December 15, 2009
Climate targets can be achieved with existing technologies
Climate change is not just a threat. Sensible and energy-efficient solutions allow companies to improve their productivity and competitiveness. In addition, delaying investments aimed at slowing climate change can actually increase costs by up to EUR 500 billion each year.
Cleantech companies from Finland were present at the Bright Green corporate event being held on December 12-13 in conjunction with the COP15 Summit in Copenhagen. Finnish companies are among the world’s best, particularly in energy efficiency, clean industrial processes, and bioenergy sectors.
“We have top expertise, especially in the field of energy efficiency. The companies present here, like Vacon, Vaisala, and Nokia, are indisputably at the forefront of their sectors. We have to keep in mind that we already have the technology needed to deal with climate problems. Of course we also have to develop new solutions, but a lot could be done with the existing technology," explains Santtu Hulkkonen, Executive Director at Cleantech Finland.
The delay of essential investments will also be expensive. According to a report published by the International Energy Agency IEA in November 2009, delaying investments will cost EUR 500 billion per year on a global basis if the situation is allowed to deteriorate.
Solutions for greener business
Focusing on energy efficiency will have the greatest impact on greenhouse gas emissions in the mid- to long-term. According to Hulkkonen, the global market for energy-efficient solution is currently about EUR 400 billion and this will double over the next 10 years.
“Above all, this is a matter of sensible solutions. For example, using a frequency transformer reduces emissions and helps cut costs at the same time, while full exploitation of energy-efficient electric motors and frequency transformers could reduce global electricity consumption by approximately 10 percent," says Sebastian Linko, Director of Corporate Communications at Vacon.
Information technology also offers opportunities to improve energy efficiency. The ICT sector currently produces about 2 percent of all global carbon emissions, and this figure is expected to more than double by 2020. At the same time, solutions based on new technology make significant emissions reductions possible in other industrial sectors.
"It has been estimated that more intelligent use of ICT could help cut down the emissions from other sectors by as much as 15 percent. Therefore at Nokia we believe that mobile technology solutions and other ICT solutions can have a significant role in helping to meet the climate targets and there must not be any unnecessary barriers for developing cross-sectoral cooperation or other innovative solutions. Additionally it should not be forgotten that also little things matter and therefore at Nokia we are trying to encourage customers to make more sustainable choices,” says Salla Ahonen, Senior Manager, Environmental & Regulatory Affairs at Nokia.
