Author Description

For at least a decade the science of climate change has warned us of the dire need for action – particularly by corporations who are the main engines of economic production and consumption. Yet managerial and corporate understanding of climate change and related energy issues remains fragmented and present actions lack the urgency this critical problem deserves. There is a whole new economy – the low-carbon economy – looming on the horizon. But our consumption and production patterns remain in a carbon-locked position. What we are risking is a global carbon crisis and a case of history repeating. Humankind's failure to adequately recognise the onset of and address the effects of the global financial crisis mirrors our similar failures with the carbon crisis. There are many parallels: both are and were predictable and both will have direct implications on humanity on a sweeping, indiscriminate and severe scale. The difference is that we cannot reverse the effects of climate change and fossil fuel scarcity as easily as we can repair the global financial system. It is of paramount importance that we wake up to the risks and begin tackling the issues early enough. To successfully address the risks, business needs to be aware of the consequences that a changing climate and finite carbon resources will have on their business performance. The element carbon – both as a resource and as an emission – is both an economic threat as well as an opportunity for companies. It is a threat for carbon-intense production systems that will need to be changed to avoid further harmful climatic change, and take into account the limited availability of carbon-based fuels. At the same time, new opportunities will emerge for companies who can creatively design and produce goods and services that fit the new emerging carbon-constrained business environment. Many sectors of the economy – for example, renewable energy, energy and resources conservation, waste reduction and management, carbon