“witHoUt attention to tHe metrics, to shared
PraCtiCe aCross seCtors, and learning from
wHat otHers Have done, it’s verY difficUlt to see
How we can aCCelerate the PaCe of Change”
are Uk businesses in danger of being beginning to see some signs of that. so there’s if we are hit by a depression, carbon prices
out-paced in this? a chance that politicians could take their eye will come down and that will be reflected in
i’m very nervous that we’ll lose this competitive off the ball, mistakenly thinking that we’re the usual supply and demand pressures inside
space. there was a time, for example, when making more progress than we actually are. the ets. the enthusiasm of countries such as
the Uk was actually a world leader in wind i think everybody recognises now that the the Us and australia, and the interest shown
technology. due to a lack of any serious vision era of cheap oil and cheap energy has gone by china in carbon trading, will be diminished,
on the part of successive governments, those forever. from a commercial sector perspective – as the priority becomes regaining conventional
gains dwindled, then disappeared into the and something atkins has stressed very hard in economic growth. it would be folly to say that
ether. now, we have very few wind energy its contributions to this debate – the emphasis carbon markets are completely robust against
businesses of our own to speak of, and many the economic cycle. but they are certainly
of those have moved to countries such as holding up well so far.
denmark and germany, where thriving, multi-
billion euro businesses have developed since. where is the Uk government
it would be very sad to see the Uk go going with its thinking on the
through that same process again. we carbon economy?
currently have a real lead in many areas, the Uk approach has always been strong
42 including tidal and wave power. we also on the principles of addressing climate
how Can we do better?
have huge expertise in the professional change. the problem comes with
jonathon porritt (left), speaking at a
recent atkins event, as part of its drive for
services and financial services sectors on implementation. whether you look at
carbon critical design. porritt was invited
things like environmental impact sustainable development in government
to challenge atkins’ preconceived notions
and push for better solutions.
assessments, sustainability methodologies process, or policies aimed at changing
and low-carbon accounting processes. people’s behaviour, more still needs to be
if we don’t take maximum advantage of done. the key thing here is getting the right
that lead, we’ll only have ourselves to blame. mix of policies, and that’s something politicians
just to emphasise the point, look at what’s of all persuasions are still wrestling with.
happening at the moment in the Us and in
china, two improbable champions of a low- what’s the outlook for carbon
carbon future. we’re seeing a complete budgeting?
turnaround in the thinking of Us businesses now needs to be even tighter, and harder, on it’s a mish-mash at the moment. everybody’s
and an invisible, but nonetheless incredibly energy efficiency in terms of cost reduction and hoping that when the report by the
significant, shift in focus of the chinese competitiveness. that simultaneously drives committee on climate change comes out,
government on low-carbon technologies. reductions in co
2
. if anything, the case for it won’t focus only on targets, but also on
between them, these two countries could doing something is even stronger at a time of carbon budgets and how they ought to
command the lion’s share of the environmental recession than during a time of plenty. be set. the hope is there will be some serious
technologies market in the next 10 years. methodological rigour inside that report, or
are carbon markets recession proof? at least some strong recommendations on
is there a risk the economic downturn the only real market, in terms of a real how that might be sorted out.
will take focus away from carbon policies? rather than virtual price, is the european it sounds geeky, but without real attention
Yes, there’s no doubt about it. periods of emissions trading scheme (ets). the latest to the metrics, to shared practice across
economic downturn or recession lead to a figures for traded carbon in 2007 indicated sectors, to learning from what other people
slower pace of economic activity, which another substantial growth in volumes, with have done – without all of that, it’s very
translates directly into reduced emissions or every indication that total figures in 2008 difficult to see how we can accelerate the
polluting activity. i think we’re already will be even bigger. pace of change. and the pace of change at
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52