European businesses go green fast

In a change of position, European light bulb makers like Philips and Osram are lobbying governments to promote low-energy light bulbs over traditional incandescent bulbs.

The companies have realized that a mass switch to the more expensive bulbs, following a similar push in Australia, not only would help cut global warming, but also could also boost their profits.
While in some cases there is still a yawning gap between rhetoric and reality, European businesses are rapidly going green — albeit driven more by profits and regulations than a desire to do good.

Whether it is car makers, electricity generators, retailers or builders, the green tide is rising as scientists and politicians warn of approaching catastrophe caused by the carbon gases resulting from burning fossil fuels for power and transport.

“In many cases business has been in the lead. It is realizing the future will be much more carbon constrained,” said former World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern who published a seminal report last year on the economics of climate change.

“Everywhere you look you see businesses taking decisions with carbon costs in mind,” he told a conference.

Washington Post