Business Challenges for a Low–Carbon Economy

WBCSD President Bjorn Stigson addressed the 17 th CleanTech Forum in Brussels today, looking ahead to 2050 and global changes for a low-carbon economy.

His comments reflected the reality of today's business world: the increasingly resource- and carbon-constrained arena in which companies are operating.

“Increasing prices for fuel, minerals and food are reflecting a world with growing consumption due to higher living standards and more people. At the same time, growing energy use is causing carbon emissions that threaten our climate and water supplies,” he said.

The necessary reductions in carbon emissions need to be some 50% below today's levels by 2050, and 60 to 80% of these reductions need to come from industrialized nations alone. If we manage to tackle this challenge, the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere should remain at a level that would keep global temperature increases below 2-3 degrees Celsius.