Page 62 - Respond 2014 | RTCC Publications

Predictability

key to

low-emissions

economic

growth

By Jean-Guy Carrier, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce

reener economies offer opportunities for all of us. Not only are they good
for the climate and for the environment, they also drive economic growth
Gand job creation. Yet as national governments the world over struggle
to resolve challenges alone, greater cooperation is needed to meet the pressing
environmental and economic challenges of today.

This is why global business is working to develop climate change solutions across a
number of areas, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to climate
impacts, and promoting energy solutions, including effciency.

As the world business organization representing a network of 6.5 million companies,
ICC is committed to developing cooperative solutions within the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process that will unleash
investment and deployment of innovative technologies, products and services for
low emissions economic growth and job creation. For a future agreement to be inclusive and effective,
it will need to fnd common ground on a broad range
In the lead up to the Warsaw Climate Change Conference, global business is well of approaches, initiatives and mechanisms under
aware that governments will need to overcome a number of signifcant roadblocks discussion both inside and outside the Convention,
in order to reach a balanced and globally-effective outcome in the framework of the particularly in important global forums such as the G20
UNFCCC by 2015. and The Major Economies Forum on energy and climate.

This year’s Conference is a critical opportunity to deliver a roadmap for the 2015 While the issues at stake are of high complexity, they are
climate negotiations and pave the way for promoting climate-resilient, low-emission not insurmountable. Ambitious steps can be achieved
societies. in Warsaw, Lima (2014) and Paris (2015) if the political
will is present to take diffcult decisions. Continuing our
Currently, the lack of clarity on the future outcome and uncertainty over how it would role as a primary business interlocutor and partner in
work in practice curb the pace of business investment and innovation, and decisions key intergovernmental negotiations, ICC will contribute
to pursue a lower emissions economic structure. to constructive engagement and dialogue in Warsaw
and beyond to help lead to a higher level of global policy
ICC urges parties to level the global playing feld by addressing both environmental coordination to address climate change impacts and
targets and competitiveness, fostering effciency measures and pursuing market- lower emissions of greenhouse gases.
based approaches – within the context of each country’s respective national
circumstances – and enabling the UNFCCC to provide a platform to link various Jean-Guy Carrier is Secretary General of the International
carbon pricing schemes and avoid carbon leakage. Chamber of Commerce.
www.iccwbo.org

60 www.rtcc.org