With the impending United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on the horizon, concern for the environment is a hot topic in the media at present. A staggering 190 nations are sending delegates to finalise an agreement that it is hoped will mitigate the global impact of climate change; in the wake of this, environmental consulting will be big business as companies and governments alike attempt to cut carbon emissions without major financial losses.
The move towards low carbon development will see an increase in technologies that utilise alternative fuels. Sustainable sources that are being recommended by environmental consultants include harnessing solar, wind, geothermal and tidal power. The fact that these sources are not a sufficient solution on their own has been addressed, and it is likely that a combination of alternatives will need to be implemented. However, before this can be achieved, the world's reliance on oil needs to change.
One of the major points of the Copenhagen Agreement is a solution called oil capping. It has been recognised that countries such as China, who are developing exponentially using fossil fuels, feel that it is unfair for established nations like America to dictate their right to grow in this manner. One solution that has been proposed is that a finite amount of oil is to be distributed between countries which will allow developing nations the opportunity to grow, whilst developed countries reduce their reliance on oil.
In essence, Europe and the United States will reduce consumption, and therefore emissions, whilst China and India increase consumption until all nations are on a level pegging. Once this point is reached, every country will reduce reliance equally until a state of zero carbon emissions is achieved. The urgency in this matter has been brought to the attention of the media, and it has been accepted that if the upcoming Kyoto Treaty fails, the impact of climatic change will be devastating.
One of the ways industries can be persuaded to embrace the necessary changes is for environmental consulting companies to produce action plans that will sustain profit margins, but use cleaner fuels to do so. Unfortunately, the matter is not as simple as just eliminating carbon emissions; it is also necessary to reduce the release of other greenhouse gasses. Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, methane, nitrous oxide and sulphur hexafluoride all play a major part in global warming. For effective stabilization, heavy industry needs to find a way to reduce these emissions, a task that can only be undertaken with the help of knowledgeable environmental consultancies.