A growing concern: How should business adapt to a low carbon world?

Arup sponsored this white paper produced by the Management Consultancies Association.

Carbon management has gradually been moving up the corporate agenda, driven by a combination of actual and threatened regulation, the anticipated growth in consumer pressure and an underlying desire to cut costs.

But actual progress is undermining the ambitious and well-intentioned goals organisations are setting themselves. There are many reasons for this – many of which would apply to any substantial programme of change. However, fundamentally, the cost of pollution is not yet high enough to focus the attention of senior managers; reducing carbon emissions is still just one of many things jockeying for funds and commitment. This is not as depressing at it sounds: by raising the price of pollution (in reality, the cost of carbon), it may be possible to galvanise organisations to pursue economic and environmental goals with equal determination.