INNOVATION KICK-OFF FOR A PARADIGM SHIFT AT COP 15
/Now it is official, during a coffee break at the World Business Summit on Climate Change we launched the innovation initiative. WHAT: SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION COFFEE BREAK WHEN: SUNDAY 24 MAY AT 16.10 WHERE: BELLA CENTRE, ROOM 17, FIRST FLOOR, CLOSE TO THE PLENUM AND COFFEE AREA HOSTS: JIM LEAPE, DIRECTOR GENERAL WWF INTERNATIONAL ELAINE WEIDMAN, VICE PRESIDENT, SUSTAINABILITY, ERICSSON STEEN RIISGAARD, CEO, NOVOZYMES JERRY STOKES, PRESIDENT OF SUNTECH EUROPE
Some of the best minds in business and in the climate field will be gathered in Copenhagen. We want to make sure that we take the opportunity to gather the best ideas for an innovation agenda. History is being written and you are a part of it. As the global climate discussion moves from problems to opportunities, and the need for actions that deliver deep reductions is well understood, it is time to create space for those with the solutions. Join us for a cup of coffee and an inspiring break. We want to hear your ideas and feedback as we present an outline for a solution based agenda for a low carbon economy –an agenda that goes beyond incremental change. We will present ideas on how businesses can be serious and concrete in building a new industrial paradigm in order to secure deep emission cuts while simultaneously creating jobs and growth. This event will focus on how states, cities and companies can support and accelerate the use of innovative solutions. Most of the plenary discussions and side events at this summit and every summit leading up to Copenhagen in December focus on the size of emission cuts for conventional companies and countries. The discussion often focuses on incremental change of existing systems. This is obviously important, but we believe that it is essential to go beyond that. It is not possible to “reduce” our way to the 80 % or even 90 % reductions of GHG emissions by 2050. To achieve this, new paradigms and a new industrial infrastructure are required: we need to address not only what we must do less of, but also what we need to do more of. Several companies and sectors are already providing low carbon solutions, which create transformational solutions that encourage further and deeper emission reductions. The ICT- Biotech- Smart Building- and Renewable Energy Generation industries are all good examples of such sectors. Given the right conditions these sectors can help lead us towards a low carbon economy without incurring unnecessary costs. From the 24th May we will start to collect input and ideas for what messages need to be sent to COP 15 from an innovation perspective that support this paradigm shift. HERE ARE THREE KEY MESSAGES THAT WE BELIEVE SHOULD BE SENT TO COPENHAGEN. "Governments must make sure that the current focus on improvements also includes solutions based transformative technologies that have a huge potential in terms of mitigating climate changes when they are used." "Business, cities and states should be encouraged to report, not only their own emissions, but also their contribution to reductions in other parts of the economy. This would allow for climate positive reporting and catalyze action among companies that have solutions that can help reduce GHG emissions significantly, but are not big emitters (such as many IT and biotech companies)." "Governments should shift from a product to a services perspective, applying life cycle approaches that support cradle-to-cradle strategies in business along all value chains and using ecosystem services sustainably. An effective global climate treaty must support the creation of an intelligent and bio-based 21st century low carbon infrastructure. "
Text us, email us or provide us with your blog or twitter address, and we will collect them and update the suggestions on the blog: http://cop15innovation.blogspot.com
Innovation hotline for text messages: tel: + 46 707 26 72 32 e-mail: cop15innovation@climateinnovators.net
What do you think about them and what other messages should be sent?