The climate change debate is hotting up. (Sorry, couldn’t resist that one). At the recent G8 summit leaders committed to an 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050. Forget the caveats about which countries have or haven’t agreed to do what by when, the increasing clarity about what the target is has big implications for companies.
Most companies currently present their carbon reduction efforts in a way that does not tally with the 80% by 2050 objective. Not a tenable position in the long- or even the short-term.
Companies seem obsessed by the relative per unit efficiency of their performance. Universal Widgets are proud to announce that they have halved the volume of CO2 per widget by 30% since 1990. Yet unless we know the volume of widgets produced, this is meaningless. If the volume stayed the same, Universal Widgets has contributed towards the 80% by 2050 target. If Universal Widgets doubled production, its contribution to climate change increased: in fact Universal Widgets risks being labelled a global warming villain.
Companies should get ahead of the game, but how? Here are three first steps. First give the absolute level of CO2 emissions the same billing as the relative per unit efficiency. Second, explain how the company might match the 80% cut by 2050, and if that’s not yet clear, say so. Third, set out what the company’s commitment is on cuts in absolute emissions in the medium term, say by 2020.
These three steps are by no means the end of the matter but in public debate stay one step ahead. Companies should seize the agenda. Being on the back-foot on climate change isn’t a luxury any company can afford.
The message of the Office of the Third Sector Report published this week ‘Building Stronger Communities Business and the Third Sector: Innovation in tough times’ gives some glimmer of hope as to the state of business engagement in communities during the recession. For those who can remember the last recession when we saw a massive cutback in essentilally ophilanthropic support this is encouraging news. Money may not be plentiful and budgets are certainly being challenged but their is far more innovation and employee engagement than ever. However the depressing note is that many still don’t know where to go to get involved and a sense that we are not making the most of the support because the partnership and infrastrucutre iis patchy. If you want to know more then get in touch with me at Corprate Citizenship.