May Day “Mayday”: Prince’s alert on climate change

The website www.ecofriendlytourist.com reports from the Prince of Wales’s May Day business summit on climate change


Prince Charles has issued a “mayday” alert on climate change at a summit of over 1000 business leaders and launched a nationwide movement of companies committed to creating a low-carbon economy in Britain.

The heir to the throne was speaking on May Day itself by satellite from St. James Palace in London to delegates at venues around the country. Recalling his time in the Royal Navy where “mayday” is an emergency distress call he said, “Climate change is an emergency” and he warned that that the crisis facing the planet is so serious, “it can no longer be business as usual”.

He said, “Businesses have the power to make a real difference” and that it is vital they do so because of the likely impact of climate change on the world economy such as vast movements of people escaping flooding or droughts, or lack of water and uncertain production of food. The Prince called on businesses to cut their own emissions, to encourage suppliers and customers to take action, and for more effort to design low carbon products and services.

The Summit marked the launch of a nationwide movement of businesses tackling climate change. On the day, businesses made over 5,500 pledges to take action and to report on their progress. In addition, nearly 600 businesses signed up to become a “May Day Company” – a new campaign backed by Business in the Community, the Carbon Trust and other organisations.

Those attending included representatives from prominent companies such as EDF Energy, Morgan Stanley and British Land as well as from several smaller organisations. Among these were some from the transport and tourism industry including three based in London: Radio Taxis Group, which describes itself as the world’s first carbon neutral taxi company; Green Tomato Cars, an environmentally friendly private hire service; and ecofriendlytourist.com.

Delegates were reminded of last autumn’s government-commissioned review into the economics of the environmental crisis conducted by Sir Nicholas Stern who warned that failing to curb human-induced climate change would cost at least 5% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year. In contrast, he said the costs of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change could be limited to about 1% of annual global GDP.

In March, the government published its draft Climate Change Bill which proposed a legally binding target of cutting the UK's CO2 emissions by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050.

The summit was told that according to recent estimates, the business sector is responsible for 40% of the nation's CO2 output, but that it was not all doom and gloom. Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust said, “Cutting carbon emissions creates exciting new opportunities for business, opening up new markets and commercial possibilities as well as reducing costs.”

Prince Charles ended by telling the summit that we are well on the way to making our planet uninhabitable and making a passionate plea for urgent action.

“So this is not about saving the planet,” he said. “It’s about saving us. And that is where each and every one of us has a responsibility to do what we can. Right at the start I referred to ‘mayday’ as the universal call for help. The point is that when it is heard everyone responds and the responses I have heard today have given me cause for real optimism. It isn’t too late – if we act now and together – we can make a real difference.”

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Further details about the new May Day Company campaign launched with the backing of Business in the Community, the Carbon Trust and other organisations are available at www.maydaycompany.org.uk.

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