Lee, Do you know how many Climate Conferences there have been so far? I wonder if this conference was just getting the ball rolling, so to speak. Although the total overall outcome of the conference seemed dismal, at least per Jill’s comments it is refreshing to hear that 55 countries, including the U.S. and China, have pledged to cut and limit greenhouse gases. With the larger countries, with the most consumption, making the effort to improve themselves, one can only hope that other countries will follow the examples.

Lee:
I too was a bit disappointed with the Copenhagen Climate Conference given all the media coverage it received both before and during the event. But since the event I noticed that the United Nations has stepped up its position and role to confront the global climate challenge. On February 8th, 2010 in Bonn Germany the United nations Framework Convention of Climate Change received national pledges to cut and limit greehouse gases by 2020 from 55 countries, including China and the United States that together account for 78 percent of global emissions from energy use.

The national pledges were required under the Copenhagen Accord agreed at the climate change talks in Copenhagen in December. The pledges were made for the period after the end of 2012 when the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol emissions targets expires. You can read more about the U.N. convention at:

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2010/2010-02-08-01.html

Although the Copenhagen Climate Conference did not produce the hoped-for outcomes, I believe most counties are NOT using this set back as an excuse for inaction. Additional, there is much talk about the G8 and G20, but what about the G7b? The new term stands for the world’s 7 billion consumers, whose consumption patterns and lifestyle choices have a big impact on climate change, particularly when billions of citizens in developing countries join the ranks of the middle class.

With 68% of American consumers alone say they are choosing health-conscious and environmentally responsible lifestyles and products, I think we will see an unprecedented shift in private sector investment and behaviour.

Based on current trends, national policies and measures (such as cap and trade
programmes or other carbon regulations) experts say they are unlikely to be ambitious enough to provoke the needed economic transformation that will be required. For this reason we should begin to see much more engagement within the private sector over the next five to ten years in those areas with greatest potential to lower the carbon intensity of economic growth, such as energy efficiency, technology development, low-carbon infrastructure investment and deforestation, especially in developing economies.

How all this impacts our local businesses and communities will be interesting to watch. The discussion on global climate change is very interesting and the very worth following. Thanks for adding this to our blog for discussion!

jill