PwC leads accountants in global environmental taskforce

PricewaterhouseCoopers was the sole Big Four representative at a global
taskforce meeting looking into sustainabilty initiatives.

The World Economic Forum’s Taskforce on low carbon economic prosperity had
its first meeting in the UK with the first working group discussions also taking
place.

The Taskforce commissioned Lord Stern and professor Stiglett, an American
economist and professor at columbia University, to compile a report looking at
the prospects of a global low carbon economy. The two page report was given to
the leaders of the G20 ahead of their meeting this week.

‘The difference this taskforce and report will have is that it is much more
focused on the practical, with pragmatic recommendations that we in business can
and should support’ said Ian Powell, chairman of PwC.

‘That’s what has been missing from previous initiatives for business’ he
added.

The panel consists of businesses, firms and government representatives to
identify ways to create millions of environmental jobs in the short term. It
also hopes to deflect economic growth and make recommendations on
ready-to-implement low carbon projects.

Members of the Taskforce include Powell, Nick Samans, MD of the World
Economic Forum, business secretary Lord Peter Mandelson, energy and climate
change minister Ed Miliband, Lord Nicholas Stern and Caoi Koch Vesser,
vice-president at Deutsche Bank.

The Taskforce is calling for G20 leaders to commit to spend around 30% of the
stimulus packages on low carbon measures with the industry already worth £3
trillion globally and has created 800,000 jobs created in the UK.

Ed Milliband predicts that in the future every business in the UK would be a
green business; using green energy, abiding by green regulations and also due to
the introduction of the carbon reduction commitment.