
Experts believe that COP21 is a make-or-break effort to achieve a global agreement
on climate.
Jen Boynton, Editor-in-Chief of TriplePundit, a popular and respected source of news on environment and
sustainability, tells us why we need a deal at COP21, and why businesses play a
big role in that.
Why is it crucial for the world that
there is agreement on a climate deal in Paris, in December?
We’re heading towards cataclysmic
climate change if we keep doing business as usual. The world is warming in ways
we can’t predict, and that could change the world as we know it by the year
2100. The COP21 talks are widely considered to be our last chance to get a global
commitment to slow or lessen this development.
Our atmosphere is currently 397 parts per million CO2; the
widely-considered safe level is 350 ppm. Projections from the IPCC show that, if we continue with business as usual, that number
will keep going up. This means we will blow past the 2°C of warming that are
widely considered to be as high as we can go. Beyond that we will see a feedback
cycle where the impacts of climate change accelerate the rate of warming.
If all countries keep to the commitments they offered (via Intended Nationally
Determined Contributions, or INDCs) in advance of the climate talks, based on calculations I have
seen, we will keep to 2.7°C of warming. It is not as low as we need to be, but is
the biggest reduction we have seen till now.
Will there be a big push to put a
price on carbon at COP21?
I don’t think we will see a global
price on carbon coming out of these talks, but we will see a big push towards a
global commitment and agreements on reduction commitments. Countries will have
to sort out for themselves how they will meet those commitments. Some will choose
to put a price on carbon and use pricing mechanisms to meet their commitments.
Some will put incentives in place to encourage the private sector to turn away
from environmentally costly fossil fuels. Currently there are $431 billion
spent globally to prop up and support the fossil-fuels industry. By removing
some of that you will impact how businesses create their energy mix and will
naturally incentivize clean energy.
On which topics do you think there will be agreement at COP21?
We will see commitments from the 140 countries who have submitted their INDCs.
We will see some global support offered from developed to developing countries
and emerging economies. For example, there will be some extra support to countries
highly vulnerable to climate change, such as island nations and Bangladesh. How
much support, and the capacity of the support, is still up in the air.
What has encouraged businesses to get serious about addressing
climate change?
Many business leaders are starting
to see that the outcomes of climate change, such as increased storms, drought,
flooding, and sea-level rise, have an immediate impact on their bottom line. Regardless
of the short term impacts, the uncertainty caused by the possibility will be
expensive.
Business leaders want their governments to make strong commitments so they have
a policy framework in place. Strong policy that supports climate change action
will help them operate in a way that considers both the long term impact, and
short term expenses, of making changes.
Are companies getting better at partnering with each other to
influence the sustainability agenda?
Yes, we are seeing much more
collaboration than with previous issues, because climate change is the defining
challenge for our generation and no one really knows exactly how bad it’s going
to get, or what will be the solution that turns it around. That makes companies
react, and by collaborating rather than competing, they can share information
and help each other move more quickly and further.
Does
COP21 risk becoming just another U.N. climate conference with little impact?
Those going to COP21 understand that this is the last chance [for a global deal
on the climate]. The people invested in this process seem really committed to
the collaboration and coordination required. The fact that they started with commitments
even before the talks begin, and are negotiating now, makes me hopeful that we
will have a good outcome.
* Novozymes is participating at COP21 in a delegation led by CEO Peder Holk Nielsen. The company will use its leading position in biotechnology and strong track record in sustainability to stress to politicians and other stakeholders the opportunities that are already available to confront the challenges posed by climate change.
* TriplePundit, a Certified B-Corporation, is one of the world’s most widely-read websites on ethical, sustainable, profitable business, with over 450,000 unique monthly readers. The website covers topics such as global water and energy challenges, sustainable food, supply chain sourcing, smart cities and integrated corporate reporting.
Interview & editing: Devapriyo Das (DYDA)