npower Business - Act on climate change now or face the consequences, businesses warned

Britain’s businesses are being warned that the longer they wait to act on climate change, the more dramatic the decarbonisation of the economy will have to be. This is the conclusion of a new White Paper, Making Sense of The Low Carbon Economy, from npower business and Forum for the Future, published today.
The White Paper comes on the back of new research from npower business which revealed that many businesses are confused by what the Low Carbon Economy is. It is one of the first reports published on the Low Carbon Economy in the UK and provides an overview of the impact of human behaviour on climate change, and the necessity of making the transition to a Low Carbon Economy to avoid dangerous climate change.
The White Paper points to Government data on UK emission trends – CO2 emissions have risen every year since 2002 – to underline the gap between the current response to climate change and the Government’s long-term target to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 60% by 2050. Despite the fact that many businesses already view the current climate change policy burden as oppressive, if dangerous climate change is to be avoided, a more significant response is imperative. The message for Britain’s businesses is clear: forward thinking companies, no matter what size or sector, need to prepare for the Low Carbon Economy now.
"Our aim in commissioning the White Paper is to provide an insight into the scientific and governmental drivers behind the Low Carbon Economy and the implications of the transition to this new way of working. Few would now doubt that they must begin to address climate change in their business operations, but for many businesses it is still not a priority. Our hope is that the White Paper will underline how important it is that they act now if we are to avoid massive legislative changes to dictate businesses’ environmental operations,” said Gordon Parsons, managing director of npower business.
"With all three major parties in the UK agreeing that we need to achieve reductions in CO2 of at least 60% by 2050, businesses in the UK should expect a suite of new regulation to bring about a Low Carbon Economy to be enacted in the near future. And when this regulatory pressure is combined with the low carbon expectations that leading businesses are starting to place on their supply chains, it becomes obvious that all companies, no matter what size or sector, will have to respond," Iain Watt, principal sustainable advisor at Forum for the Future and author of the report added.
In making the transition to a Low Carbon Economy, the White Paper draws a simple conclusion: energy management remains the best and most effective method of reducing carbon emissions. This will be particularly important if the Low Carbon Economy will involve some sort of premium on energy sources, as using energy more efficiently will address cost as well as climate risk.
The White Paper goes on to speculate what the Low Carbon Economy might mean for UK business. It points out that leading companies are already reducing emissions in response to a variety of drivers. Institutional investors are starting to ask questions about the risks and opportunities that climate change poses to their investments, and the environmental commitments of firms such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Marks & Spencer will soon begin to be felt throughout their supply chains.

Email: alister.foye@europe.mccann.com