Business Leaders Not Waiting For Congress To Act On Climate Change
Fortune 500 Survey Shows that Legislation is Not a Prerequisite for Climate Action, and Business Should Take a Greater Role in the Climate Policy Debate
NEW YORK (3rd March 2010) - NTR plc, the international renewable energy group, today announced the results of a survey of 130 senior business leaders of Fortune 500 companies on their attitudes towards climate change.
The results of the survey come in the week that NTR plc is to host a lunch in New York with senior business leaders and policy advisors to discuss the issue of climate change. Participating in a moderated panel discussion of the climate imperative will be: Reid Detchon, Vice President for Energy and Climate at the United Nations Foundation; Brendan McDonagh, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC North America Holdings Inc. and Ashok Gupta, Director of Energy Policy, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation and 42nd President of the United States, will deliver a keynote speech: “Embracing Our Common Humanity”.
The NTR Foundation, established to make a measurable societal impact in the areas of climate change, resource sustainability and security of energy supply, will also be formally launched.
The survey, conducted for NTR plc by Brunswick Group, shows that senior business leaders believe they do not need to wait for Congress to act on climate change. Only a third said they require a legal framework to commit to specific actions or to create ‘green collar’ jobs.
However, the research also found that one in two business leaders believe that the lack of clarity on climate legislation is negatively impacting the ability of the United States as a nation to compete in the global market. Respondents also believe that responsibility for tackling climate change doesn’t just lie with government, and that business should take a greater role in the climate policy debate.
Jim Barry, Chief Executive of NTR plc, said “The results clearly show the business community considers the climate change challenge to be real and is responding, irrespective of government action. The business leaders surveyed do believe, however, that the United States needs more cohesive and effective legislation to ensure the country is not at a serious disadvantage in a global competitive context.”
Among other findings, the survey showed that:
- Climate change is a significant issue for senior business leaders: over two-thirds say it will have an important role in their commercial decisions.
- Responsibility for tackling climate change does not just lie with government; the majority of senior business leaders believe that business should take a greater role in engaging on climate policy.
- Half of senior business leaders believe that U.S. legislation should take priority over international negotiations on climate change.
- It already makes commercial sense for business to tackle climate change but security of energy supply is a more pressing issue for almost three-quarters of senior business leaders.
About the Survey
The survey was conducted between 8 and 12 February 2010. A total of 130 online interviews were conducted with senior executives of Fortune 500 companies. Respondents represented a wide spread of industry sectors and a good mix of operational functions.
The NTR survey was produced in collaboration with Brunswick Research. The findings do not necessarily reflect the views of NTR plc or Brunswick Group LLP.
About NTR plc
NTR plc, the international renewable energy group, builds and runs green energy and resource-sustaining businesses. Founded in 1978, NTR has evolved from being a developer and operator of infrastructure in Ireland to an international developer and operator of renewable energy (wind, solar and ethanol) and sustainable waste management businesses in the USA, UK, and Ireland. The company employs over 4,100 people. http://www.ntrplc.com