POLICY
THE
Copenhagen disappointing INNOVATION DIFFUSION
but valuable, says Miliband
COLUMN
WITH SONNY MASERO
Energy and Climate Change the rich world to developing
Secretary, Ed Miliband, says that countries. This includes fast start
while December’s Copenhagen finance worth $10B a year by A decade of sustainable
climate talks were disappointing, 2012 – with a total of up to $2.4B
“significant progress” was made. from the UK – and specific sup- innovation dawns
Speaking in the House of port to tackle deforestation.
Commons, Miliband recognised “In the longer term, the Accord The first decade of the 21st cen- lion units and more than six bil-
there had not been the global supported the goal – first set by tury was one of uncertainty. The lion tracks within eight years,
agreement that had been hoped the Prime Minister – of $100B a devastation of 9/11, a series of changing the way many buy and
for, but said that the Copenhagen year of public and private finance financial crises, the emergence listen to music. Apple demateri-
Accord was valuable and could be for developing countries by 2020.” of “celebrity” as a career and a alised parts of the supply chain
built upon. Even though it was He said 49 countries is a start – scandal that dissolved trust in in the process.
agreed by only a quarter of the but not enough. “The UN is politicians all make reading the Successful innovation in the
world’s countries, those countries seeking to persuade all countries future an even harder job. field of sustainable business has
account for over 80% of global to sign up to the Accord and the Business action on climate been less marked, with the obvi-
greenhouse gas emissions. UK is determined to play its part change and sustainable devel- ous exception of large-scale
The Accord is also progressive in making this happen. opment may have slowed during wind turbines and the Toyota
in that it sees major developing “We must also act to deepen the recession, but it was not for- Prius. After launching in Japan in
countries, as well as the industri- the commitments on emissions gotten. The economic, social 1997 and worldwide in 2001,
alised world, commit to cutting made by countries across the and environmental challenges Toyota has now sold more than
carbon for the first time, he said. world. In looking back at that faced us at the end of the two million hybrid vehicles, of
“We can be assured that coun- Copenhagen, we must bear in 20th century have yet to be which about 75% were Prius.
tries are acting as they say they mind that agreement was solved – and in many cases, the One million of these vehicles
will, and all countries have signed inevitably tough because we are facts behind the need for sus- were sold in the period 2007-
up to comprehensive measure- seeking consensus among 192 tainable development have 2009, with sales expected to hit
ment, reporting and verification countries. Like most ambitious been laid out for all to see. Now, the one-million-per-year mark.
of progress,” he said. efforts, it was always going society is ripe for inspired action, Responding to the challenge
“And on finance, there are sig- to be difficult to succeed first as we venture into the next ten- of sustainable development,
nificant commitments made by time round.” year period. several global companies have
This new column is about the moved beyond the compliance
CARBON BUDGETS
diffusion of exciting and sustain- stage. They are now turning
Government urged to
able innovation poised to their attention to how sustain-
emerge this decade. This could ability can drive product innova-
redouble emissions effort
be in clean technology, novel tion strategies to create genuine
start-ups with a social purpose value for customers. This delib-
and big ideas from business or erate innovation will start to
The Government is “falling The report finds that the governments to facilitate low- reveal itself in the coming
down” when it comes to deliver- Government is only on track to carbon markets. We’ll explore decade, as exciting new sustain-
ing effective carbon budgets, meet its first carbon budget how sustainable innovation will able products and services sur-
according to a group of MPs. And because of the impact of the improve business, while inspiring face to provide competitive
it also needs to work with other recession. Ministers have often debate and action. advantage for those leaders.
nations to secure global climate been too “optimistic” when pro- Innovation has changed the Whether it be corporately-
cutting agreements – otherwise jecting how much carbon their world faster in the past decade funded innovation from the likes
UK efforts will be meaningless. policies will cut – and there is then in any previously. Google of Ballard Power Systems, or a
A report by the Environmental now a worrying shortfall in deliv- was first incorporated in start-up such as Vision Spring,
Audit Committee says that the ery. The UK’s emissions are September 1998 and went pub- the most successful sustainable
Government’s work on cutting falling by only about 1% a year, lic in 2004. In 2009, it became innovation of the new decade
emissions would be “rendered instead of the 2-3% a year which the No.1 internet search engine has yet to reveal itself. In this col-
meaningless”, if world leaders fail the Committee on Climate and employed 20,000 people umn, we hope to identify where
to reverse the growth in global Change say is needed. using an innovative business the smart money is headed.
emissions by 2020. It calls on the Climate Change Minister, Joan model with revenue generated
Government to “redouble” its Ruddock, responding to the principally through advertising. Sonny Masero is VP for CA
efforts to cut emissions at home, report, said: “We’ve already cut In October 2001, the iPod and ecoSoftware in EMEA. Opinions
to help build the international the UK’s emissions by nearly iTunes were launched by Apple, expressed in this column are based
political will necessary to secure a double the Kyoto target and are which sold in excess of 220 mil- on his personal views
binding climate deal out of the on track to meet the first three
“wreckage” of Copenhagen. carbon budgets.”
IN FACT WALKERS IS THE FIRST FIRM TO RETAIN THE CARBON TRUST LABEL AFTER REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF ITS CRISPS BY ANOTHER 7% IN 2009
Sustainable Business ❘ February 2010 7
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