Former Mexican President calls for global green growth push (BusinessGreen)
20 May 2014
New Climate Economy (NCE) Chair and former President of Mexico Felipe Calderón was interviewed by James Murray, editor for BusinessGreen. In the interview, President Calderón again brought climate change inaction back to the economic environment:
Climate change is demonstrably associated with global warming, and global warming is associated with human behaviour. And all of those points are facts that have been demonstrated on a scientific basis. It begs the question that if these issues are so clear why are countries and businesses not taking action? The point of the commission is to address this question. And it comes down to the expression used in President Clinton's first campaign: ‘it's the economy, stupid'.
President Calderón also warned negotiators not to overlook a possible agreement in Lima at the COP20 and expecting too much from a grand agreement at the Paris talks next year. Read more.
Felipe Calderón: it’s time to talk about the profits from climate action (RTCC)
16 May 2014
President Calderón’s address at Abu Dhabi Ascent as posted by Responding to Climate Change. You can read the entire address here.
“Tightly packed: the future of climate smart cities” (DN)
13 May 2014
New Climate Economy (NCE) Programme Director was in Stockholm last week for the Swedish Energy Outlook 2014 conference. He spoke on the need for governments to encourage densification to reduce carbon emissions and catalyze economic growth. “We need fewer Atlantas and Torontos and more Stockholms,” Mr. Oppenheim said. Original coverage in Swedish. Read more using the browser translator.
Ban Ki-moon, Al Gore and Felipe Calderon at Abu Dhabi Ascent (Gulf News)
4 May 2014
President Calderón attended the Abu Dhabi Ascent on behalf of the NCE, arguing for better economic policies to promote low carbon development. He was quoted in the article: “A major focus of Abu Dhabi Ascent will be on the economic benefits of action on climate change. Reducing emissions, while promoting economic and social development, is the challenge before us, because there is no alternative.”
The two day event was attended by current and former high level ministers and heads of state in preparation for the UN Climate Summit in September. Read more.
Ottawa risking oil investment, conference told (The Globe and Mail)
29 April 2014
New Climate Economy Programme Director spoke at Big Ideas for Sustainable Prosperity, organized by Sustainable Prosperity, warning against investing in oil sands as the markets begin to shift to cleaner energy resources:
Mr. Oppenheim said the investment in the oil sands is a high-cost venture for global oil companies, which face a growing likelihood of “stranded assets” there as technologies to dramatically improve automobile mileage and the switch to electric cars become more commercially attractive.
You may read more of Mr. Oppenheim’s comments and those of other speakers at the link. Read more.
On Earth Day, fight climate gloom and doom (USA Today)
22 April 2014
For Earth Day, NCE Programme Director Jeremy Oppenheim co-wrote an opinion editorial with Jules Kortenhorst, CEO of Rocky Mountain Institute on building the determination to act on the threat of climate change through market innovation. They write:
The solution to climate risk need not be simply about social sacrifice and austerity, but paradoxically can also be about market-fueled prosperity. But that won't happen with the existing "industrial" model, which creates wealth based on labor and capital, fueled by cheap energy and un-priced environmental resources and impacts. It must come from the emergence of a new model, one that decouples wealth creation from resource consumption.
The op-ed goes on to describe several innovations that highlight the path for that decoupling and the wealth assets that can be made from an embrace of low carbon innovation. Read more.
Full Coverage
Here is a list of our all our media coverage since the last update in mid-April by event.
Sweden Energy Outlook 2014
Abu Dhabi Ascent 2014
-
RTTC News: Felipe Calderón: It’s time to talk about the profits from climate action (Full Speech)
-
Gulf News: Ban Ki-moon, Al Gore and Felipe Calderón at Abu Dhabi Ascent
-
The National: UAE is leading the way in tackling climate change, says UN Secretary General
-
Emirates News Service: Abdullah lauds UAE’s efforts on climate
Big Ideas for Sustainable Prosperity
Opinion Editorials
-
USA Today: On Earth Day, fight climate gloom and doom: Innovation will allow us to prosper and preserve our planet. By Jules Kortenhorst and Jeremy Oppenheim
-
Huffington Post: 3 Tales of Hope for a Low-Carbon Future. By Andrew Steer
-
Project Syndicate: The Climate-Change Agenda Heats Up. By Michael Jacobs
Other Interviews
