As an implication of the control of carbon emissions, the rights to “dump” CO2 in the atmosphere become an “economic good”. Thus allows the attribution of an economic value to emissions, imputing an additional cost to fossil fuels.
Contributing to the “price veracity” of the different energy families, stimulates measures adoption - by the public and corporations - to energy conservation and the promotion of renewable energies.
Energy efficiency and the increasing of the role of renewables in energy balances, involves continued and...
coherent policies in the medium and long terms. This is only possible if the “economics“ of the energy sector penalizes the conventional fossil energies.
Europe is poor in petroleum, gas and carbon, but relatively reach in renewable resources and technologies related with energy efficiency.
We live the historic opportunity of using them, reducing the dependence of fossil fuels and benefiting from a new market for equipments and services that Europe may export to the world.
I tend to agree that there are many opportunities and that many may be clearly visible. However, there may also be technology options that have not surfaced yet.
The key issue, as alluded to in many comments, is the difficulty in bridging the gap between opportunity and value. The issue seems to be rooted in political paralysis and poor climate leadership by those politicians that are in power.
Human activity creating Carbon emissions is more and more recognised to be a causal factor in climate change. However, while global leaders recognise...
this, their next election may not depend on it and therefore, the issue is managed with rhetoric and sound-bites rather than deep policy commitment....
What is required is global consensus and action. In the absence of global action, responsibility falls to the industrial nations, who emit most carbon. Unilateral action on climate change can deliver economic advantage for those with the vision to make strategic decisions and set policy framework over the course of multiple elections as it will be these companies and nations that find a leading edge. Such policy will require renewable energy to be effectively valued over fossil energy and commitment to a market place for renewable energy, in order to breed investor confidence.
After initial shock of rapidly increasing oil prices and sluggish supplies from most of the oil and gas producing countries, stakeholders start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Carbon emissions and fuel supplies are now on top of the political agenda after the wake-up call. Europe needed a crisis to trigger actions. The reality check allows us to think sensibly and seriously how to satisfy our demand for energy sources without jeopardise our future generations. What constitutes an ideal energy source? Reliable, affordable and clean.
Now...
three-quarter of the world oil reserves is controlled by governments. We have little say about reliability. Despite recent drop in price, oil prices will no longer come back to its year 2000 level, although arguably oil is relatively clean compared with coal.
It is without doubt that coal will continue to play a vital role in the energy mix and in offering the security of energy supplies to many OECD as well as non-OECD countries. Coal is reliable, affordable but is not clean, yet. Substantial efforts should be made to decarbonise the process of coal combustion. Therefore, I think the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology should be deployed as soon as possible. CCS holds a lot of potential but it needs a bit push. In the mean time, among the three carbon capture technologies (oxyfuel, post-combustion and pre-combustion capture), pre-combustion capture represents the cleanest way of burning coal, however expensive. Strong incentive from the EU will be able to increase confidence of industry to invest in this technology before its market comes into existence. Expertise and knowledge gained from demonstrating and commercialising CCS will earn Europe a substantial edge over other developed and developing countries. Knowledge can then be transferred, as eventually fight against climate change desperately needs worldwide commitment and cross-border cooperation.
If the opportunities are disguised, then the disguise is pretty thin.
Renewable energy will be cheapest and greenest form of energy. The question is when this day will come. Up until the start of September, Europe's photovoltaic industry had set itself the target of producing 3% of Europe's electricity from photovoltaic panels by 2020, about 30 times more than the current amount. But because the cost of PV technology is falling so fast and the cost of electricity is rising steadily, the target has been revised drastically upwards, to 12% by the...
same date. Reaching the target relies on the assumption that end-consumers will choose PV en masse when the unsubsidised cost of PV electricity falls below the retail price of electricity.
Wind electricity, electricity generated from waves or tidal flows or from concentrating solar thermal power is also coming down in price and, by weaning us off gas and coal, helping to bring down the price we would otherwise be paying for our electricity 15 or 20 years from now.
The realisation that the only way for fossil energy prices is upwards is finally having an impact on the plans of polticians for the short term. Gordon Brown recently made the difficult choice not to provide a cash hand-out to people who are threatened by high fuel prices this winter, but to insulate their homes instead. The opportunity of going for the solution that will pay dividends in the long term is evidently very visible to him.
Marc Rosen - University of Ontario Institute of Technology
19.09.08
Although the challenges posed by carbon emissions and diminishing fuel supplies are difficult to address and cause hardship, I agree that they in reality are opportunities in disguise. The opportunities to society are numerous, and include 1) allowing us to reduce and ultimately cease our use of fossil fuels and increase our use of sustainable energy sources more quickly than would other wise occur, 2) faciliting the adoption of increased efficiency and cleaner technologies, and 3) permitting us to avoid the geopolitcal problems and instabilities...
associated with our present fossil fuel economy. The opportunities to business are significant, in that those that meet the needs of the green economy in terms of providing new technologies and processes stand to be very profitable. These opportunities, if exploited productively, can potentially lead to benefits for all.
Climate change, security of energy supply and costs are serious issues for the EU and the world. Simply we need to develop a wide portfolio of clean and sustainable energy sources. No matter how much success we have, it seems to me that we will not have enough to meet the projected increase in energy demand. It is not a competition between clean and sustainable energy technologies, we need them all. On the demand side, energy savings are absolutely essential but will probably be overtaken by global demand increases. Although I work for STOA (Science...
and Technology Options Assessment - A European Parliament Service), my comments are purely personal and do not relate to any position that may or may not be taken by STOA.
Without a doubt, the current climatic reality with melting Greenland ice presents a cause for consern and intensification of real actions across all sectors of the economy, including energy, transport, construction and, especially, domestic sector. Increased investments in renewables, including on-shore and off-shore wind, small scale hydro and tidal energy, energy efficiency in the homes (double glazing, controlled heating systems, energy efficient electrical appliances), heat pumps, hybrid and potentially fully electric cars, as well as emphasis...
on rail and other forms of public transport as alternatives to air travel and conventional cars and research and development in respected areas could bring a whole spectrum of CO_2 related as well as economic benefits.
Additional investments in greening the energy sector are likely to produce substantial knock-on effects on the rest of the economy (both in economic and CO_2 terms), the same applies to retrofiting old houses and building eco-homes. One of the aims of development of our economy should be making it sustainable by closing the resource and energy loops, that are working so well in natural ecological systems. Recycling ferrous and non-ferrous metals, paper and glass reduces energy requirements for their initial production, which saves CO_2 .
More intelligent design of our cites could be another opportunity for a systemic change, which could bring us on a more sustainable development path. A sustainable city is more carefully planned, abundant in opportunities to walk, cycle, and use public transport, live in more energy efficient houses, use green spaces, recycle, interact with others, be creative and keep the positive outlook, which is very important.
This entirely depends on what we class as opportunities. I guess the short answer would be yes. Questions of this nature highlight just how broad an ethos is required to understand the impact we have on the world in which we live. The vast umbrella of climate change, intertwined with issues such as carbon emissions and diminishing fuel supplies, requires multiple strands of research covering, of course, scientific areas, but also social and economic aspects. Throughout history, developments in technology and the way we live have arisen from...
problems set out in front of us. In this instance, the scientific evidence clearly indicates that our current way of life is, and has had, an adverse impact on our environment, even though our ability to propagate this to future scenarios is uncertain.
In a sense we must change the way in which our society depends on the use of various energy supplies, not least because of dwindling stocks, but also because of the impact that previous technologies have had on the environment. To do this firstly requires a thorough analysis of, for example, alternative techniques and technologies, which is manifest through funding in dedicated research areas such as green technologies. However, whilst these activities can be seen as an opportunity, such research is now largely seen as a necessity as we have a unclear yet knowingly finite timeline to work within. It is likely that a large fraction of opportunity will arise in the economic and corporate world, as is the nature of the beast. Implementing, for example, green technologies, depends not only on an appropriate use of such innovations but also a rethink about the infrastructure of energy use within our society. This falls within the remit of opportunities given to economists, politicians and so forth. We can only hope however that these opportunities do not compromise the economic wellbeing of the general public.
These challenges can indeed be opportunities for the water industry, although we will probably only know for sure when we look back. The water industry has to think long- term because of its investments, long-standing service contracts based on the current agenda and external short to medium-term constraints, which is a challenge in itself!
The water industry has had to adapt to various external constraints, regulatory, environmental and climatic. So far technical and technological revolutions and evolutions in the water industry have been steered...
mainly by environmental drivers without considering energy demands/consumption or the carbon impacts. This is mainly due to the need to respond to obligations set by national and European regulators. The national and European legislation the water industry has had to comply with was mainly to protect the environment and water resources, no matter the cost, energy consumption or carbon emissions. We must also recognise that this legislation has produced benefits. In the UK, compliance with drinking standards is 99.96% and British people can safely drink tap water.
In the UK, the water sector contributes 3-4% of energy use and less than 1% of the national greenhouse gas emissions, partly through treatment capacities that have to be constantly upgraded to meet ever tighter environmental and health quality standards for drinking water and wastewater. Achieving these standards with most of the technologies available today uses a lot of energy. To date, the focus for increasing standards has been energy-intensive end-of-pipe solutions and the CO2 emissions from the industry could rise even higher if the approach to environmental protection is not amended. These would further increase if the embodied carbon were factored in.
However, these drivers must now be balanced against the new challenges and the demands to reduce energy use, to mitigate the impacts of climate change and diminish energy costs. Therefore, the UK water industry has been re-considering its approach to water and wastewater management, and this includes managing energy demand, at a pace that has been accelerated by the climate and energy challenges. All companies are moving to make further investments in anaerobic digestion and CHP (Combined and Heat Power) and other renewable sources and technologies that they were not necessarily able to make twelve months ago. Their economic assessment has shown that these are more cost-effective. This is becoming a general trend across the water industry which now intends to improve energy efficiency and to use more renewable energy sources (currently accounting for 6.5% of total water industry energy use in the UK, compared to 2.7% in the general economy). The opportunity has to be therefore in the manufacturing and installation/maintenance of such technologies. If the economy of scale argument applies and the more we buy the cheaper the cost of the investment, so the industry in turn will purchase more renewable energy technologies.
Whether the fuel supplies are diminishing or not, it is necessary to ensure that policies are coherent and respond to the challenges posed globally.
In this context, engaging with the regulators is, and will continue to be, a strategic measure in order to ensure an adequate medium to long term regulatory, economic and financial planning framework that reflect the challenges posed by carbon emissions and a rising energy demand. This will then lead to potential changes in wastewater infrastructure efficiency, and potential changes in regulation - away from the "business as usual approach" consisting of favouring end-of-pipe solutions through setting standards, towards upstream management of pollution based on a stricter application of product and process controls at source as well as towards better consideration of energy and carbon implications in future legislation. These last provisions are key to ensure that there is less treatment downstream, and lower carbon emissions. In this respect, all stakeholders, from the policy-making to the operational level, have a responsibility.
Consumers also have a key role to play - for instance in managing the energy used to heat water. Domestic hot water use - from baths, showers, taps and white goods, NOT from central heating - emits about 30 million of CO2 per year. It is over 5% of the total annual greenhouse gas emissions. And it is seven times as much as that emitted by the water industry. A reduction of hot water use in households by 15% would save the equivalent of taking 800,000 cars off the roads. Therefore water efficiency measures that focus on reducing the use of hot water in homes and buildings represent a win-win situation: addressing both water use efficiency and energy use.
Changes in water and wastewater management equally require the support of consumers. The changes cannot occur in a vacuum. Consumers are already aware of the challenges posed by carbon emissions and diminishing fuel supplies through the media. The challenge for us is to ensure that they will positively engage in the necessary transformation and evolution required to respond to the challenges. That is why companies have widely consulted with consumers on their key challenges and priorities through what we call in our jargon the "Strategic Direction Statements" 2010 - 2035. These outline the challenges, priorities and the strategy to ensure that companies deliver a reliable supply of safe, clean water and effective wastewater services.
Whether the challenges posed by carbon emissions and diminishing fuel supplies are in reality opportunities in disguise or not will only find its response in the future. What we know for sure is the immediate need to address those challenges! Because, as we say in French "Prevention is better than cure"!
Diminishing fuel supplies, or more accurately the rising price of fossil fuels, will shift the cost-benefit analysis of investment towards more energy efficient technologies; and towards the development of alternative energy sources. Logically the higher the price of fossil fuel the more people will invest both to save energy and to develop alternatives: and this would do more to reduce carbon emissions than any amount of regulatory intervention.
That having been said, the higher the value of fossil fuels the more economic it will be for people...
to dig them out of the ground and burn them. Becoming more energy efficient may reduce the rate at which we use fossil fuels but, in the end, they will still be used and, all else being equal, the carbon will end up in the atmosphere.
This being so the challenge, in the long term, is not to reduce carbon emissions but to reduce the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide. This could happen naturally, if carbon sinks such as forests were up to the task of absorbing all the carbon emitted: but this cannot be assumed, and we cannot ignore this side of the equation.
Indeed, it may offer other opportunities. A quick trawl of the internet throws up some intriguing possibilities. For example, people claim to have the technology to extract carbon dioxide directly from the air; while others are able to combine carbon dioxide with hydrogen to produce methanol. Add to this the production of hydrogen from water by electrolysis and, provided you use renewable energy, you have the possibility of taking carbon from the air and producing a fuel which is far more practical than, for example, hydrogen itself.
None of these opportunities is heavily disguised. The question is whether they will become sufficiently attractive to consumers, and so to investors, in time to make a difference.
Absolutely, the company I work for have been instrumental in proving the viability and robustness of products aimed at reducing carbon emissions and replacing fossil fuels. Only during the last 5 years have we seen sustained growth throughout the company in the different renewable energy technology types that we install.
For instance, during the last year as oil prices continue to escalate we have been overwhelmed with enquiries for wood fuelled heating systems as the financial implications of installing an oil fired system become restrictive...
for the larger consumers and the payback of a wood fuelled system (that has a much higher capital cost) continues to fall and therefore becomes more attractive.
However, it is not only in the installation of the plant or technology where there are opportunities. All of these products require a Balance of System (BOS) which may include everything from isolation switches to cabling. Skilled labour is required, opening up opportunities for training centres and recognised courses. Innovative businesses may look at designing products to simplify the installation of certain technologies, such as solar photovoltaic tiles for the roofing industry or façade framing for solar thermal of PV cladding. Foresters or arbiculture specialists may look at diversifying into providing wood chip for wood fuel heating systems and get together with farmers who could use available barns for the storage and drying of this wood chip for example.
Before such technologies are even installed energy efficiency measures should be implemented, there in lies an abundance of opportunities for efficient lighting products, smart metering, insulation, sun pipes, glazing and even entire buildings!
There are endless opportunities for the astute and a whole new economy growing around such solutions, as always it will be the quality products and services with appropriate accreditations that will have longevity.
Terry Barker - Cambridge Centre for Climate Change
2.09.08
The opportunities are not in disguise, they are apparent all around us. But fuel supplies are not diminishing, far from it. Other opportunities are being ruthlessly exploited to make profits from the fossil-fuel shortages, adding to the risks of global warming. At the same time there are opportunities for good behaviour and good government. The IPCC has assessed what we know and governments have agreed on the implications for policy. The pressing problems of climate, energy and economic security can be solved, but action is urgent and policy-makers...
attention has been high jacked by the credit crunch.
Governments, companies, householders and drivers, who have embraced the green agenda, are benefiting from more demand for alternatives to fossil-fuel. Renewable electricity generation, export markets for wind turbines, energy-efficiency equipment for buildings, hybrid cars are all increasing in demand. The owners of this low-carbon equipment are also benefiting from lower energy costs as well as, typically, higher quality performance.
At the same time, huge new open-cast coal mines are being planned where known seams are easily accessible throughout the world. Electricity stations are being planned to burn the coal, with a cosmetic “capture-ready” tag attached. They will put even more dangerous CO2 emissions into an overloaded and overheating atmosphere. Big oil is gearing up to exploit the Arctic oil and gas deposits being laid bare by the retreating ice, accelerating the retreat and adding to global warming. Many governments are colluding and supporting this drive to make profits out of high energy prices, despite the fact that the CO2 emissions as a result will add to the risks of dangerous climate change and undermine their announced targets or policies for reducing CO2 emissions. As one fossil-fuel source diminishes, e.g. North sea oil and gas, new more expensive ones take their place. And we know that there is enough coal to burn in the world to take us back to a geological time without ice, much higher sea levels, and probably a much more violent climate.
There are opportunities for responsible behaviour and government. The IPCC has assessed what we know and governments have agreed on the implications for policy. The oil and electricity companies can strongly lobby for high carbon prices and legislation requiring carbon capture. The pressing problem of energy security can be solved by huge, targeted investments in energy efficiency, just about everywhere, in buildings, vehicles, industrial plant, and household equipment. As much as 7 GtCO2 can be saved, globally by 2030, at no significant cost, with much of the energy saving repaying the investment costs at profit. And where the construction industry is collapsing into depression, the new work retrofitting houses and offices will generate more jobs, more incomes and more profits.
We need strong national, EU-scale and global policies as well as action at a personal and company level. Additional energy taxes, calibrated to the carbon-content of fuels, and including electricity generation, can yield very substantial revenues for reducing inflation and decarbonising the economic system. Instead of finance for investment being paralyzed by the mistrust of the bankers, or provided to banks to save their skins, finance for low-carbon investments should be actively pursued by governments, as justified by the advantages of energy security through lower demand, lower pollution, and higher employment.
"Every crisis is an opportunity" Tony Blair famously said. While surely true for the current energy and climate crisis, this bon mot should not leave us unprepared for the huge costs that reducing our dependency on fossil fuels will create.
European companies have already been rather vocal on the additional cost and competitiveness problems they are fearing from current European policies on climate protection and renewable energy. But these protests will be nothing in comparison once households - i.e. voters - will realise that the increase in...
their monthly energy bill is not only due to developments on the global energy markets, but also a direct consequence of EU and national climate change policies.
Europe, as a global leader in climate change policies, must carefully manage the scale and distribution of these short-term costs. Otherwise Europeans risk not seeing the long-term opportunities in terms of more growth and jobs, at all.
The most important challenge will be to keep an industrial base in Europe because it is industry that innovates in low-carbon solutions. For example, the production of state-of-the-art glass will emit some kilogrammes of CO2. But once a better insulating window is installed in your apartment the glass will save a multiple of that during its lifetime.
A level-playing field of production cost must be created throughout the world to prevent European industry leaving or diminishing their activities in Europe. Otherwise innovation in clean products and technologies will take place elsewhere or, in the worst case, not at all. We need a level-playing field for the cost of emitting greenhouse gases as well as for the cost of electricity, which is already higher in Europe than in other industrialised and industrialising parts of the world
Renewable energies are necessary to meet our challenges, and they a tremendous business opportunity. But so is nuclear energy. And so are technologies to capture and sequestrate CO2. Policymakers must refrain from picking winners early-on but let the markets decide on the most effective and efficient ways to produce and use energy.
Yes of course, mankind will not respond to the known threat for the last 20 years since the facts have been recognized, but only when the price of energy ( fossil ) rises to an unacceptable level , will the matter be taken seriously.
We are now descending into Climate Chaos, and unprecedented sea level rises of 260 ft ( Chris Rapley head of the Science Museum and past head of the British Antarctic Survey ), and if the warming continues as it is, the release of Methane Hyrdrate on the sea bed will be catastrophic with a 20 deg C rise in the planets...
temperature in a few short years of release. this will mean the death of all life on the planet .The loss of the planets species 30 % up to now ( Royal Zooalogical Society ) , and the current loss rate of 50,000 known species a year right now ( Natural History Museum ), include the possible demise of our bee population , down 25 % this year = no pollination of food crops. Coupled with the loss of fertile agricultural land at sea level , 50 % of the worlds population lives at sea level, there will also be massive environmental refugee problem. The opportunity comes from the possibility to solve the present crisis with a change to renewable energy supplies ( Uranium is already in short supply ), this young industry is growing at 30 to 40 % per year and could be a huge provider of wealth and employment if we chose to adopt it quickly, and shut down fossils emissions, the choice is ours.
Man’s industrial and economic impact upon environment has reached an enormous scale nowadays. We came to the limit, when our and future generation’s well-being, existence is depends on our relationship with nature.
In particular, what people demand is not energy as such but the services which energy can provide heating, cooking, lighting etc. Attention should therefore in future focus on how these services can be provided most effectively and efficiently which may eventually mean in ways very different to those with which we are now familiar.
With...
the decline in infant mortality, the rise in average life expectancy and improvements in sanitation came rising population closely linked with the industrialization process. Admittedly this provided the goods and services required in part sustaining the population growth and eventually provided the technology to mitigate many of the problems it had caused.
The growth of population, the desire for comfort, material exquisite, mobility and communication and access to the materials, processes and technology to meet such desires by an increasing number of people has brought with it, among other things, rising energy demand and the incentives to meet that demand.
Industrialization process caused a great environmental pollution, the population faced with number of problems. Ecological problems are rather serious nowadays than they were in past.
It is clear that civilization of world population greatly depends on rational use of Earth’s resources and creation of basis for renewable energy use and efficiency.
We can add that, today many countries use renewable energy, which can raise the level of economy and improve the housing conditions.
The challenges posed by carbon emissions and diminishing fuel supplies are a real opportunity to switch from a society based on shear quantities and waste to a society based on quality, intelligence and the recycling of resources. The planet can accomodate a much more important population if we use our resources more intelligently. Burning a fossil fuel that has taken millions of years to make, to heat a house which is poorly insulated is not a very smart thing to do. So, our priorities should go towards providing better quality (for example better...
comfort in buildings) with less quantities of raw materials. It is possible. It only requires more intelligence, better organizations, and more service-oriented companies.
These challenges can be opportunities in disguise, but adjusting to a new world of limited carbon emissions will come with considerable pain and the need for sacrifice. In my opinion, the only way to achieve needed carbon reductions is when carbon has a price, either through a tax or a cap and trade system. As "tax" is a political dirty word, I think we can reasonably expect a future international treaty that sets a global cap on carbon emissions and prices carbon. Once in place, I envision three main challenges that could turn out to be extraordinary...
opportunities:
One of the biggest challenges will come in the form of higher energy prices and the impacts of global warming disproportionately affecting the world's poor. This could be an opportunity if the developed world invested real resources into adaptation efforts aimed at those most vulnerable. For example, bringing electricity generated from renewable sources to the rural countrysides of India and China would be one of the greatest humanitarian accomplishments of our time.
While getting China and India to participate in carbon emission reduction efforts will pose considerable challenges, it also presents a historic opportunity to further weave these rising nations into the tapestry of a stable international system. From a security perspective, Europe and the US should welcome a strong China and India, and create the necessary preconditions for their full participation in the international community. This effort will need to come with a complex diplomatic toolkit of carrots and sticks, but like the motto of this year's olympics, in the context of climate change we all share "one world, one dream."
Perhaps the biggest opportunity will be the windfalls earned by those able to solve the energy riddle. Great fortunes will be made by innovative entrepreneurs who figure out how to bring to the market green technologies such as an economic electric car, efficient solar panels and tidal power generators. Green collar jobs will replace blue collar jobs and those that embrace this historic challenge stand to become very, very rich.
Improving the energy efficiency while securing and further enhancing the current high living standard is an important challenge in the framework of climate change policy. The quality and innovation delivered by focussed research and competitive businesses to the benefit of consumers is a key factor on this path.
The competitive edge of Europe lies in high quality and innovation corresponding to the world highest standards also in terms of energy efficiency. Enhancing this competitive edge is an important element in the strategy to address the...
From the point of view of a crop scientist the challenges posed by carbon emissions and diminishing fuel supplies present quite clear (and undisguised) opportunities. Until approximately 200 years ago biomass provided the main source of energy for human activities and there is now an opportunity for it to again become a significant energy source. However, the significant increase in energy demand of an industrialised society compared to 200 yrs ago and the need to use land to feed a greatly increased (and increasing) world population, means there...
is an urgent need to exploit biomass as a source of energy more efficiently, this provides clear opportunities for research and development. If biomass is to play a meaningful role in the 'mix' of sustainable energy resources required for the 21st Century, new technologies must be developed with increased efficiency and a reduction of green house gases. Progress requires an inter-disciplinary 'holistic' approach to develop the technologies required for bio-refining of biomass sources for fuels and other products of value to industry and society. Opportunities exists for collaboration between industry and academia to ensure that research will be aligned to end user needs and there are great opportunities for cross discipline collaboration between life and physical scientists and engineers with social scientists and economists to ensure solutions to the problems carbon emissions and diminishing fuel supplies will be compatible with policy and public acceptability. There are also new opportunities for the development of the rural economy; farmers have an opportunity to move up the supply chain to gain added value from their crops through 'on farm 'processing either as part of a dispersed energy supply chain or in the area of biorefining to produce compounds of value. There are opportunities for governments to facilitate the development of sustainable supply chains, however, in many cases this does not appear to be happening and development is being left to 'market forces' which are driven by economics and not necessarily sustainability issues and the two may not always coincide.
This depends on one's viewpoint. While scientific evidence has established that carbon emissions are responsible for global warming, until the emission levels reached a certain level and the impact on the environment began to be felt, the common citizen did not take notice.
Similarly, until the society was confronted with diminishing fuel supplies one assumed the supply will never end, and not many people wanted to think about the carbon emission impacts of heavy use of fossil fuels. Now that fuel prices have risen significantly (including coal,...
oil and natural gas), people are beginning to realize the need to minimize the use of such fuel both for price and carbon emission reasons.Thus the recent rise in prices for fossil fuels have had a positive impact on controlling carbon emissions.
A: To keep it very short, the answer would be ‘yes’ but I’d like to make it just a bit longer and to approach this issue from the small business perspective.
Small businesses are usually very dynamic and open to innovative solutions. Their owners are interested in securing the future of their companies, their families and also local communities. They see the confrontation with the climate change as an opportunity and want to participate in the design of the future energy policies. According to most of them, the diminishing fuel supplies boosting...
the innovation can be seen as an opportunity, which will have at least three positive effects: higher efficiency, lower energy costs and naturally a cleaner environment. To make it happen however the right support and policies are needed.
Carbon emissions being gradually more carefully measured and controlled may be perceived as business opportunities and surely as politically sensitive matters. The European jobs and growth depend mostly on the performance of the small and medium size enterprises, which are 99.8 % of all European businesses. Therefore, the real challenge is to start the policy planning actually from their level and to examine whether they will cope with the new measures. Small businesses are concerned in particular by the possible fiscal measures that might be introduced. They would affect them much heavily than larger business. On the other hand, measures encouraging SMEs to reshape their activities into a more eco-friendly way could bring very positive results. By doing so we would be sure that the challenges are turned into ‘green opportunities’ at all levels.
Many businesses, regardless the size, benefit from the access to natural resources and their activities do have an impact on the environment. Addressing the small business is as important as finding the right solutions in co-operation with big industries. ‘Think Small First’ principle applies also when we want to protect the environment. Environmental issues should not be seen exclusively through the big business scope. Europe can be a real leader in providing the global climate change solutions but only if these solutions are designed in a proper way.
To sum up, the answer is still ‘yes’, they can be seen as opportunities however the scale of the future success depends on the measures being implemented and the design of the innovative solutions.
Your Comment
Nuno Ribeiro da Silva - Sociedade Portuguesa da Energia Solar
3.10.08
As an implication of the control of carbon emissions, the rights to “dump” CO2 in the atmosphere become an “economic good”. Thus allows the attribution of an economic value to emissions, imputing an additional cost to fossil fuels.
Contributing to the “price veracity” of the different energy families, stimulates measures adoption - by the public and corporations - to energy conservation and the promotion of renewable energies.
Energy efficiency and the increasing of the role of renewables in energy balances, involves continued and...
Europe is poor in petroleum, gas and carbon, but relatively reach in renewable resources and technologies related with energy efficiency.
We live the historic opportunity of using them, reducing the dependence of fossil fuels and benefiting from a new market for equipments and services that Europe may export to the world.