Transcript a new vision - the National Business Leaders Forum

Climate change, water and
sustainability – a new vision
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…and a business perspective
Kate Vinot
19 & 20 May 2008
Parliament House Canberra
Background

Principal, sustainability strategies, publicly
listed- global consulting company
 GM Environment, family-owned Australian
manufacturing company
 GM Strategy, Government-owned urban
water utility
19 & 20 May 2008 Parliament House, Canberra
Scope

The new vision for climate-change, water
and sustainability
 What this means for business
 How innovative business can best work
constructively to achieve our national
sustainability interests
19 & 20 May 2008 Parliament House, Canberra
The “New Vision”

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Australia 2020 Summit
Population, Sustainability, Climate Change, Water and the
Future of our Cities
“Australia faces an unprecedented challenge from climate
change. We risk losing our natural heritage, our rivers,
landscapes and biodiversity. We have a brief opportunity to
act now to safeguard and shape our future prosperity.”
“Australia faces an unprecedented challenge from climate
change. We risk losing our natural heritage, our rivers,
landscapes and biodiversity. We have a brief opportunity to
act now to safeguard and shape our future prosperity.”
19 & 20 May 2008 Parliament House, Canberra
The “New Vision” cont.
“Our aspiration is that by 2020 Australia is the
world’s leading green and sustainable economy.
That we will set time-bound targets and be on
track to dramatically decrease our ecological
footprint while continuing to grow our quality of
life. Through our creativity and skills, we will
have harnessed the full potential of our natural
assets and human resources to turn the challenge
of climate change to our advantage.”
 Further aspects, “Top Ideas”

19 & 20 May 2008 Parliament House, Canberra
Impacts on Business

Which business?
 Direct impacts? Indirect impacts?
 Examples:
– Mining company
– Solar panel provider
19 & 20 May 2008 Parliament House, Canberra
How can Business contribute?

Understand the risks
 Direct risks?
– Drought, floods, changes to ecosystem services; pests
and disease, fires and storms, heat stress, sea level rise
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Indirect risks?
– Customers, policies, regulations, community,
competitors, access to finance, innovations

Opportunities?
– What will the market want?
19 & 20 May 2008 Parliament House, Canberra
Close

How can business work more effectively
WITH government to:
– Internalise externalities?
– Remove perverse incentive that exist today?
– Create appropriate institutional frameworks?
– Create a reliable policy framework to enable
appropriate risk-based investment?
19 & 20 May 2008 Parliament House, Canberra