Keep climate change on agenda despite recession says CBI
BUSINESS leaders and politicians are being urged to keep climate change on their agendas despite the recession if Britain is going to meet its target to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The CBI report says the Government needs to speed up the pace of action on climate change dramatically if it is to cut emissions by 80% by 2050.
The warning comes as European leaders are meeting in Poland to negotiate a landmark climate change deal.
SCBI Director-General Richard Lambert argues that the global economic crisis is not a reason for inaction on climate change.
He has called on the Government to show leadership by forging ahead with its ambitious emissions reduction targets and delivering a framework for investment.
Failure to do so would mean missing an opportunity to cut carbon emissions and secure the UK’s energy supply.
He said: “We must not let the global economic crisis become an excuse 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.
“The Government’s commitment to reducing emissions by 80% by 2050 is very ambitious and it has made a promising start with the creation of the new Department for Energy and Climate Change and the Planning Act. But we now need the Government to transform its ambition into action.
“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.”
Ben Verwaayen, chair of the CBI Climate Change Board and chief executive of Alcatel-Lucent, added that businesses should not view being green as a burden during the economic downturn, but as an opportunity.
He said: “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.”
