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Latest newsNeil Bentley speaks at IPPR seminar on green jobsCBI’s Director of Business Environment spoke at an IPPR seminar entitled: Green collar jobs: A progressive environmental and labour market approach for the UK. The seminar followed on from prime minister Gordon Brown’s announcement of a £100bn investment in renewable energy as part of a green revolution that could create many thousands of ‘green-collar’ jobs. The seminar looked at learning from the German experience of developing a strong green industrial policy and debated the British potential for a green job strategy. Other speakers at the event included Matthias Machnig, German Minister of State for the Environment as well as Dr. Hilmar Schneider of the Institute for the Study of Labour in Bonn.Click here to download Neil Bentley's speech (PDF 220kb), 8 July 2008 . CBI active on energyCBI director-general Richard Lambert addressed the annual conference of the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) where he emphasised the need to improve the planning system for major infrastructure projects, create a robust emissions trading scheme, and reiterated the CBI’s support for the Renewables Obligation.On emissions trading - CBI Deputy Director-General, John Cridland, has written to the Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, and Business Secretary, John Hutton, to set out support for the draft Phase 3 of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EUETS). However he stressed the need to avoid damaging competitiveness by addressing the issue of carbon leakage. CBI continues campaign on climate changeThe CBI briefed MPs ahead of second reading of the Climate Change Bill - which the CBI believe builds a strong framework for action on climate change. The CBI welcomes the government's intention to develop non-statutory guidance for reporting carbon emissions rather than move straight to mandatory reporting, given the need to resolve some the complexities about how mandatory reporting would work. The government will review this in 2010, and the CBI is currently working towards the development of a common carbon reporting methodology. CBI have also lobbied against an amendment limiting the use of international carbon credits to meet the UK's emission reduction targets.CBI welcomes new nuclear action planThe CBI has welcomed the announcement from government, calling for a new generation of nuclear power stations to be built and operating as quickly as possible, given the urgency of reducing carbon emissions and combating other energy threats. The new action plan includes the creation of a new Office of Nuclear Development, within the Department for Business, to build more effective cross-government working on nuclear energy, and the creation of a new Nuclear Development Forum, bringing together government and the industry, to discuss key issues and maintain momentum as nuclear new build progresses.UK renewable energy target "not a pragmatic"Responding to this week's publication of a consultation on how the UK will meet the EU renewable energy target, Deputy Director-General John Cridland said climate change is a priority for business and consumers and the expansion of renewables will help the UK renewable energy industry become a world leader. However, the EU renewable target is neither a pragmatic or cost-effective way to meet our carbon targets. The Government's £6 billion a year estimate of the target's cost will fall on business and household energy consumers.Neil Bentley at Carbon Trust Launch StandardDirector of Business & Environment, Neil Bentley, spoke at the launch of the Carbon Trust Standard on 23 June. During his speech Neil said that “encouraging business to adopt the same practices and reporting procedures will send a powerful message to government and consumers about the seriousness with which the business community is taking the issue.” The Standard is designed to help business reduce, measure and manage their carbon emissions with the aim of achieving continuous year on year carbon reductions.To read the speech please click here CBI sets out ideas for next phase of EU emissionsIn a new report published 23 June, the CBI called on European policymakers to take steps necessary for business to give its full support to the third phase of ETS, the scheme designed to help tackle climate change by putting an overall cap on carbon emissions. Commenting on its proposals, Richard Lambert said: "Getting to this point has been a huge achievement for Europe. Our ideas for the next phase of ETS, which kicks in after 2012, are intended above all to ensure Phase 3 of Emissions Trading delivers the tough carbon reductions we know we have to have and which we believe are achievable.Click here to read the report. Climate change must stay top of agendaThe economic slowdown should not distract politicians from taking urgent action to tackle climate change and secure the UK’s future energy supply, the CBI’s director-general, Richard Lambert, said in a speech to Siemens sustainability conference. Richard Lambert put energy and the environment at the top of business’s long-term priorities, describing alternative energy sources as "an economic opportunity on a scale that has not been seen before".Click here to read Richard Lambert's speech. Click here to read the press release. Climate Change updateIn the six months since the publication of the Climate Change Task Force report Climate Change: Everyone’s Business the CBI has been busy turning the words in the report into action, and have 12 workstreams underway on which we are seeking member input. For an update on this work or to contribute to a workstream click here and download the pdf (472kb)Mandarin version of climate change reportThe CBI launched the full Mandarin version of the Climate Change Report on Monday 26 May at an event at the British Embassy in Beijing. Following Richard Lambert’s trip to China in January, when the CBI circulated the bilingual summary of the findings of the CBI Climate Change Task Force, the complete report has now been translated into Mandarin with the support of the UK Trade & Investment. Click here to download a full pdf copy of the report (1.60mb)Help with PDFsIf you need free Adobe Acrobat PDF reader software or help with PDFs, go to http://access.adobe.com (opens in new window). |
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