Article date:4 November 2010
Written by:Dr Jean Boulton, Chair, carbon reduction company Sustain
The core message at the annual CBI conference on Monday was very
clear. It is growth. Indeed, as David Cameron said, "a forensic
relentless focus on growth". And the government wants business to
lead it and deliver jobs to compensate for those about to disappear
in the public sector.
And what about carbon and climate change? Apart from in Cameron's
opening speech, it was barely mentioned. When it did surface, it
was seen as an issue dominated, and indeed resolved, by renewable
energy and the anticipated success of research into carbon capture
and storage. It was Milliband, prompted by a question from myself,
who raised the issue of a wider consideration of low-carbon
growth.
Speaking to people in the coffee queue, few people seemed to have
considered what low-carbon growth could actually mean, other than
to embrace renewable energy.
But what about carbon in food and raw materials; the waste due to
deliberate design for obsolescence; carbon in supply chains and
manufacturing processes; energy efficiency in buildings? And,
incidentally, why do we have the lowest proportion of our energy
from renewables of any country in Europe apart from Malta and
Luxembourg, despite having the best potential wind resource?
It was also striking to notice the number of questions which came
from companies working in the green sector. Jon Snow, who
facilitated one of the sessions, remarked on this. So why was the
green agenda barely visible? And why does the CBI front CEOs from
the world's largest companies, such as Bob Dudley the new Group CEO
of BP, the President of Barclays and the CEO of Santander, when
most of the audience seemed to be from engaged and lively SMEs?
Maybe this sector has something to teach as well as something to
learn.
