater Measuring and
Monitoring
WWW.ETHICALCORP.COM

Thank you

Pam Muckosy
Head of Research
[email protected]

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