Sir Richard Branson has begun an effort for market-driven response to carbon emissions with the Carbon War Room. The effort links the importance and impact of combating global warming to that of both world wars put together – stating that many feel that the impacts of this global change will damage the world’s economies more than these two events put together.
The war room is located in Washington, D.C., and brings together world leaders and entrepreneurs to identify policy and technology gaps, and to address these. The “theaters and battles” defined by the group include: electricity, transport, the built environment, industry, land use, emerging economies, carbon management.
In a recent interview with The Economist, Branson mentioned an effort to begin gauging the emissions from large container ships, posting this information online, and working with ports to give most favorable berth placements to those ships that are deemed the most efficient and least polluting.
This practical industry-driven outreach is an important pillar in the battle. With globalization, it’s large multinational companies that stand to have the most impact, and policy alone won’t address the issue.
