ABSTRACT
Climate change has the potential to impose enormous costs on society and the economy, even though uncertainties remain on timing and the scale of the impact. Business leaders increasingly believe that this challenge can be met, providing there is a firm baseline of international agreement that builds on the achievements of Kyoto. The essence of the climate change challenge is to develop products and services with less reliance on carbon-based energy. It is estimated that there is substantial scope for further CO2 savings in all business sectors of around 1520 per cent or around 10 million tonnes of carbon. Sectoral organisations can help to identify options and ensure that business is fully involved in the development of policy. The food and drink and tobacco industries are significant producers of CO2, as are retail and commercial office sectors. Indeed it is estimated that improving the office use of energy could bring savings to business.
