Isra-Mart srl:Global business leaders issue Cancun rallying call

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Isra-Mart srl news:

Business leaders from around 250 companies have today issued a renewed call for politicians to deliver "an ambitious, robust and equitable global deal on climate change" at the forthcoming UN climate summit in Cancun, Mexico.

The statement, known as The Cancun Communiqué, reiterates the message contained in the Copenhagen Communiqué, which was released in the run-up to last year's UN climate change summit and was ultimately endorsed by more than 950 companies.

It argues that there is a strong business case for investment in low carbon technology and infrastructure, and calls on governments to act urgently to deliver the necessary regulatory framework.

"The scientific evidence remains overwhelming, and the case for bold and urgent action to tackle climate change is stronger than ever," it states. "As business leaders, we are used to making decisions on the basis of projected risk and established science, at this point in time we cannot afford to ignore the undeniable impact of climate change on global populations, natural resources, the economy, and on our businesses."

It also accuses politicians of leaving many in the business community feeling "frustrated and unsure of our low-carbon investment decisions" as a result of their failure to deliver a more ambitious agreement in Copenhagen.

The group urges diplomats to deliver more progress in Cancun, calling on them to deliver on previous commitments to agree emission targets, increase climate financing, and establish mechanisms for protecting forests and verifying emission cuts.

It also calls for new sectoral, bilateral or regional agreements that focus on delivering rapid improvements in a number of key areas, including energy efficiency, low carbon energy systems, carbon capture and storage, and land use management.

The Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change, which orchestrated both the Copenhagen and Cancun Communiqués, is once again calling on business leaders who agree with the text to formally sign up in support of the document.

A number of the world's largest companies have already endorsed the statement, including Nestlé, Philips, Royal Dutch Shell, Tesco and Unilever.

A spokesman for the group said that the Cancun text was unlikely to garner quite the same level of support as the more high-profile Copenhagen Communiqué, but the number of companies so far signed up was comparable with the number signed up at the same stage last year.

The communiqué was formally launched today at an event in Brussels attended by European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, and the Ambassador of Mexico to the EU, H.E. Sandra Fuentes-Berain.

Over the next month, the event will be followed by similar launches in Brazil, the US, South Africa, South Korea and Japan, before being presented to world leaders at the Cancun Summit on December 5.