Committee on Climate Change

Eliot is Director of the UK Corporate Leaders Group, which brings together leaders from some of the UK’s largest businesses, with the aim of supporting the development of new and longer term policies for tackling climate change...  

 1.    What role do you think business leaders can play in helping to tackle climate change?
There are many roles that business leaders can play – climate change is a challenge that affects all of society and if we don’t pull together to deal with it, the human, environmental and economic costs will be far greater than they need be. It is important that business leaders guide their organisations through the required economic transition and help to develop the new economic models and activities that will power green growth and encourage sustainability.

2.    What are your key priorities for the coming year?
The Corporate Leaders Group has a lot of exciting work ahead of us. Our UK group is keen to see an acceleration in delivery against the framework that is set out in the Climate Change Act. We will be working to demonstrate how the government can go further, and discussing with them how we would expect momentum to increase. We also hope to bring insights from the business world into difficult areas such as how to promote behaviour change and how to deal with the flow of embedded emissions across national borders. 
Internationally, we will be working with businesses to maintain pressure for a global deal on climate change, but also to demand that governments everywhere start working with each other to take the actions that are possible now, even before a global deal is agreed.
 
3.    What policy approaches would your members like to see from Government in supporting the move to a low-carbon economy?
The policy framework as a whole needs to send a clear and simple signal that the UK is unequivocally committed to building a low-carbon economy. This framework needs to be predictable and stable enough to allow businesses the certainty needed to invest in this future. This lack of certainty what my members cite most often as being an issue.  And, whilst no company would want to see unnecessary or poorly designed regulation, when it comes to the right kinds of regulation, the government should be clear and bold. 
But also, as well as considering mitigation, adaptation  to climate risks and increasing economic resilience must also be a priority for the UK. If successfully done, this too offers opportunities  for job creation and growth, whilst protecting economic assets.
 
4.    Are you hopeful that an international agreement on climate change can be reached?
The progressive global business community is unequivocal that not only can an appropriately ambitious, equitable and binding agreement be reached, but that the time for doing this is long overdue. The longer that uncertainty continues, the harder it will be for companies to justify the risks involved in investing in a low-carbon future. And if the meeting in Durban at the end of this year fails to provide further clarity, then the credibility of governments and hence their ability to mobilise private investment, will be permanently damaged.  That said, there is significant action that is possible at a national and international level without waiting for a global deal. Governments should illustrate that they are committed to a low-climate-risk future because that future is a good thing for our prosperity, security and growth.
 
5.    What do you do to reduce your carbon footprint?
I’m certainly no saint on this front. I do the usual– I recycle, cycle to work, use public transport, try to minimise energy usage at home and buy power on a green tariff. However I also fly too much – usually for work. We are currently exploring new ways to mobilise businesses internationally that don’t require so much travel and have some exciting ideas for innovative use of video conferencing and more.