Fight against climate change a business opportunity 21 January 2008President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso is set to urge companies to treat the fight against climate change as a business opportunity and not a burden. He will use a speech in London to insist on the need to "incentivise the saving of the planet".
The call comes ahead of Wednesday's unveiling by Mr Barroso in Brussels of tough news greenhouse gas emission limits - including a controversial demand on Britain to increase its use of renewable energy six-fold by 2020.
Mr Barroso knows a backlash from business across Europe could scupper the Commission's determination to meet climate change targets the EU pledged at the Bali global summit on the environment last year. Now Brussels wants to spread the message that tackling the issue head-on offers big benefits to business.
The climate change agenda is a "business opportunity", Mr Barroso will tell about 240 business leaders at an environment conference organised by American investment bank Lehman Brothers.
