What you need to know - will climate change be the biggest impact ever faced by your business? The facts.
It doesn't matter if you are a climate change skeptic, convert or advocate, how your business adapts to what flows from Bali may well determine whether your business will survive.
Despite differing opinions and the current uncertainty, what we do know is that if you want to be in business in 50 years time, you will need to be doing twice as much with around 15-20% of the carbon derived energy you use now!
Hardly a day goes by without new reports appearing in the media about climate change, its consequences and government response. It is hard not to be confused by the considerable uncertainty around the climate change issues, extreme weather events, or what will be the precise level of interim (2020) or longer term (2050) emission targets, or which mechanism will be used to regulate emissions (cap and trade or carbon tax).
What is certain is that climate change will impact your business and there will need to be a paradigm shift in the way most companies operate, if they are to remain in business. The question is when and what should you be doing to prepare your business for the new paradigm.
Whilst it is not prudent to wait until all details are articulated and fully understood before you start thinking about what to do, it is also not necessarily wise to start measuring or changing things before you have thought through the best strategy for your business.
Although 2020 or 2050 may seem like a long way off, existing legislation and coming regulation will require some businesses to start measuring their greenhouse gas emissions so they can be reported in 2009 as mandated. For some businesses the time for action is therefore already upon them and the rest will not be far behind. However, before rushing into monitoring or making other changes in response to climate change issues, it is important to spend some time to think through the options and develop a strategy based on sound scientific and commercial reasoning, because the decisions you make today and over the next 5 years could have a major effect on your business in 50 years time.
A multitude of reports are currently available with varying, and sometimes conflicting, predictions on what does or doesn't need to be done, and many more will follow. For example, over 2,500 scientific experts reviewed some of the available reports for the preparation of the fourth assessment report of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Therefore, if you are making plans for your business's future, where should you get your information, and if you are going to rely on a report, which one should it be?
If you are relying on a single source such as the media, then you might not be getting the full picture. It can be difficult to highlight the salient points in the truly voluminous official published information. However, it is clear that with the level of public interest surrounding this issue and the recent change in government, much will alter on the local scene and the rate and direction of change will need close attention.
To assist you and your business to understand the issues and to know where to look for reliable information amongst the multitude of technical reports, we have prepared a series of fact sheets. The first of these focuses on mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow down the warming and is attached to this eZine. It is called 'What you need to know - will climate change be the biggest impact ever faced by your business?'
The second will be on adaptation measures that will be required to adapt to the consequences of climate change and will appear in our next eZine.
Should you want to know more or speak to someone about the realities and survival requirements of the new environmental wave please contact Michael England.
Next edition
Adaptation - the time for talk is over ...
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Edition 2
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HLA ENSR is the Australian arm of ENSR, a leading worldwide environmental firm, serving industrial clients and government agencies with 2,500 employees from 90 global offices. HLA ENSR serves clients from nine locations throughout Australia, providing comprehensive consulting, engineering, remediation, environmental, health and safety (EHS) management solutions. ENSR is the recipient of numerous industry, client EHS, business achievement and organisational innovation awards. ENSR is part of the AECOM family of companies. For more information, please visit: http://www.ensr.com.au
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AECOM is a global provider of professional technical and management support services to a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental and energy. With more than 31,000 employees around the world, AECOM is a leader in all of the key markets that it serves. AECOM provides a blend of global reach, local knowledge, innovation and technical excellence in delivering solutions that enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environments. AECOM serves clients in more than 60 countries and had revenue of more than US$4 billion for the 12-month period ended 30 June 2007. More information on AECOM and its services can be found at www.aecom.com
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