BUSINESSES VOLUNTEER TO CAP CARBON

Some businesses get it. Others are waiting to be forced to get on the bus.

Companies pledge at UN to cut carbon burdens
Laura MacInnis, July 6, 2007 (Reuters)

WHO
153 companies: Airbus, Coca-Cola, IKEA, Nestle, Levi Strauss, drugmakers Novartis and Pfizer, mining giants Anglo American and Rio Tinto, luxury goods specialist LVMH, Lackeby Water Group, SABMiller and Suez
United Nations Global Companct (UNGC)

WHAT
Signing on to a UN corporate responsibility drive, the "Caring for Climate" initiative, the companies made a voluntary pledge to cut carbon emissions and pursue energy efficiency.

WHEN
Pledge made July 6.

WHERE
The pledge was made a Geneva summit meeting of the U.N. Global Compact.

WHY
- The pledge described “practical actions” against climate change despite mandatory emissions caps. 1000 business and government leaders were in attendance. The 153 is a pittance compared to the 3000 businesses represented.
- The voluntary mechanism is thought to draw companies with good will in. Many in the UN compact prefer taxes, fees and incentives to mandatory limits. The bigger goal is to draw more governments into the Kyoto agreement.
- Did NOT sign: banks UBS and Credit Suisse; clothing retailers Nike, Hennes & Mauritz and Gap; oil company Royal Dutch Shell; mining group BHP Billiton; and coffee company Starbucks.
the UNGC framework (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Rajendra Pachauri, chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: "You need a group of pioneers who get things going…These are some of the leaders who would inspire several others in the business."
- Achim Steiner, head, U.N. Environment Programme: "A company which signs this is making some fairly far-reaching commitments vis-a-vis its shareholders, vis-a-vis the public, and vis-a-vis consumers, never mind governments also…"