Climate change

ICC helping business representatives in Copenhagen

  • 10 December 2009

With the largest business delegation ever seen at a UN climate change conference descending on Copenhagen over the next two weeks, ICC is hosting a number of events to help business representatives better understand UNFCCC processes and ICC’s special role at the conference.

Speaking at a business breakfast meeting hosted by the Confederation of Danish Industries, Wendy Poulton, Chair of the ICC Energy Task Force, presented an overview of the current negotiations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) currently taking place in Copenhagen, focusing on the diverging points of view between developed and developing countries.

ICC has hosted, and will also host again on 14 December, special COP101 sessions which aims to explain the working mechanisms of the UNFCCC to business and non-governmental organizations participants.

ICC believes progress can be made on an agreement that will include action by major emitters, support intellectual property rights, and keep all energy options open. In the view of the global business organization, any agreement must also require signatory countries to develop and report progress on their national climate strategies.

Richard Larsen, Director, Energy and Climate Policy of the Confederation of Danish Industries, closed the event by saying that “business is really asking for a solution, a common regulatory framework to be able to implement new processes and take everyday decisions.”

ICC is presenting a wide range of business solutions through other activities in the Copenhagen city centre, including co-organizing the Copenhagen Business Day on 11 December with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Confederation of Danish Industry. The Business Day will demonstrate firsthand how global business is leading action on climate change.