Some of the world’s largest companies, including GE and DuPont, have endorsed a joint statement setting out policy measures for a bold post-Kyoto framework to address climate change.
The Global Roundtable on Climate Change statement has been signed by more than 100 companies across sectors including air transport, energy, technology, insurance, and banking. It calls on governments to set scientifically informed targets for greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions. The agreement also urges governments to place a price on carbon emissions and to set forth policies aimed at addressing energy efficiency and de-carbonisation in all sectors. Calling climate change “an urgent problem,” the statement lays out a proactive framework for global action and specifically calls on governments to take immediate action in pursuit of ambitious but achievable interim goals for CO2. The statement also calls on world governments to develop mechanisms that place a price on carbon emissions that is reasonably consistent internationally and across sectors in order to reward efficiency and emission avoidance and encourage innovation.
Emphasis is placed on a dramatic expansion of the use of non-fossil fuel energy sources, and a major reduction of emissions from the fossil fuels likely to remain in use.
Other signatories include American Electric Power, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Endesa, Eskom, FPL Group, General Electric, Iberdrola, NRG Energy, and Vattenfall.
The full statement may be found at: www.earth.columbia.edu/grocc/grocc4_statement.html
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