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Polluting Companies Call for Government Emissions Targets

The Global Roundtable on Climate Change, a forum that includes many companies traditionally labelled major polluters, have issued a statement calling for "a concerted effort to de-carbonize the global energy system". Government targets are called for along with energy efficiency measures.

Vocal Companies

The Global Roundtable on Climate Change includes organisations such as Air France, BASF, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, National Grid, Rolls Royce, Toyota, Volvo and Walmart. They are joined by the American Council on Renewable Energy, California Green Energy Fund, Columbia University, Google, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Council of Churches, Nasa, Princeton University and the World Wildlife Fund, among many others in issuing a statement calling for government targets, increased energy efficiency and the de-carbonising of the global energy system.

A Call For The Need For Change

The following statement summary was issued on the Earth Institute of the University of Columbia's website:

"Climate change is an urgent problem requiring global action to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GHGs). Energy use is vital for a modern economy. Burning fossil fuels produces CO2. Thus, confronting climate change depends, in many ways, on adopting new and sustainable energy strategies that can meet growing global energy needs while allowing for the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations at safe levels."

The statement went on to call for "significantly increasing the use of non-fossil-fuel energy sources, significantly raising the energy efficiency of fossil-fuel power plants through advanced technologies, and developing and deploying technologies that trap and store the CO2 produced by the fossil fuels that will remain in use." It went on to add, "Failing to act now would lead to far higher economic and environmental costs and greater risk of irreversible impacts. "

Carbon Economics

Energy efficiency is mentioned in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report as the cheapest way to reduce global carbon emissions. Converting to renewable energy may only become economically desirable with government limits on greenhouse gasses.

Governments have often cited economic growth as a barrier to de-carbonising the energy system, but this call from big business would appear to suggest that restrictions are actually strongly desired by the world's economy, and sooner rather than later.

The Full List of Companies Calling for Government Action:

• AIG
• Air France
• Alcan
• Alcoa
• All China Federation of Industry and Commerce
• Alliant Energy
• Allianz
• American Association of Blacks in Energy
• American Council on Renewable Energy
• American Electric Power
• Anglo-American
• Aristeia Capital
• Association of British Insurers
• BASF Group
• Bayer
• Business Leaders Group on Climate Change
• California Clean Energy Fund
• Calvert Group
• Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
• Canadian Electricity Association
• Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School
• Ceres
• Chicago Climate Exchange
• China Renewable Energy Industries Association
• Citigroup
• City of Reykjavík
• The Climate Group
• The Climate Institute
• The Climate Trust
• Coalition for Rainforest Nations
• Columbia University
• Confederation of Indian Industry
• Conservation International
• Covanta Energy
• Credit Suisse First Boston
• Deutsche Telekom
• Dow Chemical
• Dupont
• Earth Institute at Columbia University
• EcoSecurities
• Electricité de France International North America
• Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
• Endesa SA
• Energetech Australia
• Energy Holding Romania
• Eni, SpA
• Environmental Defense
• Eskom
• ETG International
• European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts
• European Commission Delegation to the United Nation
• Exelon Corporation
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• FirstEnergy Corporation
• Florida Power and Light
• Ford Motor Company
• General Electric
• German Electricity Association
• Glitnir Bank
• Global Energy Network Institute
• Global Environment Facility
• Goldman Sachs & Co.
• Google
• HDR Engineering
• Henkel KGaA
• Iberdrola, S.A
• Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR)
• ICF International
• Indian Merchants Chamber
• ING Group
• Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
• Institute of Process Engineering, ETH Zurich
• Insurance Information Institute
• Interface, Inc.
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• International Chamber of Commerce
• International Council on Mining and Metals
• International Energy Agency
• International Gas Union
• International Research Institute for Climate and Society
• International Trade Union Confederation
• JPMorgan Chase
• Keyspan Corporation
• Landsvirkjun (The National Power Company of Iceland)
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
• Lenfest Foundation
• Los Alamos National Laboratories
• Marsh and McLennan Cos.
• MEDIAS-France
• MissionPoint Capital Partners
• Munich Climate Insurance Initiative
• Munich Re
• Nand and Jeet Khemka Foundation
• NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
• National Commission on Energy Policy
• National Development and Reform Commission of China: National Coordination Committee on Climate Change and Energy Research Institute
• National Energy Assistance Directors Association
• National Council of Churches
• National Grid
• Natsource
• Natural Resources Defense Council
• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
• NGEN
• Nippon Mining Holdings
• NiSource
• Norsk Hydro
• NRG Energy
• OECD Environment Directorate
• Old Harbor Outfitters
• Papua New Guinea, Office of the Prime Minister
• Pew Center on Global Climate Change
• Princeton University
• Rainforest Alliance
• Recycled Energy Development
• Republic of Iceland, Office of the President
• Resources for the Future
• Reykjavik Energy
• Ricoh Corporation
• Rockefeller Brothers Fund
• Rolls-Royce
• Office of U.S. Senator Olympia J Snowe
• Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS)
• State Street Global Advisors
• Stanford University
• StoraEnso North America
• Suncor Energy
• Suntech Power
• Swiss Re
• Tata Power
• Toyota Motor North America
• Underground Coal Gasification Partnership
• Union of Concerned Scientists
• United Nations Development Programme
• United Nations Environment Programme- Finance Initiative
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat
• United States Combined Heat and Power Association
• University of Iceland
• University of Tokyo
• U.S. Geothermal
• U.S. Green Building Council
• U.S. Renewables Group
• Vattenfall
• Verde Venture Partners
• Volvo
• Vulcan, Inc.
• Walmart
• Western Governors' Association
• World Business Council on Sustainable Development
• World Coal Institute
• World Council of Churches
• World Liquid Petroleum Gas Association
• World Petroleum Council
• World Wildlife Fund
• Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Energy and Environment