Business Case for action on Climate Change

IPCC AR5: Climate Change: Implications for Buildings IPCC Market: Global, Year: 2014 The Fifth Assessment Report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is the most up-to-date, comprehensive and relevant analysis of our changing climate. In 2010, the world’s buildings accounted for 34% of global final energy use and 24% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Global final energy use in buildings, and related emissions, could double or even triple by 2050. This briefing explores the challenges and opportunities climate change poses to the building sector.
State of the Climate report 2014 Bureau of Meteorology Market: Australia, Year: 2014 Weather and climate touch all aspects of AUSTRALIAN LIFE. What we experience here at home is part of the global climate system. The Bureau of Meteorology and CSIRO contribute significantly to the international effort of weather and climate monitoring, forecasting and research. In State of the Climate, we discuss the long-term trends in Australia’s climate.
The Basics of Climate Change in Seven Minutes — American Meteorological Society Video American Meteorological Society Market: Global, Year 2014 The American Meteorological Society has produced a seven minute video on the basics of climate change. This is a great tool to help individuals and organisations understand the basics of climate change.
How Australia can thrive in a low carbon world Climate Works Australia. Market: Australia. Year: 2014 Global decarbonisation will affect Australia’s economy. But Australia’s economy is flexible, adaptable and resilient. Meanwhile, Australia has great potential and multiple options for low carbon growth. This project explores how Australia can decarbonise while maintaining economic prosperity.

The 3% Solution: Driving Profits Through Carbon Reduction WWF and CDP. Market: USA, Year: 2013 Many of the world’s leading companies have made major strides in addressing climate change over the last decade. By establishing climate targets, they pushed themselves to look harder at energy waste and found money lying on their factory floors. These success stories have been celebrated, but far more needs to be done to avoid the dangerous and irreversible risks to society and businesses from climate change as global temperatures continue to rise. This report helps U.S. businesses chart a new path forward. This path is tremendously profitable, practical and helps curb climate change and equally relevant for business around the world.

Building our Nation’s Resilience to Natural Disasters Deloitte Access Economics. Market: Australia, Year: 2013 The Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer Communities commissioned a fact-based, comprehensive White Paper, Building our Nation’s Resilience to Natural Disasters, through Deloitte Access Economics. This White Paper aims to considerably assist decision making about the allocation of scarce resources and support the development of policy around natural disaster mitigation. Not surprisingly it shows the government is currently only investing $50m a year on mitigation while $560m per year is spent on recovery measures.

Business Perspectives on Australia’s Climate Policy: A survey of business attitudes Business for a clean economy. Market: Australia, Year: 2013 Almost 300 organisations have galvanised under the banner of Businesses to voice their support for putting a price on carbon. Business wants action on climate change.

Off the Charts: Extreme Australian summer heat Climate Commission. Market: Australia, Year: 2013 Australia is a land of extremes. As global temperature rises, very hot days are becoming more frequent and heatwaves are becoming more prolonged across many parts of Australia. The heatwave affecting Australia in late December 2012 and early January 2013 brought extreme heat to most of the Australian continent over a sustained period. Temperatures above 40°C and 45°C were unprecedented in their extent across the continent, breaking new records for Australian averaged maximum temperatures. The heat was also unprecedented in its duration. This document provides a summary of the influence of climate change on Australias temperature and extreme heat events.

Sustainable Australia Report 2013 The National Sustainability Council. Market: Australia, Year: 2013 The National Sustainability Council was established by the Australian Government in October 2012 as an independent, expert body to provide advice on sustainability issues. It reports to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. It’s key role is to deliver a public report against the sustainability indicators for Australia every two years. This, its first report was published in May 2013}1 and provides a picture of Australia – what we look like and who we are. It tells the story of how we have changed as a nation over the last 30 years. We have made great progress in many areas. Australians are living longer, our health and levels of educational attainment have improved. We have benefited from a strong economy, with low unemployment and increasing incomes. However, inequality has increased and the health of our natural environment has continued to decline in some key areas. The report provides an evidence base for decision-making and planning about the future. It highlights a number of trends in Australia and the world that are set to have a significant impact on the next generation of Australians. It shows we need to plan for an ageing population, rising health costs, growing cities and changes in traditional work and family roles.

World Bank. 4° Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience. A report for the World Bank by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics. Market: Washington, Year: 2013 The World Banks first Turn Down the Heat report concluded the world would warm by 4°C by the end of this century if we did not take concerted action now. This new report outlines an alarming scenario for the days and years ahead-what we could face in our lifetime. The scientists tell us that if the world warms by 2°C -warming which may be reached in 20 to 30 years-that will cause widespread food shortages, unprecedented heat-waves, and more intense cyclones. In the near-term, climate change, which is already unfolding, could batter the slums even more and greatly harm the lives and the hopes of individuals and families who have had little hand in raising the Earth’s temperature. Today, our world is 0. 8°C above pre-industrial levels of the 18th century. We could see a 2°C world in the space of one generation.

Into Unknown Territory: The limits to adaptation and reality of loss and damage from climate impacts CARE, Germanwatch, ActionAid and WWF. Market: Global, Year: 2012 The report launched by the four organizations stresses the irreversibility of a changing climate. The four organizations equally warn that the fast pace of climate change is increasingly exacerbating natural disasters, food crises and even migration issues. Adaptation to climate change alone will no longer suffice. The report concludes with a series of recommendations to policy makers to prepare for and manage losses and damages caused by climate change

One Planet to Share. Sustaining Human Progress in a Changing Climate. UNDP. Market: Global, Year: 2012 Asia and the Pacific hosts more than half of the world’s population, including nearly 900 million of the world’s poor, and 30 per cent of the global land mass. This densely-populated region also accounts for a large share of the developingworld’s deprived people: more than 70 per cent of people lacking access to basic sanitation, close to 70 per cent of underweight children, and 67 per cent of the extreme poor (living below $1.25/day). These large deprivations are compounded by geographic exposure, climate-sensitive livelihoods and low capacity to recover from shocks. Human beings can no longer continue to think of themselves as distinct from the environment. They have been transforming nature for too long – notably by releasing huge quantities of fossil carbon. The consequences are a warmer earth, with melting glaciers, higher sea levels and altered cycles of precipitation and evaporation. Everyone in Asia and the Pacific is facing the impacts; the poor, who have contributed negligibly, much more so. In this regard, the region has a big challenge to reduce poverty and promote human development in the face of rapid climate change. Download the full report

A Sustainability SWOT Source: World Resource Institute Market: Global, Year 2012 The sustainability Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis (sSWOT) is designed to help drive action and collaboration on environmental challenges, creating business risks and opportunities. sSWOT helps individuals engage and motivate colleagues-particularly those with limited knowledge of environmental issues or corporate sustainability.
Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided World Bank. Market: Global, Year: 2012 This scientific report says the world is barreling down a path to heat up by 4 degrees at the end of the century if the global community fails to act on climate change. It is hoped this report shocks us into action. Even for those of us already committed to fighting climate change, it is hoped it will cause us to work with much more urgency. It spells out what the world would be like if it warmed by 4 degrees Celsius, which is what scientists are nearly unanimously predicting by the end of the century, without serious policy changes. The 4° scenarios are devastating: the inundation of coastal cities; increasing risks for food production potentially leading to higher malnutrition rates; many dry regions becoming dryer, wet regions wetter; unprecedented heat waves in many regions, especially in the tropics; substantially exacerbated water scarcity in many regions; increased frequency of high-intensity tropical cyclones; and irreversible loss of biodiversity, including coral reef systems. And most importantly, a 4° world is so different from the current one that it comes with high uncertainty and new risks that threaten our ability to anticipate and plan for future adaptation needs. The lack of action on climate change not only risks putting prosperity out of reach of millions of people in the developing world, it threatens to roll back decades of sustainable development.

Who cares about the environment in 2012? NSW Dept Environment and Heritage. Market: Australia, Year: 2012 Who Cares about the Environment in 2012? is the seventh main survey in this social research series. It examines the environmental knowledge, views, attitudes and behaviour of people in NSW and tracks how these have changed over time.
Low Carbon Growth plan for Australia 2011 update ClimateWorks. Australia. Market: Australia, Year: 2011 This report asks two questions: Can we still meet the 2020 targets? How much does delaying action cost? ClimateWorks_Australia_Low_Carbon_Growth_Plan_for_Australia_2011_update.pdf
Transformative Solutions for a Low-Carbon Future United Nation Global Compact. Market: Global, Year: 2010 The project encourages the rapid development of transformative low-carbon solutions and provides a Web 2.0 platform for communication and exchange of ideas. It will seek government support for an accelerated uptake of solutions and develop tools and methodologies to identify, calculate and report on solutions that help society reduce emissions. United_Nation_Global_Compacts_Transformative_Solutions_for_a_Low-Carbon_Future.pdf
Climate Change: Addressing the Major Skeptic Arguments DB Climate Change Advisors. Market: US, Year: 2010 This study aims to respond to the most common misconceptions that are presented to challenge the position that GHG emissions are adversely impacting Earth’s climate and will continue to do so. DB_Climate_Change_Advisors_Climate_Change_Addressing_the_Major_Skeptic_Arguments.pdf
Creating Jobs- Cutting Pollution Australian Conservaton Foundation & Australian Council of Trade Union. Market: Australia, Year: 2010 The report demonstrates in more detail that strong action to clean up pollution will create jobs across all regions, generating higher and cleaner living standards as well as a healthier environment as we shift to a cleaner economy. Australian_Conservation_Foundation_and_ACTU_Creating_Jobs-_Cutting_Pollution.pdf
Environmental Stewardship Strategy Market: Global, Year: 2010 Presents integrative approach to managing a variety of key environmental issues, designed to help companies develop a comprehensive environmental strategy, following an 8-step model. Please click here to access the website Environmental_Stewardship_Strategy.pdf
Low Carbon Growth Plan for Australia Market: Australia, Year: 2010 This report sets out Australia?s emissions reduction opportunities in cost order and by sector, the challenges faced in capturing them, and actions required to succeed. It also illustrates the significant opportunities available to business. ClimateWorks Australia hopes this will be useful to prompt and guide the actions required from government, business and consumers to achieve the emissions reduction potential for Australia at the lowest possible cost. Summary Report Full Version Report
Corporate Ecosystem Valuation Market: Global, Year: 2009 This scoping study report reaches the conclusion that any attempt to advance corporate ecosystem valuation should focus on new ways of valuing ecosystem dependencies and impacts and incorporating these values within existing financial and business planning tools, drawing where relevant on the existing methods that have been developed specifically to value ecosystem services. Scoping Report brief Issue
Low Carbon Economy Index: Executive Summary Market: Global, Year: 2009 The UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December 2009 presented a crucial opportunity for global leaders to lay the framework for a low carbon economy. Despite delays and challenges in the final stages of the negotiations, pledges from many of the world’s largest economies in the immediate run up to the event have added new momentum to the Copenhagen process. low-carbon-economy-index_(Full).pdf
Risk, Responsibility & Opportunity: The CEO’s guide to climate action Market: Global, Year: 2009 This PwC guide gathers insights from ten top executives and highlights how innovative companies across all sectors are facing up to climate change. pwc_ceo_guide_climage_change.pdf
“Green” Winners – The performance of sustainability-focused companies during the financial crisis Market: Global, Year: 2009 As companies cut costs to get through the current global economic slowdown, there is often a temptation to abandon recent forays into sustainability. Yet a new A.T. Kearney analysis finds that companies committed to corporate sustainability practices are achieving above average performance in the financial markets during this slowdown. Green_Winners.pdf
Making Climate Your Business: Private Sector Adaptation in Southeast Asia Market: Southeast Asia, Year: 2009 This report focuses on business in Southeast Asia and how businesses can contribute to climate change adaptation. It demonstrates that business action is critical for assuring successful adaptation across society. While governments and NGOs in the region are engaging with climate change, much of the business sector is yet to recognise its role. There are nevertheless some examples of good practice from the private sector included in the report. Private_Sector_Adaptation_in_Southeast_Asia.pdf
Climate Change and the Insurance Industry – No silver-bullet solution Market: Australia, Year: 2008 This Zurich Report white paper is based on a climate change report From Risk to Advantage, General Insurers as Key Agents for Climate Change Adaptation, which Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich Australia) commissioned from the highly regarded climate change consulting organisation, Climate Risk. The global report looked at the impact of climate change on the general insurance industry, the issues it faces and what the industry is doing about it. Climate_change_and_the_insurance_industry.pdf
Australia as a Kyoto Nation Market: Australia, Year: 2008 The Kyoto Protocol is currently the strongest binding global action plan on global warming. It is an international Framework Convention that was agreed on 11 December 1997 at the 3rd Conference of the parties to the treaty when they met in Kyoto, and entered into force on 16th February 2005. This article suggests that Australia should change in order to save from the climate change. But if we don’t act, the overall costs and risk of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year – now and forever. Australia_as_a_Kyoto_Nation.pdf
World Energy Outlook 2008 – Executive Summary Market: Global, Year: 2008 Are world oil and gas supplies under threat? How could a new international accord on stabilizing greenhouse-gas emissions affect global energy markets? World Energy Outlook 2008 (WEO-2008) answers these and other burning questions. WEO-2008 draws on the experience of another turbulent year in energy markets to provide new energy projections to 2030, region by region and fuel by fuel. It incorporates the latest data and policies. World_Energy_Outlook_2008_Exec_Summary.pdf
World Energy Outlook 2008 – Media Presentation Market: Global, Year: 2008 This media presentation of World Energy Outlook 2008 compiles with information of energy use in the world with graphical and statistical presentation. World_Energy_Outlook_Media_Presentation.pdf
Climate Change Challenges for Hong Kong: An Agenda for Adaptation Market: Hong Kong, Year: 2008 This report outlines how Hong Kong faces huge changes as a result of the impacts of climate change. Adaptation measures must become a strategic priority for both government and the private sector if the full impacts are not to impact on the competitiveness of the economy. An_angenda_for_Adaptation.pdf
Climate Change Eroding ASX 200 Value Market: Australia, Year: 2007 This is a media release by an investment research and ratings firm, RepuTex, which has conducted a research to the Australia’s top 200 listed companies (ASX200) on how to manage climate change. Only 20 percent of Australia’s top 200 companies are positioned to manage climate change. Climate change is no longer purely an environmental risk issue, but a significant opportunity for the corporate and investment communities. Therefore companies that ignore climate change will face risks of deteriorating financial performance. Climate_Change_Eroding_ASX_200_Value.pdf
Business leadership towards a low carbon economy Market: UK, Year: 2007 This publication uses ten best practice case studies from leading companies and data from Business in the Community’s Environment Index to demonstrate the business benefits of taking action on climate change. It is essential reading for all businesses, whether they are just beginning to tackle their climate change impact, or whether they are further along in their journey to a low carbon economy. business_leadership_towards_a_low_carbon_economy.pdf
Climate Change: Business Risks and Solutions Market: Europe, Year: 2006 This report provides background on the science behind climate change, discusses the business risks and opportunities associated with climate change, addresses development of risk management strategies, outlines relevant insurance coverage issues, and looks at the risks involved with the rapidly developing renewable and alternative energy. climateChange200604.pdf
The World in Context: Beyond the Business Case for Sustainable Development Market: UK, Year: 2006 What has been the response of the business community to the unsustainable issues? A number of academic studies have tracked the efforts of individual companies, and of the business community as a whole, over the last fifty years. The result is there is a slow but steady journey towards more environmentally and socially responsible behaviour, driven by a complex mixture of external pressure (associated, for example, with increased regulation or fiscal measures), commercial opportunity (responding to market demand), and internal business leadership… Beyond_the_Business_case_for_Sustainable_Dev.pdf
Looking Back, Moving Forward: Building the business case for environmental improvement Market: UK, Year: 2006 Looking Back, Moving Forward uses 10 years of Business in the Community’s Environment Index data and case studies from leading companies to demonstrate the business benefits of improving environmental management and performance. It is essential reading for all businesses, from SMEs to FTSE 100 companies, that want to improve their environmental impact. Looking_Back_Moving_Forward_2006.pdf
False Profits – How Australia’s finance sector undervalues the environment Market: Australia, Year: 2006 This report highlights some of the new initiatives, which demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of environmental sustainability in finance. It also outlines public policy reforms that would inform and promote the development of financial markets that fully value the environment. False_Profits.pdf
Why Australia must act now on Climate Change? Market: Australia, Year 2006 A collection of statements from members of the Australian Business Roundtable about why Australia must act immediately on Climate Change. Why_Australia_must_action_now_on_climate_change.pdf
Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change – Fact Sheet: The Business Case for Early Action Market: Australia, Year: 2006 The Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change was formed in 2004 by six of Australia’s largest businesses from a cross-section of industries. Its aim is to advance understanding of the business risks and opportunities associated with climate change and to work co-operatively on solutions to the issue. This fact sheet not only provides the background of it, but also its recommendation on climate change issues and research findings. Factsheet_Business_case_for_early_action_on_climate_change.pdf
Climate Change Impacts on Australia and the Benefits of Early Action to Reduce Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Market: Australia, Year: 2006 Australia is one of the many global regions experiencing significant climate change as a result of global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from human activities. This technical report outlines the likely impacts on Australia of climate change, and the benefits of global emissions reductions. CSIRO_Business_case_for_early_acton_on_climate_change.pdf
Australian Business Roundtable on Climate Change – The Business Case for Early Action Market: Australia, Year: 2006 This research demonstrates that Australia can deliver significant reductions of greenhouse gas emissions at an affordable cost. Furthermore, the longer we delay acting, the more expensive it becomes for business and for the wider Australian economy. The_Business_Case_for_Early_Action_on_climate_change.pdf

How and why the environment and sustainability should be at the heart of business strategy or at the top of the to do list! Australia’s Inaugural CSR Summit. Year: 2006 As the impact of climate change is felt world-wide, consumers become less trustworthy of big business and more environmentally savvy and discerning. Liz Wild – Partner Environmental Group Phillips Fox. Robi George – Ricoh Australia Business Excellence Manager. Amanda Little – Founder One at a Time Foundation.Charles Berger – Aust Conservation Foundation Legal Adviser.Share the thoughts and philosophies of diverse leading organisations on how and why the environment and sustainability should be at the heart of business strategy or at the top of the to do list!How and why the environment and sustainability should be at the heart of business strategy or at the top of the to do list Amanda Little Robi George
Deep Cuts in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Market: Australia, Year: 2006 This report by the Allen Consulting Group was commissioned by the Business Roundtable on Climate Change. Its focus is on climate change and what might be done to prevent the conditions occurring that could bring about catastrophic shifts in the earth’s climate in the future. Within that global context, the report examines the likely impact on the Australian economy and community of taking significant policy action to bring about deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of this century. Deep_cuts_in_greenhouse_gas_emissions.pdf
Factor Four & Factor Five One of the international best selling book. When first published in 1997, Factor Four: Doubling Wealth, Halving Resource Use by efficiency pioneers Ernst von Weizsacker, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins, transformed how economists, policy makers, engineers, entrepreneurs and business leaders thought about innovation and wealth creation. Through examples from a wide range of industrial sectors, the authors demonstrated how technical innovation could cut resource use in half while doubling wealth. Twelve years on, with climate change at the top of the world agenda and the new economic giants of China and India needing ever more resources, there is a unique historic opportunity to scale up resources efficiency and radically transform the global economy. And Factor Five is the book set to change all of this.