Nokia Siemens Networks

Sayonara, Kyoto. But what comes next?

When the UN Climate Summit draws to a close on December 18th, attendees will have agreed on a replacement for the groundbreaking Kyoto Protocol. unite takes a look at the Climate Savers, one of the more influential groups lobbying for the world leaders to agree a fair, ambitious  and binding climate treaty in Copenhagen.

You will see it on posters, read it in newspapers, and overhear it in restaurants: “Let the clean economy begin.”

This is the mantra of the WWF Climate Savers, one of the most influential groups driving the debate leading up to December’s UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen.

What gives the WWF Climate Savers such a powerful voice is its membership, which includes some of the world’s biggest corporations – Coca Cola, Sony, Nike, HP and Nokia, to name just a few. Equally attention-grabbing is the clarity of its message: businesses and governments must act now to save our planet.

“Traditionally, governments give businesses environmental targets,” said Oliver Rapf, Head of WWF Climate Savers Business engagement. “This time, many of the world’s leading companies are already ahead on the issue, and are urging governments to deliver a strong framework to reduce CO2 emissions globally.”

James Leape, WWF International Director General, added, “The Climate Savers companies have grown their businesses while cutting their emissions. They have proved that growth and low carbon are more than compatible – they are complementary. The Climate Savers companies are saying to the politicians: ‘We’ve done it – now it’s your turn.’”

Another participant in WWF Climate Savers is Nokia Siemens Networks. CEO Simon Beresford-Wylie summed up his company’s commitment to the program: “Climate responsibility is simple - it’s just good business sense.”

One of the first companies to join Climate Savers, Nokia Siemens Networks has agreed to reduce its CO2 footprint by two million tons, by improving the energy efficiency of its base stations by up to 40% and by reducing energy consumption in buildings by 6% by 2012. They have also committed to increasing the use of renewable energy in company operations to 50% by next year. The company also believes that communications can play a key role in reducing the carbon emissions of other industries by helping people travel less, tele- and videoconference more, share electronic rather than printed files, and take advantage of the other benefits of communications.

To learn more about Climate Savers, please click here.

And to learn more about the Climate Savers Clean Economy initiative leading up to the UN Summit in Copenhagen, please click here to watch the WWF video.

True potential for change

The Kyoto Protocol, ratified by all but a handful of UN member-states in 1997, will expire in 2012. December’s Summit in Copenhagen will provide a forum for member-states to debate and craft a successor to the Kyoto Protocol – one that extends its reach and paves the way for real change. The UN Summit marks an important step in the process and industry representatives from Climate Savers have made their position clear.

Do you think it’s possible for the ICT sector, and the communications industry in particular, to do more than it’s currently doing to influence the discussion leading up to the UN Summit in December? We’d like to hear from you. Please register below to share your opinion with the rest of our readers.