A good time to be a green entrepreneur

The Financial Times, (22 February 2006) reports: As talks on the Kyoto protocol on climate change ground to a halt at the United Nations last December, Bill Clinton, former US president, flew in to tell delegates that opposition to reducing emissions on economic grounds was "flat wrong". He argued that a "serious, disciplined effort" to apply existing technology in clean energy and energy conservation on a large scale would enable developed countries to surpass the Kyoto targets in a way that would strengthen their economies. The doctrine he outlined has been gathering support from political and business leaders. Tony Blair, the prime minister, has reiterated that greenhouse gases could be cut without inhibiting economic growth. Jeffrey Immelt, chief executive of General Electric, launched his Ecomagination initiative last spring, saying: "You can be green and grow."