Energy-Saving News

Copenhagen Is A Business Opportunity: Barroso

Posted on 05. Nov, 2009 by Ross in Climate Change, Europe

Low-carbon marketplaces which will emerge in the aftermath of the Copenhagen conference this December will present a wealth of business opportunities.

That’s the verdict of European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso, given in a speech to the BusinessEurope Conference on Climate Change in Brussels.

Copenhagen is important because it represents a business opportunity. By moving towards a more sustainable economy, we will unleash a surge of innovation and investment in clean technologies and products. New sectors will provide ‘green collar’ jobs and become sources of sustainable growth for the future.

His prognosis about the level of business opportunities doesn’t differ under the scenario of a weakened international agreement at the forthcoming international conference, since much of the business world is now aware of the good business sense underlying environmental opportunities such as energy saving technology and efficient used of raw resources.

Barroso illustrated his opinion by pointing to the European commitment to doubling renewable energy use to 20% over the next decade, expected to create an extra 700,000 job opportunities. Recent legislation from the Commission controlling the minimum efficiency for applications such as lighting and motors has also created substantial markets for energy-efficient lighting and energy-saving motor controllers.

Such initiatives are not just limited to Europe: nations considered more climate skeptical such as the USA and India are also bringing in stringent efficiency targets in new electrical applications. This means that new green business opportunities are constantly emerging for budding entrepreneurs as well as established businesses.

Barroso also dismissed the negative effect of stricter carbon regulation upon businesses so often alluded to by politicians who see environmental regulations as economically damaging.

There is going to be a lot of healthy low-carbon competition in the next couple of decades and European businesses must be ready. Green growth is not just a distant vision. We can do it, and in concrete terms, we are already doing it, now, in Europe. Our emissions per capita are now less than half those of the US

Related posts:

1. After Copenhagen, What Is Business As Usual?
2. Italy And Spain Aim For Energy Efficient Cities
3. Russian Climate Change Targets To Spark All-Out Copenhagen Carbon War
4. Copenhagen Results In Higher Energy Prices
5. Copenhagen: There Is No Plan B

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Tags: business opportunity, Copenhagen, Europe