Mr. Moderator,

Technology and by extension business is the main cause of our current environmental dilemma.

Technology and by extension business must be leaders in the solutions to the dilemma.

I welcome this opportunity on behalf of the G77 & China to offer some perspectives not only on how business can contribute to securing and implementing a good outcome from the Bali process in Copenhagen but more fundamentally, how business can change the behavior of the rest of society. I thank the organisers for this opportunity.

Mr. Moderator,

How can businesses contribute to securing a good outcome in Copenhagen?

The main excuse of Annex I countries for their unwillingness to move in the direction of meeting their commitment to reduce green house gases is that this will involve costs which will put their businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

In Rio, and again in Johannesburg, business had put forward proposals which were much more progressive and supportive of the environment than developed country governments were willing to commit to. Business was not aggressive in pushing their governments toward outcomes closer to their proposals, however. Business can make a difference in Copenhagen by making it clear and demonstrating to their governments that the protection and integrity of the environment is good for business. The development, use and wide diffusion of environmentally friendly technology is good for both, the bottom line and the image of business.

Delayed action in any case is more expensive action.

Further business, especially those involved in the moulding of public opinion in developed countries, can assist the process by providing more factual information to the publics in developed countries. For example, factual information on issues such as:

a) The per person GHG emissions of developing countries such as China and India in relation to that of developed countries, as a group and individual developed countries such as the United States;
b) The per capita income and poverty levels of developing countries such as China and India, in spite of improvements in their current annual growth rates; and
c) The extent to which developing countries including, China and India are dependent on imported technology and hence the opportunity for industrialized countries to influence positively the energy intensity of their production and consumption.
They would prepare the public in developed countries for the difference in the nature of the implementation action envisaged in the Bali Action Plan from developed and developing countries in Copenhagen.

Mr. Moderator,

How can business contribute to implementing a good outcome from Copenhagen?

A good outcome from Copenhagen rests fundamentally on the determination of Annex I countries to reduce aggressively the GHG intensity of their current and future production and consumption and the availability of more environmentally friendly technology to none Annex I countries for adaptation and mitigation actions.

Business determines production processes, technology development and technology diffusion and choice. The lion share of current patents and technology development capacity is in the large businesses as in Annex I countries.

Business can contribute to implementing the outcome of Copenhagen by re-engineering or adapting existing production technology and processes.  They can also contribute by developing new, less GHG intensive production technologies, and by making these technologies available on the market at prices which will encourage their widespread deployment in Annex I and non-Annex I countries. To achieve this business might have to work more collaboratively among themselves and with public sector institutions and support.

Secondly business can contribute to implementing the outcomes by assisting to change consumption pattern and orientation. Current consumption behavior, driven by business advertising and practice, revolves around acquisition and waste. The outcome of Copenhagen will require a pattern of consumption based on use, reuse and recycle.

The communication and advertising apparatus of business can be deployed to support the public education and awareness campaign that will be necessary to break and change the current pattern of over - and wasteful consumption to one based on use, re-use and re-cycle. This will be important not only in private consumption but also in business consumption.

Mr. Moderator,

The implementation of a good decision out of Copenhagen, in the timeframe and with the urgency required, will create many opportunities for unscrupulous business persons to exploit the situation. Opportunities will abound in the effort to meet legal requirements in developed countries for unscrupulous businesses to off-load high GHG technologies in developing countries, in particular developing countries with limited scientific, technical and testing capacities.

Mr. Moderator,

Business has an opportunity to avoid such practices and to self police as well as to assist governments where others indulge in such practices. I challenge the climate and environmentally conscious businesses participating in these important discussions to take the lead in influencing the general business community to greater environmental responsibility. I also challenge you to prevail on your governments to be ambitious in Copenhagen.

I thank you for this opportunity and for listening to me.