The weekly Verdigris blog by Laurel Brunner
It’s been about a month since the COP 21 meeting in Paris came to a close. The agreement adopted is now being drafted into a formal document that will be available in April for countries to sign. 196 countries were involved in drafting the goals for responding to climate change. The most significant was the commitment to hold global temperature increases to less than 2º C above “pre-industrial” temperatures. What happens next matters almost more than the agreement itself, but do we know what to expect? And will it make much difference to the printing and publishing industries?
The short answer is yes and no. We can expect some prevarication on the parts of some players and energetic support on the parts of others. This will give publishers plenty to write about both online and in print. But we cannot really know what to expect because the government representatives who contributed to the development of the COP21 document are not the people who will put it into action. That will take government resources which may not be forthcoming. Policy makers, NGOs, businesses and individuals are the ones who will really make the difference. In all cases much of the effort will be made behind the media’s probing eye. Changes in business practises will however provide some hint that we might be moving towards the COP21 objectives, and that is as much about money as it is about altruism.
Money will play a pivotal role in making the COP21 aspirations reality because money is the real driver of change. Enthusiasm for protecting the planet can only go so far without it. Large banks such as the Asian Development Bank and the European Investment Bank are working to mobilise resources to put the COP21 agreement into practise. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development even has a dedicated process to help businesses reduce emissions and develop environmentally friendly infrastructures in the developing world.
Development represents opportunity for the graphics industry. For companies with sound environmental credentials working in emerging markets there will be ample new opportunities. For those working in developed economies there should also be opportunities, particularly if you number government organisations amongst your customers. The spirit of COP21 will inform their purchasing decisions and could well be mandated in procurement policies.
We can expect increased emphasis on taking environmental best practises mainstream, building inclusive green economies even at the local level. We hope too that organisations will build climate considerations into their operations, and that the graphics industry will continue to reduce its environmental impact as part of its efforts to support these hugely important commitments.
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