Groundbreaking Analysis Reveals Route for Businesses to Uncover Billions in Hidden Profits from Climate Change Action
World Wildlife Fund, June 18, 2013
A new analysis, "The 3% Solution: Driving Profits through Carbon
Reduction," demonstrates that if US businesses act now to reduce
emissions by an average of 3% annually, they can save up to $190 billion
in 2020 alone, or $780 billion over 10 years. Reducing carbon emissions
by 3% annually from now to 2020 – equivalent to cutting total annual
greenhouse gas emissions in 20020 by 1.2 gigatons of CO2 from 2010
levels – is enough to put the UU.S. corporate sector on track for a 25%
reduction against 1990 levels. This reduction pathway is consistent with
the lower end of what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says
is needed by 2020 to help avoid a global temperature increase of 2
degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. To unlock the billions of
dollars in cost savings, on average the US corporate sector would need
to invest 3 to 4% of their capital expenditures each year on low-risk,
profitable carbon reduction projects.
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