On 15 June 2009, leaders across the climate change community came together for the third annual Guardian Climate Change Summit. As with previous years, the day proved to be an insightful and inspiring event, as delegates and speakers debated the latest issues and developments currently affecting the way businesses tackle climate change.
The recession was a hot topic of the day, as delegates were keen to learn how they can deliver tangible cost savings and improved efficiencies while also saving money. Business leaders, including Fiona Dawson, chief executive, Mars UK and Gavin Neath, chairman, Unilever UK shared their own best practice and solutions on how they have successfully minimised costs, yet maximised carbon efficiency.
Delegates were also encouraged to look beyond the recession to consider how wider policy developments will impact business. Yvo de Boer, executive secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) prepared delegates for a new era of responsibility and stressed the significance of a new global deal formation in Copenhagen, declaring: “Failure in Copenhagen talks would be criminal.”
An expert panel debated how to put these policies into practice and Martin Wright, editor of Green Futures stressed the urgency of responding to these policies immediately, recognising that “South Korea is currently investing 12 times more than the UK in climate change initiatives.”
Afternoon break-out sessions enabled delegates to tackle issues which were specific to their business – whether green technologies, avoiding greenwash or reducing supply chain emissions.
The Guardian Climate Change Summit 2009 set the agenda for the years ahead, convincing all that attended that now is the time to move from awareness to action.
Visit guardian.co.uk/climatesummit for further information on the summit.