Brussels, 11/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 11 January in Brussels, leaders from the major European and non-European industrial groups committed to the fight against climate change launched, together with the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, their so-called Combat Climate Change
“3 C” initiative. The objective of this initiative supported by fifteen or so major groups: ABB, Alstom, Bayer, Duke Energy, Endesa, Enel, EnBW, E.ON, Eskom, General Electric, Norske Skog, NRG Energy, PG&E Corporation, Siemens, Suez, Wallenius Line and Vattenfall, is to form a pressure group at a global scale to demand the business community integrate climate questions into the markets and trade. They also agreed to set up a road map on establishing low carbon use companies and all agreed on the following principles: an overall solution is necessary, as a global objective for limiting climate change; green house gases should have a global price; a well devised combination of short and medium term action is necessary; no option should be ruled out; a global emissions market needs setting up; developed countries should pave the way and developing countries should follow as soon as they can and a fair and sustainable effort sharing should be achieved internationally.
The meeting between Barroso and company leaders the day after the presentation of the “Energy and Climate Change Package” (EUROPE 9341) allowed the Commission president the opportunity to explain that although the fight against climate change was a challenge, it was also an opportunity for business, job creation and improved energy efficiency. Barroso described these initiatives (like “3 C”) as “an important signal in developing an international approach as they would be able to bind industries from different regions of the world into an international commitment thereby reducing the risks for competitive distortions”
Fulvio Conti from Enel said that “all technological options should be developed for both combating climate change and increasing security of supply. Governments, producers and users must be open to new solutions and technological innovation”. In this connection he gave the example of his group's investments in renewable energies, energy efficiency and carbon capture technology. (an)