Business is cause and effect of international climate regulation
Press release by e5 and Germanwatch
Bad Vilbel, Germany, 05/12/2005 - Business has started a dialogue about its future role in building a climate protection regime along the lines of the Kyoto Protocol and beyond. A side-event of the European Business Council for Sustainable Energy (e5) and Germanwatch at the climate summit in Montréal showed that there is a strong will of business to bundle initiatives and find the ideal match of environmental protection and economic opportunity.
Christoph Bals, Executive Director Policy of Germanwatch stressed the important role that progressive companies had played in past UNFCCC negotiations. And what about post-2012? "There will be progress in the negotiations only with strong, pro-active business voices".
"Companies are concerned about dangerous climate change", CEO of e5 Sebastian Gallehr confirmed. "They are calling for a reliable policy framework that lets them protect the climate beyond any voluntary commitment". Clear-cut climate protection rules also lay ground for long-term investment security - and motivate to act.
The integration of the financial sector in international climate protection stands and falls with an international, legally binding framework that goes far beyond 2012, Gallehr said.
Spurred by the entering-into-force of the Kyoto Protocol in February, companies calling for active climate protection have sharpened their profile. At the e5/Germanwatch side-event on December 1st, Interface Inc., the Green Power Market Development Group of the World Resources Institute from the US, the British Climate Group and Deutsche Telekom and Munich Re from Germany presented their various climate protection initiatives.
The side event was supported by the EU Commission, the German Ministry for the Environment and Deutsche Telekom.
Further information:
Contact:Heidrun Rothweiler, Media Relations
European Business Council for Sustainable Energy
Fon: +49 711 806 4700
rothweiler@e5.org