Leaders of some of Britain’s biggest companies believed tougher government targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions would encourage industry to develop new technologies to tackle climate change, reported the Daily Telegraph internet edition on Tuesday, 6 June.
The companies were also concerned that countries such as Germany and Denmark were cornering the market in technologies including wind power because their own governments were giving more incentives to the sector to grow.
The Confederation of British Industry had previously expressed concern that British businesses might be disadvantaged by being given tougher targets than competitors overseas.
Significant measures needed: Shell UK’s chairman James Smith said: "I think climate change is a challenge that we all have to step up to and that requires significant measures deploying the technologies that are going to make a difference. The thing is that we believe that the technological solutions are within our grasp, although they are at various stages of their development, and what we need to do is muster the common will to put these solutions in place."
David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, welcomed the contribution from the meeting of large British companies. Miliband acknowledged that the UK was currently "off track" on the Government’s target of cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 20 per cent from 1990 levels by 2010, but said it would meet its Kyoto commitment of reducing greenhouse gases by 10 per cent by that date.
Reference: Digest of latest news reported on website of Climate Change Secretariat of United Nations Framework on Climate Change Control (UNFCCC). 6 June 2006. Address: PO Box 260 124, D-53153 Bonn. Germany. Phone: : (49-228) 815-1005, Fax: (49-228) 815-1999. Email: press@unfccc.int
http://www.unfccc.int
Erisk Net, 7/6/2006