Climate change

Business sets sights on deeper engagement in climate talks

  • 29 November 2010

Global business has a strong presence at the 2010 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) in Cancun, Mexico which begins today and is seeking enhanced channels for engagement to ensure that the process benefits from business dynamism and expertise.

“Talks in Cancun offer an opportunity to take solid steps towards advancing global action,” said the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Secretary General Jean Guy Carrier. “Governments clearly cannot address these issues alone and the role of business is more crucial than ever.”

In its role as the official business and industry focal point in the UNFCCC process, ICC continues to work for closer cooperation between governments and business and strives to ensure that governments create an enabling framework for business to continue developing and implementing practical climate change solutions.

In the lead up to the Cancun gathering, ICC along with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) helped facilitate business involvement in a series of discussions on topics critical to the negotiations. Initiated and sponsored by the Mexican government, the “Mexican Dialogues” aimed to provide informal private sector input into the official process and to increase understanding between business and governments on public-private sector synergies in finance, markets and technology. In Cancun, ICC will once again co-host the annual Business Day on 6 December with the WBCSD, which will focus on “building bridges” to deliver effective climate solutions.

Business supports a robust post-2012 framework agreement

Despite uncertainty after the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen last year, global business continues to support the development of a robust post-2012 framework agreement.

“Cancun can help drive the process forward by setting the conditions to stimulate private sector investment and spur innovation in efficient and low-emitting technologies,” said Mr Carrier.

Financing is a crucial issue in Cancun

In 2009, several governments committed to mobilize US$100 billion a year for climate finance by 2020, but such large flows will require sound governance and increased trust. Stressing that business invests when there is a clear and predictable policy framework, ICC is urging negotiators to establish a set of clearly outlined financing goals and objective, transparent governance procedures to help businesses understand the public policy agenda on climate finance. Setting conditions and mobilizing finance will also be the focus of an ICC roundtable on Wednesday 1 December, co-hosted in partnership with Responding to Climate Change.

Technology development and deployment

The private sector has been and will continue to be responsible for the vast majority of investments and the development and diffusion of existing and new technologies essential to meeting the challenge of global climate change. ICC is pressing negotiators to ensure that any agreement reached is workable, in terms of technology transfer, and respects intellectual property rights. ICC will explore the issues involved in technology development and deployment in a panel event in Cancun on 3 December.

Market mechanisms

ICC calls on governments to assure the continuity of current UNFCCC market mechanisms such as the Clean Development Mechanism. ICC hopes that negotiators will send a strong signal to indicate the continuation after 2012 of market mechanisms that have a role to play in addressing climate change.

ICC will be engaged for the duration of the Cancun talks, including hosting the following events:

UNFCCC COP 101 Briefing
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Time: 10:00 – 12:00

ICC Media Conference – Global Business Expectations for Cancun
Tuesday 30 November

ICC/RTCC roundtable – The private sector and climate change: setting conditions and mobilising finance
Wednesday 1 December

ICC side event –Technology Development and Deployment: Global business views on post ─ 2012 technology architecture
Friday 3 December 2010

ICC/WBCSD Cancun Global Business Day: Building Bridges
Monday 6 December 2010

ICC Media Conference – Where are we now – how to enhance business engagement
Tuesday 7 December

ICC side event – Enhanced Business Engagement in the UNFCCC
Wednesday 8 December 2010