The last time energy efficiency was a high profile issue was during the notorious oil shocks of the 1970s and the three-day week. But here we are again.

This time round, the ‘trinity’ of rising energy costs, supply concerns and climate change policies is providing a new imperative that will be harder to ignore or forget.

The new ENDS special report on energy efficiency shows how far a wide range of both large and medium sized companies have gone on their energy efficiency journey – and how they are reaping rewards in lower energy bills and greater competitiveness.

As the report explains, there is still a huge amount to be done. (more…)

“Follow the carbon, find the cost savings.” This is the take-home message of a new report by analysts Verdantix for the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) setting out why more and more leading companies are defining carbon management as a strategic priority that can help save money, prepare for carbon regulation and protect brand reputation.

Sound familiar? It should. There’s been a steady flow of reports from investors, consultants and analysts in the past few years on how carbon management is moving up the political and business agenda, and how companies who ignore it do so at their peril. (more…)

The latest inter-sessional climate talks at Bonn revealed just how much the future of global climate and energy action still hangs by a thread – and a badly frayed one at that.

Until now, the international offset market has limped along despite the looming threat of a gap between the first Kyoto Protocol commitment period, which ends in 2012, and the beginning of a new global agreement. There had been signs of a recovery in momentum at the June talks in Bonn (ENDS Report July 2010), with progress on rationalising negotiating texts. (more…)

The UN Global Compact recently published a thought provoking report on a survey of over 750 chief executives from member companies on how business can help create the social, political and economic conditions to cut carbon and become more sustainable.

It found that over 90% of chief executives believe that sustainability will be critical to the future success of their businesses. A similar proportion believes that sustainability can be fully integrated into strategy and operations within 10-15 years.

Consultants Accenture, which conducted the survey, said this is an important shift in attitudes. Only a few years ago, most executives would have said that business sustainability was impossible.  (more…)