An environmental think tank says that businesses ought to pay attention to climate change. What’s the big deal about that?Two things. One is the arguments they marshal to support their thesis. The other is that the Harvard Business Review agreed with them enough to publish an article they wrote, “Competitive Advantage on a Warming Planet,” in its March issue.
Whether you believe that the risk of climate change is real and you’re skeptical about that contention, the issue is increasingly one that demands analysis. That’s especially true for facility executives planning construction projects involving technologies or products that manage or use energy – in other words, much of the building.Among the points that emerge from the article:• Concerns about climate change are beginning to affect the way consumers and investors view companies. That means a company’s response to climate change could become either a competitive advantage or a competitive disadvantage.• A large number of people in the United States are concerned about the risk of climate change. That makes it more likely that measures to control emissions will be adopted in the future.• Carbon trading enables companies responsible for fewer emissions to sell the emissions they don’t need. That could offer companies a chance to earn money by using less energy.• Future regulations could penalize energy-inefficient buildings.• The first step is to calculate your “carbon footprint,” which is based partly on how much energy your organization uses. The Institute helped to develop a tool to do that.
• Some big name companies are already taking steps to address the risks and opportunities raised by climate change.Two disclaimers about the article. First, some of the organizations mentioned in the article have contributed money to the World Resources Institute. Second, downloading a PDF of the article will cost $6.00.