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Climate and Energy - Programmes and Projects
Climate change and energy are no longer purely of environmental
concern but are becoming an important issue in economics and sustainable
business. The adverse
changes to climate and the depletion of energy resources have a direct
impact on the "business as usual" approach. NBI, therefore, aims to mobilise
business as a whole towards the formulation of a business climate change
response strategy through: increased
awareness, voluntary collective
action, policy engagement, mitigation activities, adaptation, and promotion of capacity building initiatives
through partnerships.
Using a Climate and Energy focus, NBI
seeks to mobilise business leadership in support of sustainable development with
an emphasis on environmental issues (including mitigation and adaptation
efforts), through information sharing, advocacy, partnership-building and
practical initiatives. Using the
mitigation and adaptation approach, we engage business with related stakeholders
by encouraging sustainable practices via the Energy Efficiency Accord and the
Carbon Disclosure Project.
PROJECTS: Energy
Efficiency * Climate Change * Carbon Disclosure Project
(CDP) * Advocacy and Information
Sharing
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Min of
Energy, Dipuo Peters,
addresses
the Voluntary Energy
Efficiency
Accord dinner, May 2010 |
The
NBI's Climate and Energy focus area promotes and inspires good
business practice in the areas of energy to ensure a sustainable future for all
through Awards. At the 2009 etaAward ceremony, NBI
presented awards to the Top Performing Energy Efficiency Accord Signatories in
2009. The Award recognises hard work and commitment of resources to implementing
the Accord, setting an example and demonstrating progress towards achieving the
target of the Accord.
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Commercial
Category: FirstRand Group Ltd
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Industry
Category: ABB South Africa (Pty) Ltd
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Mining:
AngloGold Ashanti
Ltd |
1Energy
Efficiency
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Global
climate change is real. The vast majority of the world's leading scientific
experts agree that GHGs affect the climate by increasing the "greenhouse
effect." The gases concentrate in
the earth's atmosphere and trap heat by blocking some of the long-wave energy
the earth normally radiates back to space. Activities such as the burning of fossil
fuels (coal, oil and natural gas for heating and electricity, gasoline and
diesel for transportation), deforestation activities and some agricultural
practices are increasing the greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere and
accelerating global climate change.
As a business initiative our objective is to mobilise business
towards mitigating climate change through various energy efficiency activities
that are economically sustainable. We also encourage business to invest in
energy efficient and engagewith South Africa’s regulatory framework. Sustainable as these energy efficiency
activities are intended to be, business should not lose sight of technological
improvements, social empowerment and general economic growth for the
industries [more].
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2 Climate Change and the Carbon Disclosure
Project (CDP)
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The biggest challenge for humankind in the
21th century is to stabilise the anticipated increase in global
average temperatures to 2oC, endeavouring to minimise risks
associated with anticipated climate change. Abatement measures to will require
drastic reduction of GHGs at least by 2030. Business is expected to take the lead in
reducing GHG emissions (e.g. through mitigation and adaptation) but face
challenges that range from the variable level of awareness to absence of
corporate champions to drive climate, energy and sustainability issues as part
of core business practice.
The NBI's Climate and
Energy focus area assists South African companies to address some of the
challenges through the CDP [more]. |
3 Advocacy and Information
Sharing
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We advocate
sustainable development primarily through publications and events. Our Newsletter - On a Clear Day -
which deals with sustainability in general, enjoys a wide readership,
while Executive Guides are issue-specific briefs
designed as quick-reads for senior executives.
Various tools for companies to address climate change
may be accessed here.
Events in varied
forms – business leader dinners, practitioner workshops, roundtables and
seminars – are hosted periodically to advocate and share best practices on
climate and energy issues that impact on business and on society in general.
Our
most recent event, held in KwaZulu-Natal, dealt with: Climate Change and Energy Efficiency: The Implications for
Business.
Held in partnership with
Tongaat-Hulett, this NBI information sharing session focused on the implications
for KwaZulu-Natal based companies within such programmes as the NBI’s Carbon
Disclosure Project (CDP), CDP-Water Disclosure Programme and the Energy
Efficiency Accord.
The
presentations may be viewed here.
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