A Chinese man tries a Chevrolet Volt electric car of GM (General Motors) during a launch ceremony in Shanghai, China, 31 August 2010.
AP Photo

"Governments Should Seize on Business Support for Climate Deal"

Op-Ed, The Huffington Post

December 6, 2010

Author: Jonas Meckling, Former Research Fellow, Geopolitics of Energy Project, 2010–2012; Harvard Project on Climate Agreements, 2009–2010; Energy Technology Innovation Policy research group, 2007–2009

In the world as we know it, only environmental activists are the movers and shakers in climate politics. Yet, leading up to the Cancún climate summit, international business emerged as a major apostle for bold steps towards a global climate deal. This represents a historic opportunity that governments need to seize. Otherwise, corporate backlash against climate regulation might occur — history sounds a warning.

Conventional wisdom holds that business opposes new environmental regulation. In fact, about 13 years ago — in the run-up to the Kyoto climate conference — the Global Climate Coalition, the main voice of global industry at the time, lobbied hard against international emission reduction mandates. In the United States, the coalition succeeded in mobilising the Senate to unanimously pass the Byrd-Hagel Resolution, which said that the Senate would not ratify a climate treaty that did not include emission reduction commitments for developing countries. Ultimately, the United States did not ratify the protocol.

A sea change has occurred in the global business community since....

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