Blair and Schwarzenegger Meet Business Leaders to Accelerate Climate Change Solutions

June 26, 2007

A coalition of 19 business leaders met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today (26th June) to accelerate transatlantic action on climate change and to encourage global momentum towards a low carbon economy.

The roundtable meeting at No10 Downing Street was attended by David Miliband, Secretary of State for Environment and senior representatives from B&Q, Barclays, BBC, BP, BSkyB, DuPont, Goldman Sachs, Google, Interface, JPMorgan, Man Group, National Express, News International, O2, Royal & Sun Alliance, Swiss Re, Tesco, Walkers and Warner Bros. The business leaders present have already pledged to work with governments, civil society, and their customers to tackle climate change.

At the meeting, the group reported on progress achieved on their own emissions reduction programmes, discussed challenges to developing an international emissions trading scheme, and reviewed successes in driving public engagement since the Long Beach summit in California last July, also co-ordinated by The °Climate Group.

Also discussed was the growing UK public engagement campaign ‘We’re in this Together’ which has a planned US roll-out later this year. This business-backed campaign – led by The °Climate Group and unveiled by Tony Blair and David Miliband earlier this year – offers both ideas for behavioural change and practical solutions for UK consumers. It aims to help reduce average household emissions by around a tonne over three years. Since April, the campaign has announced 12 separate solutions and has already saved 36,000 tonnes of CO2 (an amount equivalent to taking 13,000 family cars off the road for a year). ‘We’re in this Together’ will also provide a practical and official legacy to London’s Live Earth concert on 7th July.

Dr Steve Howard, CEO of The °Climate Group, said: “The scale and urgency of the climate change problem facing us calls for unprecedented collaboration. UK and California leadership on this issue has blazed a trail for others to follow. The companies here today are already leading the way in reducing their own carbon footprints and are now turning their attention towards making it easier, cheaper and more appealing for consumers to play their part in the solution. We hope the ‘We’re in this Together’ campaign will receive further public support following the Live Earth concerts and capture the aspirations of many in this country and beyond who want practical help in knowing how to play their part in tackling climate change.”