STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01 HOURS ON WEDNESDAY 7th NOV

OVER 100 OF SCOTLAND’S TOP BUSINESS LEADERS GATHER TO PLEDGE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

HRH The Prince of Wales’s Business Summit on Climate Change

May Day Summit Logo

Over 100 of Scotland’s top businesses are meeting today (Wednesday 7th November 2007) to pledge action on climate change. The Summit will mark the beginning of a business-led movement for increased action on climate change.

The Summit has been organised by Scottish Business in the Community, in conjunction with the Carbon Trust (Scotland) and will bring together senior industry figures across a range of sectors and regions. Speakers include Stewart Stevenson, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure & Climate Change, and John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance & Sustainable Growth. Scottish Business in the Community’s President, HRH The Prince of Wales, Duke of Rothesay, will address the audience live via a BT video-link from Wales where simultaneous events will be taking place.

A first in Scotland, this unique gathering of business leaders follows on from the inaugural event in England in May this year and will take the number of companies making a commitment to tackling Climate Change in the UK to over 1500.
The Summit is also unique in its emphasis on action. Companies will be asked to make firm commitments to reduce their carbon emissions, leading Scotland to a low carbon economy, working not only in their companies, but with their employees, suppliers and customers.

Samantha Barber, CEO of Scottish Business in the Community said:
“Scottish businesses have been at the forefront of efforts to tackle climate change for some time now. The Summit will provide a focus for collective business action on climate change – harnessing the power of business to change their operating practices and use their positive influence with their suppliers and customers.”

John Stocks, Manager, Carbon Trust Scotland adds:
“Our mission is to help business accelerate transition to a low carbon economy by reducing both emissions now and commercialising technology for tomorrow. Scottish businesses and public sector account for about 40% of Scotland’s carbon footprint and they need to play their part in achieving the very large reductions we need to realise by 2050. The Carbon Trust routinely works with around 500 businesses in Scotland each year and, in 2006/7 we estimate that our assistance has helped clients reduce their emissions by between 173,000 – 265,000 tonnes of CO2, which represents energy bill savings of between £14-22 million a year. ”

The Summit is sponsored nationally by ScottishPower, BT, Scottish and Southern Energy, DLA Piper, the Scottish Government, and HBOS plc.

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Notes to editors:
For more information on Scottish Business in the Community (SBC) visit www.sbcscot.com. The first May Day Business Summit on Climate Change was held on the 1st May 2007. Local elections prevented Scotland and Wales participating. May 2008 will see all the nations of the UK compare progress on pledges made at Summits.

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