Social challenges

Conference delegates warned that the world needs a commitment from consumers as well as politicians and industrialists in order to reach testing climate change targets.

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Dr. Alfred Tacke, Chris Huhne MP, Nicholas Teller & William Wright

Chris Huhne MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for the Environment, UK

Huhne spells out climate impact on people’s lives

“There is an enormous threat to the sustainability of the planet. Taking measures to combat climate change has become more pressing because people see the impact with a greater number of shorter term natural disasters. These circumstances are not acceptable. Hurricane Katrina and the effect on New Orleans can act as a political and technological push.”

WHAT CHRIS HUHNE SAID

Industrial countries must bear the brunt “We must create the right incentives for emerging economies. Of the world’s emissions, 70% comes from the industrialised world. Why should we ask China and India to give up prosperity by taking action to help rectify what we in the industrialised West have destroyed?”

Transformation under way in key sectors “We have to decide whether we want to be dinosaurs or dynamos. The Americans are waking up to the challenge. Transformation is taking place among industries. Let’s do with Exxon and Ford what was done with IBM.”

Public opinion likely to embrace change “There seems likely to be more short-term natural disasters. This has an impact on public opinion. Measures which don’t seem politically easy today could become easier in the future.”

Teller says: 'People can make difference'

Nicholas Teller, Member of the Board of Managing Directors, Commerzbank AG  

“Individuals can make a difference. There is no reason why public opinion and consumerism cannot point in a direction where companies can also make profits. In the future people will make their holiday booking based not on what is the cheapest deal – but where they cause the lowest emissions.”

Lord Hurd says:         'We are       20 years  behind'

Lord Hurd of Westwell, President, German-British Forum

“We acknowledge the argument that action needs to be taken on climate change. But when it comes to measures that will impede our way of life, we are not ready. We are roughly 20 years behind where we should be.”

Tacke urges steps to meet vision

Dr. Alfred Tacke, Chairman of the Management Board, Evonik Steag GmbH

"We are in a bad situation. There is a lot of vision but we don’t want to walk the talk. Even in Britain, Germany and France there is a gap between vision and reality, it's worse in Italy, Greece and Portugal. We need to invest in atomic energy, and low carbon technology."

PD Ports builds new infrastructure to cut emissions

Helene Lyall, Sales & Marketing Manager, PD Ports

“PD Ports is moving to a new system to alleviate heavy congestion at the major ports of Southampton and Felixstowe and cut road traffic on heavily used motorways. By turning ourselves into a deepwater port for containers by 2010 we will achieve both an economic and an ecological result.”