Captains of commerce turn heat on global warming
In today’s Australian they are saying Captains of commerce turn heat on global warming.
BUSINESS and government should take unilateral action to arrest climate change instead of waiting for a consensus to emerge on the issue, ANZ Bank chief executive John McFarlane said.
Adding to a growing chorus of business voices urging action on global warming, Mr McFarlane urged market-based solutions including penalties for the most polluting forms of energy and subsidies for cleaner forms.“Even before the costs of carbon emissions are fully reflected in market prices, business should be willing to pay more for sustainable products, clean sources of energy, more efficient energy use and embrace five-star environmental building policies,” Mr McFarlane writes in an article for The Weekend Australian.
“Climate change is no longer a ‘far in the future’ issue. It is affecting us right now.”
Mr McFarlane said that while the world waited for a consensus to emerge, business should take the lead.
Every captain of industry I have met with since becoming CEO of Carbon Planet has been completely onside with basic concepts and behind climate change and they all, so far, have agreed that the problems warrant serious investment to avoid utter catastrophe. They also tend to agree that the governments of the world, especially the USA and Australia, have wasted an incredible amount of time, and the costs of further delay only amplify the costs down the line.
Individuals and small businesses are not exempt from responsibility to take action. Carbon credits are one of the weapons at our disposal in the fight against global warming. Carbon credits channel money to projects that actually reduce CO2 levels. There are millions of such projects and carbon credits, when properly regulated, certified and audited, are an essential medium of exchange; an essential part of the solution. — DS
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