Delegates from a wide variety of businesses in the built environment and energy sectors were given the opportunity to respond to a number of questions on their perceptions of sustainability and carbon emissions at the Low Carbon World Conference. Keynote speakers at the conference, which took place on 17th April, included Zac Goldsmith, Dr Sultan Al Jaber, and Peter Ainsworth.

Another, and perhaps surprising, result was businesses desire to be held accountable for their green activities. 89% of attendees at the Low Carbon World Conference confirmed they felt green business reporting should be made mandatory. A further 84% supported a single industry wide framework for this reporting.

The Low Carbon World survey also indicated that business believes energy supply management to be an important part of reducing emissions, with 65% of delegates saying that buying low carbon power is an important part of their business’s carbon management strategy.

Adrian Wyatt, CEO of Quintain Estates and Chairman of the Sustainable Environment Foundation, which hosted the event, said:

“These results demonstrate how important the green agenda is for businesses both today and in the future. It is vital for all those involved in the built environment to focus on exploring opportunities and frameworks that can pave the way for real change.”

Paul Spence, head of Strategy and Business Development at British Energy, which sponsored the interactive voting, said:
“The property sector is working hard to reduce carbon emissions as part of the CSR agenda but there is growing evidence that leadership in managing carbon emissions can also deliver bottom-line benefits. We have just commissioned some independent research* which provides convincing evidence of improved financial performance in ‘low carbon businesses’ in terms of shareprice and investment profile. It is this correlation between reduced carbon emissions and better business performance that will drive change over the next few years.
As the UK's largest generator and supplier of low carbon energy we have a significant role to play in helping the property sector access the business benefits of low carbon."
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* RSM survey of Fund Managers March 08


Notes to Editors

Delegates to the Sustainable Environment Foundation’s Low Carbon World conference were asked to vote on a number of questions raised by the discussions, using state-of-the-art interactive electronic voting technology, which was sponsored by British Energy.

With cities contributing approximately 75% of all heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions to our atmosphere, while only comprising 2% of land mass, large cities are critical to winning this fight and slowing the pace of global warming.

Clinton Climate Initiative
If everyone on earth consumed as much as the average person in the UK, we would need three planets to support us.

One Planet Living
20% of UK carbon impact is associated with large infrastructure projects such as roads and airports.

About the Sustainable Environment Foundation
The built environment is a key source of greenhouse gas emissions. The reduction in or countering of these emissions is vital in our fight against climate change.

The Sustainable Environment Foundation has been established to:
• Improve public awareness of the importance of the built environment in climate change
• Promote behavioural changes that will benefit the environment
• Establish and promote educational programmes to increase awareness of these issues in schools, colleges and universities
• Promote research into the role played by the built environment in the causes of climate change, resource depletion and the abuse of the natural world
• Promote research into and the development of technologies and products to further these objectives
• Provide a forum for representatives from politics, academia, finance, commerce and industry to develop joined up thinking and the implementation of practical action in the furtherance of these objectives

About British Energy
• British Energy is the UK’s largest electricity generator employing over 6,000 people UK-wide and generating around one sixth of the UK’s electricity needs.
• As the UK’s largest producer of electricity and the lowest carbon emitter of the UK’s major electricity generators, British Energy owns and operates the eight most modern nuclear power stations in the country and is well placed to be at the heart of new nuclear generation.
• British Energy’s nuclear power stations avoided the emission of over 30 million tonnes of CO2 last year.