2007年VOA标准英语-Business Leaders Call For Action On Climate Cha

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
06 July 2007

Business leaders from 150 companies from around the world are calling for action on climate change. The leaders signed a declaration at a United Nations meeting, in which they committed themselves to reducing the damage caused by carbon dioxide emissions¹ from products and services. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

Thirty of the 150 companies pledging to do something about climate change are from the Fortune Global 500. Environmental activists² say the possibility of coming to grips with this problem looks better since these companies have come aboard.

The executive director of the U.N. Environment Program, Achim Steiner, says the issue of climate change is no longer just viewed as a threat to economic development.

He says bringing down the levels of carbon dioxide emissions, which lead to global warming, is increasingly seen as an opportunity for businesses and for bettering economies.

"In terms of global warming and climate change, the key to rapid progress is in part premised upon getting markets and, by implication, businesses to become not skeptics and doubters and therefore brakes on progress, but rather catalysts³, innovators and multipliers for a transition to a more energy efficient economy," said Steiner.

Rajendra Pachauri

The chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, says climate change will have a very bad impact on poor people. It also will lead to a decline in agricultural productivity.

Unless business is deeply involved in finding solutions, he says the world will not be able to tackle the problem of climate change.

"There are opportunities that would open up," said Pachauri. "Ten years from now, the world would have a low carbon future, one would hope. And, therefore, those who are off the block the earliest, would be the ones that would turn out to be winners."

Pachauri says it is imperative⁴ for businesses and industries to start looking at this low carbon future and to start making the investments that would be in their commercial interests.

This message is not lost on the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The president of this coalition⁵ of 200 of the world's leading corporations, Bjorn Stigson says business is acting⁶ on this challenge.

"We are acting on it because there is a business case for this," said Stigson. "If you reduce energy use, you become more efficient, you will improve your bottom line, your profit. It is also a strategic issue. You have to look at what this means for your long-term business strategy today."

Chief Procurement⁷ Officer of Royal Philips Electronics, Barbara Kux, knows first-hand the difference technology can make. She says 90 percent of the world electricity today is consumed by lighting⁸.

"By switching to more modern and energy efficient lighting, over 500 million tons of CO2 emissions could be reduced," said Kux. "This is the equivalent of 530 medium sized power plants."

Kux cites a recent study that shows replacing existing lighting technology would save 100 billion euro. She says public awareness⁹ about the climate has changed and consumers want to buy more environmentally-friendly products. She says smart businesses will give consumers what they want.

1 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 catalysts   

n.催化剂( catalyst的名词复数 )；触媒；促进因素；有感染力的人

参考例句：

• The first catalytic converters were called conventional oxidation catalysts. 最初的转化器叫做常规氧化催化器。 来自辞典例句
• Many processes that are essential to the chemical industry use heterogeneous catalysts. 很多重要的化学工业过程就是使用多相催化剂的。 来自辞典例句

4 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 procurement   

n.采购；获得

参考例句：

• He is in charge of the procurement of materials.他负责物资的采购。
• More and more,human food procurement came to have a dominant effect on their evolution.人类获取食物愈来愈显著地影响到人类的进化。

8 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

9 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。