Business Leaders are Vanguard of Movement to Take Climate Action
by Sangeeta Haindl
Two hundred days before the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, the Business & Climate Summit in May provided an opportunity for business and government leaders to demonstrate bold action, adopt forward-looking strategies and call for ambitious policies that will allow to scale up solutions. An unprecedented mobilisation of 25 worldwide business networks representing over 6.5 million companies from more than 130 countries pledged to lead the global transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient economy. They called on policymakers to agree on carbon pricing mechanisms, closer collaboration between business and government on climate policies and a joint public and private sector fund for investing in low-carbon technology, particularly in developing countries.
This meeting comes as UN negotiators are pulling together enough emissions reduction commitments to prevent more than 2C of global warming, the level political leaders agreed in 2009 as likely to prevent the worst effects of climate change. These final commitments are needed ahead of the summit of world leaders this December. Business believes this is achievable and compatible with continued economic growth and human development. Paul Polman, CEO, of Unilever, said: “When faced with the challenges of climate change, businesses should be part of the solution. Companies that have seized low-carbon opportunities are increasingly seeing rewards. To go further, we need a strong international climate agreement that sends clear and credible signal to businesses that low-carbon policies will endure.”
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Photo Credit: Takver
Sangeeta Haindl writes on women and children; social innovation; social enterprise and social entrepreneurs. She is the owner of Serendipity PR, in London, U.K., where she works with high-profile brands and organizations in the public, non-profit, and corporate sectors, winning awards for her work from the communications industry. She describes herself as a Spiritual Entrepreneur, Conscious Explorer, and Futurist. She enjoys helping others, paying it forward, and being a mum.
